At 2am, with a Bollywood 90’s song on the radio, dad was constantly back and forth through his speech on how to behave in a foreign land without parental supervision, as he drove me to the airport. He knew how excited I was, I would yap about my university all day, anything new that was available on the website was the topic of discussion for our dinner table. From receiving my acceptance letter to my CIN number, everything about CSULA was exciting but made me anxious too, coz all I knew about my university was through my computer screen. Two time zones, 31 hours and an entire season of big bang theory later, I arrived at the LAX airport. The cab took me home from a freeway, where for the first time I saw it for real, the picture from my desktop was in front of my eyes. California State University Los Angeles, written in golden black, on top of a huge building; which ironically was my department ; School of Business and Economics.
Panicking about registering for my classes, what to wear and Google mapping the directions, I managed to reach the university. And I was greeted by; African American, White, Puerto Rican, Somali, Tamil, Desis and all my Asians. I sure did have a Facebook profile picture moment. With the university direction map in my hand, I spent my day running from one building to another. Making sure I had concluded all my paper work. I sat in the college food court, now realizing that people around me have been calling the university/college, School, hmmm must be a cultural thing; lesson1 learnt.
With documents in my hand and calculating Dollar to Rupee in my head, I paid for the Orientation lunch. I was already cribbing about only salad in my head. Doors open, handshakes, instructions and introductions happen. I see no Indian in my Masters program, already getting conscious about my accent and not painted nails, I find another girl standing right beside me.
Is she nervous like me? Is she an international student like me too? Should I talk to her? I would have solved an algebra problem more effortlessly than coming to solution to this trouble of mine. Before I could she did, we spoke and ate not knowing we will work as a team in projects and assignments later on in our classes. Reflecting on Darwin’s theory of survival of the fittest, I prepared myself to be competitive and spine erect at all times. Before my anxiety could have run through the sparkling neurons anymore, I heard the most comfortable words in the entire day. You are welcome to Cal State LA, and we are all here to help you.
Two years later since graduation, I still miss School. I met the best professors and my Mentor Dr. Angela Young here. I even had the opportunity to teach for a semester. Now, if I come across a nervous student at the airport, I make it a point, I walk up to them and let them know the first day at school will change everything.