Studying abroad is both a fascinating and challenging endeavor. It is intended to be a life-changing experience that incites changes in perspective, personal growth and understanding. So, what must it be like to be an international student studying here at Kean University? And what is it like over at Wenzhou-Kean? Some students shared their unique experiences and culture at the Ni Hao event on Thursday, Feb. 15.
The Ni Hao event was hosted by Student Organization's PULSE and the Wenzhou-Kean University Student Association (WKUSA) in commemoration of the Lunar New Year on Friday, Feb. 16. The proceedings took place at the lobby of the Center for Academic Success (CAS) and incorporated many traditionally Chinese activities.
To begin the event, there was a widely enjoyed dragon parade by a troop of men holding a dragon ensemble, led by a man with a ball for the "dragon" to chase. The dragon playfully greeted the children who came to watch the event, effectively inciting laughs from the crowd.
Tables held activities such as a Chinese Zodiac character writing station, a Chinese checkers competition, a lantern riddle game and a tea making station.
The event also offered bubble tea, snacks and plates of food in celebration of the upcoming holiday.
Many exchange students were happy to share in this celebration of culture and were inspired to talk about their different experiences at Kean Union versus Wenzhou-Kean.
Of these was Yuwen Teng, an international student from Wenzhou-Kean who is majoring in accounting. She has lived and studied at Kean Union for about half a year now and came to pursue her graduate degree. When prompted about what she believes is a major difference between her experiences in China versus the United States, she explained how she felt more free to do what she liked without judgement from her peers in the United States.
Teng then proceeded to reflect on the different teaching styles of the two countries stating, "I think the United States focuses more on the interaction between professors and students. Usually, when I went to high school in China, I would just listen to what the professor wanted me to do, but here you can argue with the professor; they encourage you to think critically."
Another major difference Teng and other Chinese exchange students seemed to notice was the difference in foods. Yiru Chen, a graduate international student from Wenzhou- Kean has studied at Kean Union for the past two semesters. She explained how she missed her home-cooked Chinese food the most. She also reflected on how differences in transportation between the two countries contributed to her experience. She acknowledged how it is more inconvenient to not have a car in the United States than it is in China where public transportation seems more widely established and easier to use.
Aliyah Bradley, president of WKUSA, also relayed her observations of Chinese culture and lifestyle from when she went to study abroad at China for a semester. She noticed how mannerisms are different and more reserved with less public displays of affection between couples and friends. She attributed the more conservative culture to the overcrowded environments which doesn't allow for broad movements.
Bradley was also intrigued by the eating and food culture of China and explained how sharing food between friends and family is very common and expected. She enjoyed how everyone always ate together and observed that China seemed very family-oriented in this aspect. Bradley also explained her intrigue when watching parent and child relations between her Chinese peers and their parents. She noticed how there were not huge displays of affection between families despite their having been apart for months at a time.
Tiffany Fu, who studied for a year abroad at China, further discussed cultural differences between China and the United States. She too noticed the more reserved characters of her Chinese peers who took longer to open up to her than her American peers. Still, she enjoyed other aspects of studying abroad such as the added freedom she was granted to take her education into her own hands.
Fu explained how the value of studying abroad is that "you get to become more independent because you get away from your parents and get to do things on your own. This can be a bad or good thing depending on who you are. You learn to have to time manage everything and you get to have a lot of free time by yourself; meaning you get to organize where you're going to go, what you're going to eat. If I wanted to go to this place I could. I just have to manage the chore I have to do to get over there."
This Ni Hao event was a wonderful gathering between the different cultures of Kean Union and Wenzhou-Kean. May these excerpts from Kean's very own exchange students serve as a reminder of the availability and importance of Kean University's world class education to all students alike.
