Last Monday, I came to the United States. Now, I am studying in CMU. I want to say something about my first impressions of CMU. CMU is an excellent place to study. Firstly, I think the campus environment is very good. We can see grassy lawns everywhere on campus, which let me feel energetic. Sometimes when we raise our head, we can see the sunlight through the clouds. The sky is clear. It can put me in a good mood. Secondly, CMU also has all of the necessary facilities. Wherever we go, we can see the water fountains. We can use public computers and go surfing on the Internet, and we can easily find a self-study classroom. Dormitories supply a kitchen and refrigerator. Everything let me feel comfortable, so I have a feeling of home.  And CMU has a great gymnasium where we can swim, play basketball, or do some other exercise. Finally, Americans are very enthusiastic.  Walking on the road, some people said “hello” to me even though they do not know me.  These are my first impressions of CMU.

Yuanmei Xu (May 31, 2011)

First Day in United States

When I first arrived in America, I judged all people in the U.S. based on one person, and that was a mistake. One day, I decided come to the U.S. to complete my bachelor degree. As we know, most travelers have to have a visa. I was one of these people, and when I arrived at the Washington D.C. airport, I had to meet the immigration officer. They took my passport for five hours and in that time many people came and left while I was waiting. I couldn’t wait anymore because I was getting worried about what was going on. I went to the immigration office to ask them about my passport; there were four officers; one of them who had my passport was arrogant, and I asked him about what had happened to my passport and how a lot of people came after me, but all of them were already gone. I asked him if there was any problem with my visa, and he said, “Did you hear your name?” I said, “No, but I have been waiting for more than I was supposed to wait and the boarding already started, so I have to go now or I will miss the airplane.” Then he asked me to go back to my seat and wait. He was very rude. After a while I heard my name, but it was too late. The airplane was already gone; he knew that. It was my first time in the America, so I thought all Americans were similar to this person. Anyway, I arrived in Michigan, specifically in Kalamazoo. I met many Americans there, but they were completely different from that person. They were so friendly, helpful, and respectful. So, I changed my mind about Americans. Finally, I learned that most Americans are nice, and I shouldn’t have judged everyone based on that one person.

Abdullah Alsalem  (May 23, 2011)

First impressions of Mt. Pleasant

Mt. Pleasant gives me lots of surprises. First of all, I noticed that the population of Mt. Pleasant is very small. For example, Wal-Mart is a big market here, but there are not too many people shopping there on the weekend. Another thing is that the natural environment here is protected very well. I can even see some animals which are not shy by the roadside. There are squirrels everywhere on campus. They always hide nuts under the ground, but I wonder if they will find the nuts. Finally, the condition of traffic in Mt. Pleasant is a quite different from that in China. Lots of people drive pick-up trucks here because they are convenient to load heavy goods. I was also surprised that you can go across the road without waiting because the drivers are required to slow down. Furthermore, people here are so friendly. The first day we visited campus, on the street, most people might say “hello” to us strangers. Even an old lady provided some bikes to us. I like staying here —it is a relaxing place to study and meet up with friends.

Wang Xinyue (May 20, 2011)

My first impressions of Mt. Pleasant

There are many differences between Mt. Pleasant and Ma Anshan, my birthplace. But my first impression of Mt. Pleasant is about its wonderful environment. When I got off the plane, I felt the air was fresh. It made me comfortable because at this time Ma Anshan has dusty weather and I don’t need to clean my shoes often here because there is not much dust in the air. On the way from Lansing to Mt. Pleasant I saw grassy lawns. Ma Anshan also has grassy lawns but they are not large like here. When I saw the grassy lawns here, I had an impulse to roll around in the grass. I thought it may be wonderful. In the addition, on the campus I saw squirrels. In my city, I can only see squirrels in the zoo. On the other hand, Mt. Pleasant is a bit dry, so sometimes I will have nosebleeds. All in all Mt. Pleasant is a good place to live because of its great environment.

Anonymous (May 22, 2011)

Breathing in the nature

My first feeling when I got to CMU was that I was close to nature.  Although I have a long journey before I get the Mt. Pleasant, I think that the entire trip was worth it.  I have to say that I never came so close to nature.  However, I have been here just two weeks.  When I took the car from the airport to our school, I glimpsed many forests and cropland.  But I couldn’t see buildings, which really surprised me because in my hometown the majority of the buildings are tall and concentrated.  In Mt. Pleasant sometimes I walk in the town, I can find many animals on the lawn or in the trees, like squirrels and some birds.  This is my first time to set squirrels.  So I have taken many photos about them, that is a interesting thing for me.  At last, I hope I will have a wonderful life at here.

Anonymous (May 2011)