There are many places like home

Monday, June 15, 1998

There are many places like home

WORLD: UCLA’s international students exchange life in own
country for experience in U.S.

By Christy Lin

Daily Bruin Contributor

With the end of the school year approaching, graduating seniors
everywhere are planning their futures. Not many of them are
determining which country to live in, though.

Not many, except for international exchange students, who must
now decide whether to stay in the United States or return to their
homeland.

Andy Hung, a fifth-year cybernetics student from Taiwan, plans
to stay in the United States for graduate school.

Hung likes the United States better than Taiwan and plans to
work here after his studies are completed.

"The job is more advanced here, and my friends are all here,"
Hung said. "I like the environment in the United States. Staying
here would be my first choice."

Hung does not miss Taiwan much, because to him "everything of
the present is here. Taiwan is a place of the past."

Sehat Nauli, a fourth-year biochemistry student from Jakarta,
Indonesia, also will stay in the United States. Nauli feels he will
be unable to practice biochemistry because of little academic
development there in the subject.

He will attend the University of Washington in Seattle, for
graduate study, in the fall.

"(Graduating) is something I have to do because I’m going for my
Ph.D.," Nauli said.

"Certainly it’s an accomplishment; I guess for me it’s not
really like a turning point kind of thing," he said.

Nauli does not plan to attend the commencement ceremonies
because his family members, who are unable to leave Indonesia, will
not be able to watch him graduate.

"I don’t feel that it’s such a big deal, unless my family is
here," he said.

Because of the devaluation of Indonesia’s currency last fall,
many people left the country after experiencing the ensuing
economic crisis in the region.

It is more difficult, however, for middle class people to obtain
exit visas, so Nauli’s family cannot come to his graduation.

Graduation is not a big deal for Hung either. He had to graduate
in his fifth year, because he became sick and could not go to
school during fall or winter quarters this year.

"I’m just waiting for it to be over and start the next stage of
my life," he said.

Hung has mixed feelings about his experience at UCLA.

"I have encountered great teachers, and I have developed deep
respect for them," Hung said. "At the same time, some others are
just hideous."

Nauli and Hung both plan to continue studying in the United
States, but for others, this quarter will be the end of their
stay.

Asta Ho, a third-year art student, will leave both UCLA and the
United States this year. She will study in New York for the summer
and will return to the Chinese University of Hong Kong at the end
of summer.

Ho thinks the one year she spent here was too short and would
have liked to stay longer, but she also misses her family and would
like to see them again.

But, then again, she is also going to miss her friends when she
leaves the United States.

"What is special is there are so many people from so many
countries here that I never expected," Ho said.

"What I learned here was the different cultures here instead of
the American culture. It’s easy for me to adapt here."

She said that her American education was significantly different
from her education in China.

"I liked my professors a lot," Ho said. "They are all different.
Their opinions are so stimulating."

"Maybe the culture is different. They really care about what
you’re doing," she said.

These students also felt that the extracurricular activities
offered at UCLA enriched their learning process here.

Nauli said working in a lab was a valuable experience that gave
him hands-on experience in molecular and structural biology that he
would not have learned in class.

"The choice was certainly not a bad choice, considering what I
learned so far," he said.

For Hung, participation in the International Students
Association and the Chinese Graduate Students Association helped
him meet more people at UCLA. He said he feels these groups helped
him become more socially involved.

Ho also participated in social events on campus, including
dancing and rock climbing.

"(Dancing) is really special because in Hong Kong I never did
it," Ho said. "I never thought I wanted to do dancing."

Not only did Ho try different activities, but she also joined a
religious group.

As a Christian, Ho wanted to find a fellowship to help further
her spiritual growth despite being away from home. Her pastor told
her about an international organization called Navigators, which
she joined during her first quarter here.

For Nauli, Hung and Ho, this is the end of their UCLA careers.
As international students, it was a change that has brought them
unforgettable experiences.