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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: International Students Come to America
HEADLINE: What’s It Like to Come to America as an Undergraduate?
TEASER: As the US academic year gets underway, newly arrived college students share their impressions
PUBLISHED AT: 09/28/2023 at 10:15am
BYLINE: Laurel Bowman
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington, DC and Rockville, MD
VIDEOGRAPHER: Adam Greenbaum and Saqib Ul Islam
VIDEO EDITOR: Adam Greenbaum
ASSIGNING EDITOR: Mia Bush
SCRIPT EDITORS: Reifenrath, Mia Bush
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_
TRT: 2:59
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVR PKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[Many thousands of international students come to study at American universities and colleges each year. VOA’s Laurel Bowman met four students who have just landed at campuses in the Washington area.]]
((NARRATOR))
It’s a cliché … the phrase “coming to America.” Yet countless international students choose to study at colleges and universities in the United States each year.
Russian Ekaterina Simonova is studying business at American University.
((Ekaterina 'Kate' Simonova, American University Student))
“What appealed to me the most was my ability to double major and minor in fields that aren’t connected at all between each other”
((NARRATOR))
Hailing from Turkey, American University student Yasemin Sayar [pronounced Sai-R-equal emphasis on both] also sought the coursework flexibility of the U.S. university system. She’s interested in sociology and … dance.
((Yasemin Sayar, American University Student))
“Our new experiences can shape our viewpoints and what we want to do in life. So, that’s why I feel like, yes, we should have an idea of what we want to do, what we want to study, but at the same time, leave some room open for different opportunities like a minor or double major or even changing your major.”
((NARRATOR))
Just north of Washington, at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland, we met two other international students.
Iranian Arshia [pronounced Arsh-ria] Khosravi Esmaeili has changed his major from teaching to engineering. And he likes the hands-on approach the college offers.
((Arshia Khosravi Esmaeili, Montgomery College Student))
“Here is more focused on the lab part than in Iran. And I think it’s very good for my major – engineering – because I think engineers need to use their hands along with their minds.”
((NARRATOR))
Montgomery College student Sabina Kasymova [last name pronounced KaSEEmava] from Kyrgyzstan loves being able to openly express her opinion.
((Sabina Kasymova, Montgomery College Student))
“In my country, people would usually keep their opinion by themself [to themselves] and make it a little more private, but here you can just be yourself and won’t be judged by others.”
((NARRATOR))
Incidentally, she has also changed her major … from journalism to business marketing.
((Sabina Kasymova, Montgomery College Student))
“There’s lots and lots of options for students with what profession they would like to choose.”
((NARRATOR)
Some things, however, took getting used to in the U.S. The students mentioned the food — less fresh food, more fast food — and the occasional language barrier. But all seemed excited to study here.
Esmaeili described new friends.
((Arshia Khosravi Esmaeili, Montgomery College Student))
“They want to be friends with you. They want to talk to you. So, I think that my one suggestion is don’t let yourself be alone. Find some friends.”
((Ekaterina 'Kate' Simonova, American University Student))
“I really like that it’s really diverse … that all of the nationalities, all of the religions, all of the races are represented here.”
((Yasemin Sayar, American University Student))
People really are here from every single place on Earth, and they bring their own culture, which I think makes the U.S. culture.”
((NARRATOR))
\
A culture where you are free to be yourself — and, if you like, change your major.
((Laurel Bowman, VOA NEWS, Washington))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Washington, DC and Rockville, MD
BylineLaurel Bowman
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
