International
students feel homesick
By
Mari Shinkai
Daily Forty-Niner
Cal
State Long Beach is famous for its large
and diverse student body. Approximately
1,500 international students study at CSULB
in a degree program representing about 100
different countries. Each of these students
has a story to tell about why he or she
wanted, needed or had to come to CSULB to
study.
Ranjit
P. Kandalgaonkar, a graduate student in
electrical engineering, came to CSULB in
fall 2001 after completing his bachelor's
degree in India.
"In
India, there are not enough graduate programs
offered," Kandalgaonkar said. "It
was good choice for me to come to this campus
for my master's degree." He said he
is planning to go back to India after earning
a master's degree and find a job in which
he can "demonstrate ability that he
acquired in the United States."
"I
have wide range of friends, from all over
the world. I am very happy to have them,"
Kandalgaonkar said. "I am sometimes
homesick for my family in India. I call
them once every two weeks to encourage myself
to do whatever I need to do for my future.
But luckily, I've never come across any
slander or discrimination."
"I
didn't even have a visa," said Mehrdad
Haghighi, a senior international business
and finance major. "I just came to
here as a tourist in 1999," and was
attracted to the United States.
Haghighi,
an Austrian, first went to Orange Coast
College after he earned the visa and was
accepted by USC as a film major. However,
once he was at USC, he realized that the
school was not for him.
"I
felt bad for my parents in Austria for expensive
tuition and realized that film was not what
I really wanted," he said.
Haghighi
found CSULB through his friend and decided
to study business. "I have never looked
back to USC. I've always thought it was
good decision to come to this campus. For
me, it has been a blessing to be an international
student because I've met so many people
who could influence me wonderfully. There
is honestly no struggles that I can think
of."
"International
students are very important," said
Donald P. Delgado, director of international
student services. "They are developing
the global communication here at CSULB."
According
to the Center for International Education,
the biggest number of international students
is from Japan, followed by Taiwan, Korea,
Saudi Arabia and Thailand.
"A
lot of times, because of the interactions
that CSULB students have with international
students, many of these California students
now decide that they want to go, live and
study overseas. That's a great impact. Besides,
we CSULB are really enjoying having international
students," Delgado said. "I think
our facility is very much aware of that
we have this tremendous educational resource,
international students."
Delgado
said he worries for international students
who are having trouble living in the United
States. "They sometimes don't know
where to go because they are away from their
families and uncomfortable with a nonnative
language."
A
senior biology major, who wishes to remain
anonymous, is one of the students who struggle
with the current strict immigration laws
for foreign students.
She
did not enroll for this semester because
of her psychological condition, depression
from academic problems.
"I
still don't know what to do," she said
"I just don't feel like I belong in
this country, but I can't tell my parents
who pay my expensive tuition and believe
in my future."
International
students have to be full-time students and
pay $282 per unit plus registration fee
to maintain F-1 visa status.
It
is her decision to come to the United States
to study with the restrictions, however,
the anonymous student hopes that "people,
at least, are aware of these students' efforts
to overcome the problems because of their
language skill, culture differences and
status."
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