There are new international students at Lyndon this semester! I got a chance to chat with KeXin Xie (who wants to be called Chocy), a current freshman, who had much to say about her transition from a large city outside of Hong Hong, China.
Xie told me that one of the biggest reasons for coming to the United States for college is the culture and the freedom of speech, which is more limited where she is from. She likes Vermont partially because of the beauty of the area, especially the mountains and trees. She likes the fresh air and how there is less people here then the city she is from. She also enjoys the gym on campus and likes the food here.
Xie also told me that she likes the way our political system is set up because everybody can vote for a president. In China, there is only one political party, and the citizens have little to no say on the turn out of the presidential campaign.
When I asked Xie if she was homesick, she was quick to say no, and that she likes it here too much. She does however skype home, but there is a 12-hour difference so she calls around midnight. Xie says the hardest thing about living here is understanding our language, both written and spoken.