ECU Abroad

Here are more of the students’ testimonials of the first semester at ECU.

“There are secret little treasures hidden all over campus. I have found there are so many things to do (as if you don’t already have enough homework to do!). Mendenhall offers movies, a pool, coffee and tickets to all events. There is always something going on, making it easy for students to keep busy.”

“I am very happy with my first job in my university (as a soccer referee). I really appreciate Dr. M. – I could not have gotten this job without his help. The International House in ECU is great! I can get help both in my study and my life. I have made a wonderful decision to study in ECU.”

“Even if you cannot understand the rules you really have to see what an American football game is! The ambiance was amazing; at the end you see life in purple and gold!

Fall break is getting close, and most of us are excited to benefit from these four days to travel in other big cities! There are many organizations especially created to permit the international student to learn about American culture with many nice trips! For instance, my friends and I are going to New York City during this break by van! This long ride will be an opportunity to learn about each other, which is the most interesting in this kind of exchange program. “

“(After initially struggling with learning how to study in the U.S.), I decided to start using some of the university resources. I tried the tutoring center before the exam, and they were very helpful for me to simplify the subject and give me ideas about how the test would be. They also gave me more confidence that if I had trouble understanding any subject they would help me. “

“This experience has been one that has marked my life in a positive way, and I think just the fact of coming and living with others is something that changes your life. I think all of us when we came here, no matter from where, hoped this would be an experience that we could never forget, and for me it’s more than that.

I am delighted with the way things are handled here at East Carolina University. To me it is very important that students be treated as people who want to learn and not just as people who can pay the cost of college, and people who work at this university commit themselves to the welfare of the student.”

“The classes are much smaller at ECU than at my home university in Germany, so the lectures are not so anonymous like I was used to. The professors know you, and you have a closer relationship to them than you would have in Germany. They will help you if you struggle in class or answer your questions. All in all I can say that it might take some time to get used to the school system, but if you do so you will find out that the structure of learning is really helpful.”

“After my first week of exams I understood a few things: First, I should study the book because all tests are taken from the book and if you know the book well you will be successful in your tests. Secondly…I began to manage my time and it really helped me. And finally, I now learn vocabulary, visit my teachers during office hours and ask them questions. These are my suggestions, and now I know how to do well. “

“I really like all the resources that the campus has, for example, I love to go to the Rec Center and work out or just play some sports like badminton, basketball, volleyball or racquetball. I also like to go to the library to spend some time studying and concentrating on your homework, assignments or just studying for a test. So going to the library is a really good option to do all those things.”

I’m having a great time here at ECU and most importantly, I am adapting perfectly to the environment and the culture and making tons of friends. For international students it’s really worth it to come here and have your college experience at East Carolina University.”

This past August, ECU and the Office of International Affairs (OIA) welcomed international students from 26 countries. Here is what they had to say about ECU, North Carolina and the U.S. two weeks after their arrival. We invite you to return to our blog in October to read more about their life on ECU campus.

“Generally, most international students who wish to come here and study are kind of scared. That was my same situation, so it’s not weird to feel that. But I assure you that when you get here and meet a lot of people and have fun in the dorms playing different games, you just change your way of thinking about coming here to study.”

“For international students it’s an excellent idea to come and study here because you learn, have fun, meet new people, and you do all of this in a great environment. So my question is: What else could you ask for?”

“…You have very interesting lectures and the teachers are concerned about the learning success of their students. They want you to participate in the lectures and have fun with it. Most of the teachers really enjoy having an international student in their class. If I have any problems, my classmates really helped me. They offered to help me with the homework or quizzes, advised me where I could get my books, or they were just very interested in me, which helped me also because I did not feel alone at all. A lot of students here at ECU are very interested in meeting people from other countries. They are curious about finding out how people in other parts of the world live and how they study. They try to help you as much as they can, for example: show you the campus, offer to take you by car somewhere, show you the city or even throw a party for you so that you can easily get in contact with more people.”

“My first impression of ECU and its students and staff is that everybody is very friendly and nice. So you get in contact with new people very fast and you will not feel alone here. I already have a lot of new friends who try to help me if I struggle and try to give me a good time here! … I really enjoy this time now, even if there might be some difficulties you have to deal with and new situations you have to get used to.”

“I think it is a high-quality university both academically and in the field of student development as a person. Another positive thing that the university has is that it has large green areas and also places for recreation for students.”

“…People here really care about the welfare of students … Being here is a privilege and I am very excited to learn about different cultures and have the opportunity to experience another educational system different from my country and meet people not only here but also from other countries because there are people here from around the world.”

“Although I have just been at ECU for 14 days, I feel this university is like my family. I believe I will enjoy the life in ECU. The fantastic future is waiting for us, let’s do it. Go Pirates!”

“New country, new environment, new culture, all the things are waiting for me. It is a new adventure.”

“The people are very nice, they are not in a hurry, they take the time to talk with you and explain things you don’t understand. They are also very interested in meeting international students, which is an opportunity to have enriching exchanges.”

“It is really pleasant to walk in the ECU campus as well. It is well-kept, the weather in Greenville permits it to have nice, natural places.”

“The first time I came to the university, on move-in day, I was amazed at how big the university was. Not all the students were there yet, as it was only international students moving in at this time. I moved in and then went out to explore Greenville with my parents.”

“During my first two weeks at ECU I’ve been to things like my first baseball game, a magic show, to the movies, bowling, to clubs, parties, and made many new friends. There is always something going on either on or off campus so I’ve not had the time to be bored yet. The people here at ECU are the best. Everyone is so open; I’ve never seen anything like it. Faculty, students and people around town are always eager to help you no matter what’s on your mind.”

“I found out that the people here are really very welcoming, friendly, and it’s so easy to communicate with them. Furthermore, the International House and the university faculty members are helpful. And they had a major role in helping me to overcome my fears about study.”

“The Southern hospitality here is absolutely comforting and everyone is keen to make sure your stay is the best it can possibly be.”

“I’ve found that in all my lectures the professors encourage and push you to think freely and challenge theories instead of just accepting.”

“The international office has been my life saver and always helps me with any problem or question I have.”

“One of the most exciting things about ECU, I find, is how involved the Greenville is with the football team, the Pirates, and how much of a buzz around campus there is in anticipation for a game.”

This is Brandi and I have arrived safely to Puebla, Mexico. We have had a very busy couple of days and I am looking forward to staying in one hotel room for the remainder of my stay in Mexico. Melissa Watkins from UNC-Charlotte left the tour in Mexico City, so there were only three of us at the UNCEP table for the Estado campus and in Cuernavaca, but it still worked out quite nicely as we had good representation from the state for WCU, UNCEP and ECU. I am always amazed at what an oasis the Estado campus is in the midst of Mexico City. The Cuernavaca campus for Tec de Monterrey is equally as nice, although much smaller and more isolated. I was surprised to hear there are only 1800 students at Cuernavaca, but despite the small student population, we had quite a bit of interest in NC. The majority of interest came from high school students interested in pursing degrees in the U.S. (Monika, I have a few names for you when I get back!) After the fair in Cuernavaca, UPAEP in Puebla sent a car for me. I left for Puebla at about 5pm and by 8:30pm was having dinner with our current student at UPAEP on an ISEP exchange. She is doing quite well and is immensely enjoying her study abroad in Mexico.Today, I am off to the pyramids in Cholula for a little outdoors activity. In the morning, Agustin Landa will take me to two of the rural clinics where our Nursing students will be doing work this summer. We will go to Chalchihuapan and Huaquechula. Both appear to be about an hour outside of the city and I am really looking forward to this part of the trip.  

I arrived in Mexico yesterday despite a slight delay with the flight. When I got to Queretaro, I immediately took a taxi to the hotel where the dinner gala was being hosted by Tec de Monterrey. I was too late for dinner, but enjoyed seeing everyone from the fair again and was surprised to be greeted by five of my colleagues from NC (two of which I was unaware would be here). We took a short tour of downtown Queretaro with our wonderful hostess, Marcela, before returning to the room to get some rest for the fair today.We had quite a busy day today on the Queretaro campus. I think everyone thought it to be a success and we had a lot of positive energy recruiting students to the North Carolina table. I think we will see a few students coming our way from this one.  It’s been a long day and we just arrived at the hotel in Mexico City. We are all a little beat, but I think we might take a little walk through the Financial District before calling it a night.  

After three weeks of recruiting in 6 cities in Asia, with many inquiry cards in hand, it is time to return home. I have talked to a lot of interested and qualified students and it is my great hope that many of them will decide to apply to ECU. We ended the entire tour with a large fair at St. Mary’s International School in Tokyo. What I definitely did not expect was to win a prize from the counselor at the school for the best banner. What a lovely surprise and a wonderful end to the tour. Here are a few pictures from Shanghai by night and the ECU booth at the IIE fair in Tokyo right before the opening.

The view at night from Victoria Peak in Hong Kong was spectacular. Having taken the tram there, we enjoyed not only the view but the most delicious meal as well. Unfortunately, we had to say “good bye” to the city that night. It was time to pack our bags and get on the road again. Before we flew to Seoul, we visited American International School and Hong Kong International School. In 2006, a student from the latter was actually accepted to ECU. The day was filled with the visits in the morning and the travel to Seoul in the afternoon and evening. It was not till around 10 pm that we arrived in South Korea. The next morning was filled with visits again and the U.S. University fair. First we had some time devoted only to the Department of Defense school students and then the remaining three hours to the general public. The fair was a great success. Since parents are so much involved in the process, they definitely came in large numbers. Karen, my interpreter, who grew up in the Philippines and then in the U.S. was a great help during those talks with parents. I was approached by the students who saw me in March at the fair so I was glad we are creating the presence in South Korea. Finally, it was also wonderful to see Yoori who will be coming to ECU in the Spring. And then we were off to Shanghai the next day and this is where I am writing from. One of the schools that we visited yesterday was Shanghai High School and it was great to find out that we actually have a student attending ECU from this particular fair. The IIE fair yesterday was very, very, very well attended and surprisingly I spoke to a number of prospective undergraduate students. I truly thought the interest would be predominately from graduate students. We still have school visits today and bright and early tomorrow we will be on our way to the last stop on this trip, Tokyo.

Here are some pictures from Seoul and Shanghai.

Here are some of the pictures taken right before the students arrived.

Well, to answer Bill’s question, yes, I ate Vietnamese food. The very first night, I actually tried a Vietnamese sampler which was delicious. Unfortunately, I left Vietnam without having had Pho which I will need to come back for.

I am truly sorry I have not written for so long but we were in Taiwan for only 36 hours but before we get to that, let’s go back to Tuesday morning. The day began with the country and student visa briefing at the International Education fair. We set up our tables and prepared for the fair which we knew would be very well attended. Seventy two institutions of higher education were present ranging from community colleges through liberal arts colleges and finally universities. Last year IIE reported there were 6500 prospective students at their fairs in Ho Chi Ming City and Hanoi. Once the door opened, we saw a storm of students coming in.  They mostly inquired about business and pre-medical programs. It was especially interesting to meet a mother and a daughter who is 12 years old and they are already preparing for this great journey of pursuing education in the U.S. As I mentioned earlier, we were only in and out in Taiwan but it was great to go back. The students in National Experimental High School and Hsinchu International School as well as the university fair asked some very detailed questions which proved their interest. At night we managed to eat a great dinner and take a stroll through one of the night markets. And then it was 5:45 and we were off to Hong Kong. Very tired but very excited, we were welcomed by extremely high buildings and breath-taking views. The land is limited so the buildings seem to be touching the sky. Right from the airport, we visited Canadian International School and South Island School. And tomorrow we will have the IIE fair which will be very busy.

Here is my first post from the far away lands across the Pacific. After 23 hours in the air, I finally arrived in Saigon. It was well after 10 pm and the streets were still full of motorcyclists. One wonders how skillful of a driver one needs to be to avoid accidents in this sea of motorcyclists. I only slept a couple of hours and spent the rest of the night switching from Italian to French TV as the sleep did not come as easily as I hoped it would. My stay has been very eventful so far. On Sunday, some of us visited Cu Chi Tunnels, others participated in the city tour. Our guide described to us the historical, social and cultural aspects of the city. After a visit to a temple, it was time for all of us to jump on the tricycles and ride through the streets of Saigon. There were some scary moments when we were going through intersections and it seemed like it was “every man for himself.” This morning started with a visit to International School of HCMC and British International School. The afternoon included a reverse fair and we definitely have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow since we will be at the IIE fair.

It is hard to imagine that on October 6th I will be in Ho Chi Minh City, with a jet lag but very excited. It is just several more hours and few more flights away. Please visit this site often as I hope to be able to report from the road and share with you my experiences on the path to recruit international students to ECU.