Two Resets, One Dream: My Journey as an International Student

What if you had a chance to restart your life, rethink your choices, try things that you didn't get an opportunity to try, take the correct decisions, have a chance to turn the wrongs into rights? Most people usually get that chance once they have paid a hefty price or once their life crashed for good. An international student gets this golden opportunity once when they start their journey abroad. I luckily had the chance to restart my life twice before I got to graduate. All thanks to Foothill, one of the many community colleges giving a second chance to those who ask for it.

The beginning

In India, there is a significant emphasis given to academics where any opportunity to cultivate any other skills is dominated by the pressure to academically excel. This leaves very little room to show prospective colleges what kind of talent you possess and what makes you unique from the crowd. While all around, children are toning their skills in craftsmanship, sports, and music, you are stuck between tuitions. And when questioned ‘Tell me about yourself', the mind goes blank while you anxiously ruffle through your memories to find a glimmer of hope to fill this void, wishing if you were given some time you could have fueled those sparks within and ignited the light that distinguishes you from the crowd. This is where community college comes to the rescue.

The first reset

Community colleges have a very simple policy of admission if you are academically proficient (65%>), have proof of funds to support yourself for the first academic year, and meet the minimum English proficiency, you are admitted to the college. The bright side here is that there is little to no competition for almost anything. Tuition is a-third to half the cost of a university and changing major is as easy as changing a piece of paper, your I-20. Additionally, the diversity is vast so there can be many cultural shocks as you meet new people, but what's life without a little thrill. These two years you can reapply for universities that rejected you or find the ones you missed in the first place. And as you focused on building your extracurriculars, you are given some ease by proving your college preparedness by your transcript. Community college not only gave me hope but an opportunity to target beyond my expectations and most important of all, a goal with a timeline to achieve it.

Turning on the heat

The second life reset hits pretty hard, as you move on to a more competitive university, usually an Ivy League. For me, it was Georgia Tech, one of the best in Engineering and CS programs. But instead of a steep climb, it feels like a trek. Transfer work in a similar manner. It helps you get a good foundation and prepares you mentally for the challenges of a university. And when it feels like you have reached an impasse, the best help you could get is through communication and a network of your friends. Since everyone is in the same boat, everyone feels for each other and helps out academically, emotionally. University also provides professional resources on campus when things get serious. Asking for help and reaching out is the best way to progress in university. Talk to faculty, alumni, staff, teaching assistants, any and everyone. Who knows, you might land a job, internship, or open the door for unexpected opportunities. The thing is try to actively stay out of your comfort zone, and explore options and this is mostly how you will build your professional network. Time will fly by when you are eligible to graduate which is when you harness the power of everything you have done till the moment, only to face the final hurdle.