The Ride

Chicago weather is not as bad so far as everyone has been warning us. There have been a few rainy and/or windy days since I arrived mid-September, but overall the weather here is no worse than in the Czech Republic. So don't let anyone discourage you from checking out any university just because of the weather!

As for academic life, whenever I meet engineers I am reminded that even though my studies put a considerable amount of workload on my desk, it is not that bad. Therefore, I have decided to pick up a few activities on the side. I write occasionally for the students' satirical newspaper, I have managed to be accepted in a ballroom dancing competition team, I am learning improvisational comedy along with a group of people from an experienced student-comedian, and I take part in the PR & Marketing committee of our International Students Association. Add to that a few paid research studies, which I do partly to make the low-commitment extra buck, and you see that my schedule is considerably full. There have already been weeks during which I found myself doing nothing else but eat, sleep, and study.

One of the characteristics of the quarter system, which we have here, is how fast the quarters (or trimesters) go by. Really, I feel like I enrolled maybe three weeks ago and in reality, it's almost Christmas.

When it comes to settling down, the rumors you will hear about the so-called "culture shock" have some truth to them and there really aren't many ways to prepare for such a thing, not even when that shock is described to you in advance to make you aware about it. The thing is, Americans do stay on the surface longer than us Europeans in relationships, and it is thus harder to establish a real friendship with them, one in which they would consider you one of their own when planning events etc.

To conclude, challenges exist both in the realm of academics and in the realm of social life, but fighting them has so far been a truly interesting experience and I can only be even more intrigued to see the ride go on.


 

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