I spent my afternoon attending the supposedly mandatory orientation for UNC incoming international students.
The presentation was given in a large auditorium. It was mostly talks by different people, such as the Director of the ISSS (International Student and Scholar Services) and the Dean of UNC Graduate School. The topics discussed weren’t exactly novel to me; after all, I was not like most audiences there who just stepped foot in the US. I know what I-20 and I-94 are, and I definitely know how to maintain my immigration status. The talk went on discussing F and J types visas, on-campus employment, social security etc.
As I listened attentively to the speaker, I was reminded of my udergraduate orientation four years ago. For some reasons, it was not one of my vivid memories that I had. I did a hard recalling – I remembered the insecurity in me; I remembered dealing with the uncertainties ahead of me; I remembered the lack of confidence in my spoken English; I remembered feeling foreign.
I felt so different four years later.
Things have changed. Back in 2004, you didn’t have to be employed to apply for a social security number. You didn’t have to have a legal presence document (such as I-20 or DS-2019) to get a driver’s license either.
[...] 12-hour-plus drive from Michigan to North Carolina seems not too distant from yesterday. I attended an orientation and settled into my previous apartment on Smith Level Road. I got excited about my first ever [...]