So here I am, all the way from Uzbekistan—yes, that little gem in Central Asia—living in Holland, Michigan. Let me tell you, adjusting to a new culture, different language, and unfamiliar faces wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. But Hope College made it easier than I ever imagined. I’ve been here for a short …
Category Archives: Home
A Day in the Life of a Computer Science Student and Theater Actor
I woke up around 9 a.m. today, ready to tackle some homework. First on my list was working on my computer science labs, which are due on Monday. I wanted to get them out of the way so I could focus on other assignments. I like to finish as much homework as possible during the …
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Living Away from Home
I distinctly remember the first time coming back home from college. It was the Fall break of my first year. As I pulled the luggage from underneath my dormitory twin-sized bed, I brushed off the dust and transferred my clothes from the wooden wardrobe tucked into the corner of my room. As I carefully folded …
Finding My Way Through New Worlds
Almost three years ago, I was preparing for a journey that would change my life in ways I couldn’t yet comprehend. At 17, fresh out of my junior year in high school, I was preparing to leave Afghanistan for the United States. I didn’t even know where my new school was located, nor what life …
Keeping up with the Coursework
Academics and coursework at Hope College can be overwhelming at times. So much to do and so little time. There can be many doubts: am I going to have enough time? Are my professors going to be helpful? Is there help that I can get? Let me reassure you; you will be okay. Hope College …
Adjusting to Holland
I can’t wrap my head around the idea that Holland feels small to some people. To me, as someone who grew up in a small Upper Peninsula town, it feels almost limitless. It has so much that my hometown doesn’t have, such as a freeway (seriously, there are no freeways in the Upper Peninsula). This …
Navigating the journey of living away from home
With the seemingly dark, dreary, and cold days of ‘swinter’ (spring + winter) amid this point in the semester when days feel longer, mid-winter break is over, and the heap of homework, projects, and exams seemingly competes in height with that of Mount Rushmore, feelings of homesickness inevitably creep in. Especially as a first-year student, …
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The metamorphic 8,107 miles of my college career
As an international student, it is hard to believe that a city kid like me would be going to a small town of Holland, Michigan, for college. I must admit that it was a process to go through and the fact that not a lot of people are able to have this opportunity made me …
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Living Away From Home
In my four years at Hope, I have met only a handful of people that are more obsessed with their hometown than I am. I’ve been more and more aware lately of how early in my first conversation with someone I tell them, “I’m from Petoskey!” The love I have for the little laketown I …
Dear Parent of an Incoming Freshman
Dear Parent of an Incoming Freshman, Whether you’re on your tenth college visit or you’re on your very first one, I’m confident you’re rolling through a number of emotions–the excitement for your son or daughter to undertake new adventures of their own, a slight awkwardness realizing that you feel older than you hoped to feel …