Tuesday, January 18, 2011

My first two weeks in Clemson...

13 comments:

  1. My first weeks in Clemson were signifcant as I had to adapt myself to a whole new environment with new people,language,weather and food.Actually, it has been a moment to learn a lot about myself and how I can face new challenges.
    I've met people from different cultures and backgrounds, which make me think about human nature and how we create stereotypes.
    In fact, it's been an intense learning experience and I'm enjoying it so far.

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  2. My first two weeks in Clemson have been terrific. We have been able to see how different and similar Brazilan culture is compared to the American one. Yet, having contact with so many people from different cultures and backgrounds has been amazingly rewarding.

    Also, I`ve been having a hard time, sometimes trying to figure out how to do simple things, such as opening a can or trying to open some packages, to name but a few.

    Yet, trying to readjust to university life and now in an American university has also been a very challenging experience that I hope I will be able to cope with.

    We`ve run into lots of different people and the have been very kind to us. Thanks y`all for letting us be a part of this fantastic experience.

    Eduardo Vasconcellos, from Brazil.

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  3. First two weeks at Clemson was wonderful. We were welcomed by the snow storm that made us feel that we were in swiss alps. The days started warming and we got in to action.The tour of the university and the bus ride made feel us comfortable with the surroundings. The classes started and the assignments started following making our days longer and nights shorter. The reception given by Clemson made us more close to the community. The technology classes gave us new insights in to the realm of modern technology. slowly we are becoming part and parcel of this wonderful University. Looking forward for great things to come.

    Sunil

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  4. My first two weeks at Clemson Has been quite eventful. The first major event is the snow that that fell just two weeks after I got here. That was a dream of a lifetime because it is something that I could only witness in a Temperate country other than the Tropical country that I come from. However, the accompanying cold is not friendly and I am more comfortable that it does not occur every day.

    The next has to do with the food. Generally, I pride myself as being able to eat anything without adverse effects but to I actually miss my african diets especially the ones prepared with a chilly sauce. That forced me to attempt some home cooking and it was actually disastrous. It made me realise how important my wife is to me in that department after upsetting my stomach in the process.

    Another event is the fact that I have got the chance to visit some very interesting especially Hartwell which is in the neighboiuring state of Georgia. What I realise was the peculiar similarity it had with the Volta Lake settlements especially Akosombo in Ghana which also resulted from the construction of the man made Lake Volta.

    This and and other experiences have made my first two weeks in Clemson exciting.

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  5. My first two weeks in Clemson is very memorable and meaningful. I experienced snow for the first time, met new friends, got to know more about the American culture and discovered many things about other cultures through the other ILEP fellows. I am so grateful that the system of higher education in the Philippines was patterened after the US that adapting to the academic climate in Clemson was not as difficult as I had anticipated.

    Technology facilitates a speedy mode of communication that I am not homesick at all but simply enjoying every moment of that first two weeks. I look forward to understanding more about different cultures, to furthering my competencies in the field of education and advancing my skills in computer technology so that I may share them to my students, Filipino colleagues, friends and family.

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  6. Two weeks, and still counting?..MY first two weeks here at Clemson University offered a whole bunch of experiences beyond compare-from meeting persons with varied attitudes, cultures, languages and beliefs to attending university classes that reminded me of my college days 26 years ago.

    Being away from my family this long for the first time is a struggle. However, I kept myself busy with the academic and cultural activities that the ILEP Steering Committee had prepared for us, and before I knew it, the day is over.

    Waking up early in the morning each day to catch the bus is really an exciting task because I usually do not do this back home. The excitement might also be due to my eagerness to attend university classes because I learn new things everyday. I realized then that the United States offers limitless opportunities, only if one knows where to find them.

    The infusion technology by professors to make the teaching-learning process more effective amazes me so much . The challenging assignments and lengthy article readings molded me to become an independent learner.

    With these once-in a-lifetime experiences , allow me to thank in advance the people behind this program for I know that they must have done a great deal of planning to make us feel comfortable and thus providing us a home away from home.

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  7. This is so exciting. I knew a Blog was in the making; so I am extremely pleased that it is available.

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  8. my first two weeks in Clemson has been exciting.After an eventful stay in washington DC we landed at charlotte and drove over to clemson. we had had an unexpected sleep over at the hilton hotel in Virginia-a bonus for missing our flight, only to land at clemson to be told that we were to expect snow the next day.we had mixed feelings of excitment and apprehension-with excitment stealing the day. we went shopping- buying the whole shop as if we were under seige for a month. we threw caution to the winds and dared to take pictures in the snow.All dressed up like eskimos we called our various homes and families across the world to tell them of the occurance. we were to stay indoors- a very welcome notion- for we were fatigued and needed to seelp.And some of us did just that. The snow offered us another two days break,and on the third day The Fisk family- bless them invited us all to lunch. We needed the good food that Deby provided. stuffed and happy we went back to our flats thinking that life was going to be this rosy.The week passed with us introducing ourselves over and over agian. We started full classes the following week and that came with our 5th course-physical Education: walking.we are yet to get used to the long walks in the cold mornings. the best part is the wonderful people we have around us. education mentors, community mentors, teacher partners, ILEP organizers, caring professors- all ready to help.Bless them all.

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  9. The CEALL conference today (Saturday) was great. I never knew that some of the strategies like RAFT and the four squares can actually be used extensively in science. The concept of the interactive journal is also very promising. I can't wait to share them with my fellow teachers when I get home.

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  10. My first experience of Clemson was Walmart and reality hit me,almost everything was new to me.. I'm really not in Philippines anymore.Then snow came,I was ecstatic the moment I looked at the window, it was beautiful, all white and cold..BRRRRRR. We played in the snow, I even tasted the snow, had pictures, it was really fun :) Then I had my first minor accident, slipping and bouncing on the stairs, hope it would be the last. Lunch with Bill's house was comforting, in the sense that I know there will be caring people and fellows around , just in case I'll really miss home. My spirits soared when I experienced learning at Clemson University, the professors were great, the facilities are amazing. Touring the library and looking at their vast collections and resources made me want to stay there everyday. Then Mindy told us about OTEI and suddenly I had majority of my vacant periods filled up with workshops.Thru the workshops I came to know and got hooked with the rich thoughts and expertise of Dr. Nilson, who gave me her book, Teaching at its Best, thanks much!!:) Meeting my community partners and partner teacher gave me extra moments to look forward to. Well, what else can I say, my experiences so far are REALLY AMAZING!!!MUAHHHH!!!

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  12. The reason why I removed the old post because after reading it,I realized it sounds very frustrating hehehe……I complained about the cold weather, the walking that I have to do every morning and the food that I used to cook taste a little bit weird…but then everything has changed. It started to be enjoyable and fun…I’ll tell you more in the next post…

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