I went back to my room and I found a boy going out of my room, and with a smile he turned to me and said: “I guess you are my roommate”. We introduced ourselves cheerfully knowing that we had just began a new life. I guess at that time I wanted a foreigner to be my roommate because for sure we would have a lot of things in common.
I can safely say that the first three weeks were overwhelming because the school is trying to get me used to it as soon as possible mentally, physically, and academically. After a month from the beginning of the school, I get to see my parents on the parents’ weekend. It is a relief actually to see them after these rough days. For me, I think it took me two months to fully adjust to the new school, and from then I really begin to enjoy the school and appreciate the facilities it has. I always used to think that Culver was a hard place to live in, but after a while I started to enjoy Culver, knowing that we are far away luckier and even more sophisticated than most of the other high schools in this nation. It is actually a great thing to have an excellent educational system, and superb recreational facilities. At the same time, we are in a military academy, and also there is huge support from the schools for international students. And gradually you start having friends, and it is a really nice thing to have friends from all over the world. But of course there are always some problems, but with good will you will always overcome them. It is especially good that the school’s counselors are always there for help when ever you need them. As a foreign student the school may not seem as easy as it is to the students from the united states, but there always advantages and disadvantages for everything. One of the advantages for me is that since I am in a new country I have to live their lives and talk their language, which is a great experience that not every body had given the chance to try it. But in the other hand it is hard to be away from home a get along with the students without any kind of a problem. For me I thought that getting along with the students was a hard thing, but it was just a matter of time and adjusting. Despite the hard military system Culver became the home for most of us, and I think that this is one of Culver’s goals.
It has been less than a year in Culver but a lot of things around me changed. I can say that Culver is not just an ordinary preparatory school; Culver actually from my experience in it prepares you to enter this big struggle, which is life. Life is not easy as many people think. People got to have strong characters to live in this aggressive world. In Culver students are not just building strong muscles, but they are also building strong characters. Maybe this is my first year at Culver but for sure I will never forget the day when I say good-bye to Culver singing the Culver song: “ Back, Back, to Culver Days… The song my heart sings ever…..”.
