A year in a dorm--is more than enough

My first year in college is almost over and if I learned anything is that I can't live in a dorm. I got lucky, lived in North Halls where every room has a little living room and only four people share a bathroom. My roommates were also very laid back and we had no problems at all. But I am too old to be sharing a room or to be confined to less than 80 square feet of personal space. Call me spoiled, but I need to be able to live on my own schedule.

My roommate goes to bed at midnight everyday and gets up at eight every morning. But I happen to have my prime hours of productivity in between those nightly hours. I need to be able to have the light on when I need it. I need to be able to play music when I want to and I need to be able to come and go out of my room whenever I want to and as loud as I want to. Sounds selfish and I guess it is but in order to be productive and creative, doesn't everyone need some real alone time?! Actually, I find it quite impressive that some students manage to live in dorm their entire college career because I am slowly going crazy and can't wait for this semester to be over and I will have my own room again, where I can come and go as I please. 

Most frustrating however, is that Penn State seems to think that a desk that is full as soon as you pace a book and a computer on it makes a student work efficiently. I don't expect an L-shaped office desk for school work but at least some more space would be great and I could actually sometimes be productive in my dorm. Enough ranting, I just wanted to get that out there because I think dorm life is about as conducive to college success as the great campus food we're all enjoying...

American Superficiality

One of the characteristics of American culture that is most renown around the world is that Americans are extremely friendly among strangers. Some find that to be superficial and thus negative because no one actually cares how you are but I believe it makes every day interactions a lot more delightful than in less superficial cultures. Furthermore, foreigners have a hard time adapting to those day to day exchanges and respond within the culturally established framework of phrases. I notice this all over campus and State College when I see international students interact with Americans, whether they are fellow students, faculty, staff or employees downtown.

There seems to be a relationship between general English speaking skills and the ability to interact with American strangers. The more limited the English speaking skills appear the less capable the students are to respond to superficial American kindness. There are international students who barely nod and grunt when they are asked how they are or just plainly need to respond with a thank you. Another common misunderstanding for those students with slightly better conversational skills: actually attempting to explain to a cashier at the giant who much life sucks right now...

It comes down to international students being perceived as rude because they are unable to go along with the rites of American daily interactions. But that's not actually the case, we just don't know any better. How to change that? Make us aware. It took me a while to resist the urge to lengthily explain how life was these days when my counterpart had already moved on to talk to someone else. Also, a good orientation can make an international students life a lot easier and create a more favorable disposition among American students towards those less fluent in the English language because they at least know the basics of daily interactions.