Chinese International student reflects on adjusting to life in Michigan
HohHot, China senior Qi Zhou poses for a portrait Sept. 28 in the Charles V. Park Library.
Acclimating to a new environment is one of the most difficult changes a person can experience. International students face one of the most extreme versions of this change. The challenges they face outside the classroom are different than those that domestic students have an easier time with, like meeting friends or finding new hobbies.
Hohhot, China senior Qi Zhou knows this struggle firsthand. From how Americans learn, research and socialize, society behaves differently in China than in the United States.
Zhou arrived in Mount Pleasant three years ago, timid and unsure of what to expect. He had visited the United States before, to see Chicago and New York, but his first time settling down in the western world was at Central Michigan University.
Now, Zhou is planning to graduate this spring. The advertising major said he is glad he chose CMU. Zhou misses his family and friends in China, but knows the separation is only temporary and he is proud he will be able to say he's a CMU grad when he gets home.
CM Life: What has been the most difficult challenge in attending CMU for you?
Zhou: I think the language barrier has been the hardest part. Before I came to CMU everything in my life was based off the Chinese language. Everything I’ve known was expressed through the Chinese language, so when I first came to CMU it was very challenging to catch up to speed with all my peers.
Sometimes I accidentally speak Chinese instead of English. I remember one time my first year here I was talking with my roommate and I just started speaking Chinese to him without thinking about it. While my English is much better now than it was when I first arrived at CMU, I still struggle to share my ideas due to language barriers.
What do you do to help accommodate for language barriers?
I try to make more American friends, attend more events on campus and watch more American entertainment. My job working at RFoC and Fresh has been a huge help in helping me become familiar with how my peers converse.
What are some differences and similarities between living in Hohhot, China and Mount Pleasant, Michigan?
The main differences would be how people socialize. In China people do not go out to the bars like they do at CMU. Alcohol is not nearly as prevalent in China as it is in America. We do more indoor activities such as going to the movies or getting a bite to eat somewhere. I would say that arcades or computer rooms are basically our version of people going to the bar. League of Legends is currently one of the most popular games in China, where the world championships start Oct. 1 in South Korea. It’s a huge deal for whatever nation wins the championship, as they get bragging rights for the year.
Oh, and almost nobody our age drives in China!
For similarities, the most common behavioral trait between Americans and Chinese is our heavy influence by smartphones. Everyone uses their smartphone constantly. Social media and digital media have just as large an impact in China as it does here. We use WeChat, which is basically WhatsApp and an instant messaging app called Tencent QQ mainly.
What’s the one thing that caught your eye the most after you got comfortable in your daily routine at CMU?
How people talk about the government here. In China, we have restrictions on what we can say about our government. We have some freedom but it’s all restricted unless you are in private. I remember one time my teacher in China was about to discuss something about our government and before he did so, he looked out into the hallway, shut the door, closed the blinds and then he started speaking once he knew we were in private. It astonishes me to hear people speak confidently about how they dislike President Trump. That would not go over well in China.
Finally, what do you enjoy most about being a CMU student?
I’ve tried so many new things that I never tried in China. Going to football games, kayaking and going for long drives at night are among numerous activities I’ve never done while in China. It does get too cold sometimes here in the winter, but that would be one of my only complaints about my time as a student at CMU.
