My international experience to date is:
As of the current date, I have only travelled outside of the United States on two occasions. The first occurred when I was just a toddler, and that was to Niagara Falls (the Canadian side) with my family. Although I experienced a few culture shocks, such as seeing the temperature in Celsius, nothing that I witnessed there was totally different from anything I could see at home in Pennsylvania.
My second trip to another country was to the Bahamas in the winter of 2010. I was only on the island of Nassau (and only for two days- it was a stop on a cruise), and I was only in the resort area of “Atlantis”, but it was still an eye-opening experience. Everything from the weather to the poverty (which I could see from the resort, but did not get close to) was different, and it got me truly excited to go other places and see other things, especially areas outside of the commercialism of resorts and tourist attractions.
I want to go to China because:
China has been interesting to me since the time I was really young, mainly because it has always been a country so different from the United States. The food, architecture, plant life, and art seem to have a relaxing effect on me, which I have never really understood. I hope that by going to China I can understand more about the culture and people. I also realize that, as a business major, China is becoming more important as a potential place where I could eventually work. I have been considering a minor in Chinese studies, and as such, this trip could make or break my decision.
I think the main professional work differences I will experience will be:
The main difference I expect to see in the working environment of China is an extreme attention to time efficiency, and potentially a lesser amount of regulations (or at least paperwork- there may actually be tighter control all around) than there is in the United States. Although I do not have much to base my opinion on, I believe that this holds true for many other countries, China included.
I think the main cultural differences I will experience will be:
I realize that all cultures are different, and even the effects of globalization will never change that. I expect differences in the way people greet each other, in the way we all interact (especially with strangers), and in the way that people generally view each other. After some research, I realized that the Chinese people value respect, reputation, morals, humility, and much more to a greater extent than we do in the U.S.
I think the main political differences I will experience will be:
Communism in China is not a topic that I have studied to any great extent; however, I realize that before I travel there, I will have to do more research into the government and its laws. I know that there is censorship of public things (in fact, as we said in our Plus 3 meeting, there is a lack of both Facebook and Twitter). I also think that the government will have a stronger hand in things such as industry as a whole.
I think the students I meet in my country will be:
The students I meet in China will, hopefully, be as excited as I am to meet them, talk to them, and gain some new ideas in the process. I know that schools and colleges can be greatly different in other countries, and I hope that they will be as willing to share their experiences as I am. When I meet anyone, I like to gain an understanding of where they are from. That is generally how other students in the U.S. are, and I hope to see the same curiosity from students abroad
I predict I will be surprised to find:
When I initially heard that there was a possibility that people would come up to me and ask for pictures, I laughed on the inside a little bit- not because I did not believe it, but because I found it to be such a unique concept to me. Hopefully, I am surprised by the actions of others toward me. I would love to be able to meet others in unorthodox ways, and I expect that this could happen.
I think the major differences in living conditions will be:
China is quickly becoming the richest country in the world, but I do not know if that is just among the upper class or within the country as a whole. As with anywhere, I think there’s a likelihood that living conditions differ among classes of people, ranging from living in very poor (and potentially, but not necessarily dirty) areas to living in very high-class situations. It truly depends on the location and the individual.
Anything else you want to say:
This trip is going to be a totally new experience for me. I initially did not think it could happen- I missed the first date for handing in my application. Luckily, it was reopened, and I jumped on the opportunity to get into the program. When I finally found out that I was accepted, I was ecstatic. My parents are very well-traveled, and yet they have never been to China (nor has anyone in my family, for that matter). I could not be more excited for this opportunity, and I greatly appreciate the people who made it possible.
-Joe Aravich
aravichplus3china2012 