活動名稱：107年學海飛揚計畫-美國研修
國外實習國家/學校：美國/北伊利諾大學
國外實習國家/學校：美國/北伊利諾大學
The Experience of Exchange
I still remember that when I was a child, my father would take the whole
family to travel around every winter and summer vacation. I also lived in the
United States for a while, and because of this, I was deeply fascinated by
American culture. After I came back to Taiwan, I sweared to return to the
United States to study and work. I started preparing when I applied to the
National United University and found out that the school had such a good
channel for students to exchange abroad. Since
I was studying in the Department of Industrial Design at National United
University, I went to the United States to look at other countries' views on
designing . On the other hand, I wanted to study some courses on business
management. I think that with the current trend, it is not enough to have only
one major. Therefore, going abroad is not only a course of related
departments.I also want to explore the world and understand international trends.
Chicago is a city with a large proportion of blacks.
Because of the environment I grew up, I am no stranger to black people. From
black people, I have learned loyalty and some attitudes of not giving up on
life. I also deeply found that American college students are not just students.
Some students have been married and have children and decide to come back to
study. Some of them have two jobs a day just to be able to maintain their
family. Some students party everyday, but what they have in common is everyone is not absent from time to time. After the end of the semester, everyone's grades are maintained at 70 or above. It is rarely heard that they fail their courses.
During the year of exchange, I also met all kinds of
people, including Indians, Africans, and Hispanics, and of course the blacks.
These students are not just friends, but more likely to be future business
partners. I am also very grateful to the school for giving me the opportunity
to make a lot of good friends from all over the world and experience different
cultures.
Chicago has always been famous for its windy weather,
so it is called The wind city. I still remember that the campus was closed for
two weeks due to the snowstorm. The temperature was once lowered to minus 40
degrees. And as a basketball fan, I also saw my first NBA game during the
exchange.
Northern Illinois University (NIU) is one of the most
dynamic regions in the United States. It is a comprehensive university with a
focus on teaching and research, offering a wide range of bachelor's, master's
and doctoral degrees to students. • Since NIU's main campus is located 100
kilometers west of Chicago, students benefit from the geographic proximity of
the largest and most diverse cities in the United States. They often visit
Chicago to participate in concerts, watch events, and come from different
ethnic backgrounds. Dining at the restaurant. The most exciting city in the
world is the source of all vitality. NIU's faculty bring students a high level
of excellence in teaching, research, artistic talent and service.
Northern Illinois University (NIU) is required to
complete 12 credits per semester for exchange students. Therefore, I took four
courses per semester. I found that the difference in the American system is
different from that in Taiwan. You don’t only take courses from your major. We
are able to take any course on campus, and because such a system allows
students to know the students in various departments. In the choice of courses,
because I am studying in the Department of Industrial Design in Taiwan, I still
focus on the art and design courses, but because of the free elective system, I
have taken some economic classes every semester. Here are my courses for this
academic year: Intro to visual communication, Beginning Illustration, 2-D/3-D
Woven Construction, Intro to Environmetal Economic, 3-D Foundation, Beg Metal
Jewel & Digital Fabric, Beginning Sculpture, Prin Microecomomics The one
that impressed me the most was Beginning Sculpture. I will explain the content
and experience of this course: I still remember that the assignment given to us
by the teacher was to ask us to go home and use the existing materials to make
a cube. I thought it was too simple at the time. I didn't expect the teacher would tell us to weld the next
class. This is my first contact with welding. Fortunately, our professor
Michael Rea is a person who has the patience to teach us one by one until we
all know how to weld. At the first critique, my cube was still pitted, but when
the time came, I still put my project on the critique. Just when I thought I
would be scolded by the professor, I didn’t expect the professor to tell me
that It is not the result but our efforts. Moreover, there’s even a grading
section of our participation on the critique, so when everyone is critiqing, the
students have no time to fool around. Also because of the encouragement of
professors and classmates, I am getting better and better.
I still remember that I was busy running errands every
day for the first five days of August when I arrived in the United States. I
had to create a bank account and get a new phone number. I have to say that I’ve
spent a lot on uber. After I settled down,I started choosing classes. It’s
fortunate that our school has Huskie safe line, which is a free bus for
students. Bcause of the Huskie safe line, we don’t have to worry to be late
for classes.
During the exchange, I also learned everything
to be responsible for myself. There is no such thing as a compulsory course in
the United States. All courses can't be taken if they are not selected within
two weeks of the semester. Compared to the Taiwan schools,tey will help
students arrange the class schedule. I have realized the true student autonomy.
Going abroad is a small dream during my college years. I was not a person who
was comfortable with the status quo since I was a child. I
like to challenge and do things that ordinary people can't do. This exchange
has opened up my horizons and increased my horizons. The international outlook,
of course, the progress of language ability is also a big breakthrough. I
participate in all activities as much as possible: watch the game, party,
picnic, and even on Thanksgiving Day, the classmates also asked me to go to
their home for Thanksgiving, these are some of the hard-won experience.
I also learned a lot of things I couldn't learn in the book, like
the weaving class that I had last semester. Before I took this class, I never
thought that one day I would have my own loom and sit in front of the weaving,
which also opened my eyes. On the other hand, I have also experienced food from
different countries, but I still prefer Taiwanese cuisine. After living abroad,
I found that there are many places in Taiwan that cannot be compared with other
countries. This also makes me cherish all things in Taiwan. The experience of
this overseas exchange has benefited me a lot. Through the opportunities given
by the school, I have experienced the living habits of foreign countries and
the environment of children and the school. Because I am a person to go abroad,
let me be stronger and better understand what I want, and let me have a
different perspective to see the world. I found that many people are reluctant
to step out of their comfort zone to try new things. I will definitely
encourage my brothers and sisters to go out and go to school this time. Not
only to learn new things, but also to recognize different things. The culture
makes you more competitive.
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