KE ZHANG: I think there are several reasons why I come to

Mason for economic studies.

First of all, because my interesting economics, and

business, and NGO, and stuff.

You know, Washington, DC is a perfect place as a world

center for politics and NGO.

So being here at Mason it gives you a lot of network,

firsthand experiences, and resources to observe and learn

in such an environment.

And that's my first reason to come here to Washington, DC.

And secondly, to come into the US as I had experiences

because I think US is a place where you have so many amazing

people, I mean as classmates and professors.

And also, it's also because the US it's a place

where you work hard.

The institution environment it's like if you work hard you

will be rewarded correspondingly.

So even if people are thinking about financing issues and

stuff, if you work really hard and you can find different

ways, citizenship and stuff.

So that's another issue that financing wouldn't be such a

big problem here in the US.

I think that's pretty much like the reasons why I come.

First of all would be geographical location.

I think because I am not a science

student so I'm more like--

this major requires you to interact with a lot of people

and then to experiment.

And then I think geographic location's

definitely one reason.

And secondly, I think you will look at the faculty that if

their research kind of interests you.

And thirdly, it's like a general environment in the

university.

Since I came back I've been having this idea of going back

to graduate school.

But I don't know at what point I'm going back.

So I have been keeping an eye out on researching the

universities and programs that interest in me.

I would say that has been a continuous--

just if I see something interesting I just

collect in my pocket.

And then, I think, when the time I officially started my

application is probably in September.

At that time, starting taking those standardized tests and

then asking for recommendations.

I would say, yeah, that's maybe like four months and

five months, like a time range that I used to do all the

application stuff.

One of the biggest issue is to take the standardized tests.

They're really tough, especially for

international students.

Like the GRE test is more like--

we teasingly call it God note English.

So it's a very tough.

So you better just do it earlier.

So maybe one year before the deadline of the university.

Maybe like January or February something.

And then probably you have to take TOEFL or IELTS.

I suggest that you take the tests like half a year before

your application starts.

And then secondly, you have to think really hard why you come

to this program.

And why you choose this school.

That's going to be really helpful experiences for you to

write your essay.

Because you are writing at your essays like something the

admissions will see as--

they don't see you, but they see essay.

They will think about what type of person this is.

So I think that's some advices.

In the first semester, right after I came here, I think the

second week or something, I've got a job of teaching

international students and scholars their spoken English

with the English Language Institute.

That's very interesting job.

And then this semester I was offered with a graduate

research assistant.

So working is a experience you can learn about yourself more.

And also financing for your tuition and stuff.

They give me a lump sum of salary.

But can, basically, pay off my tuition.

So that's good.

The process is kind of really complicated.

You have to fill out a lot of forms and then to prepare for

a lot of visa questions and stuff.

I think Ed was never an easy job to prepare.

But as long as you would really went to the visa

interview, it's not as terrifying as a lot of people

think it was.

As long as you just behave yourself and let them know

that you're going to come here to study and stuff.

That's not really tough.

First of all, I have to hang out with a lot of friends just

saying good bye.

And then I sort of did some research whether I'm coming

here to Oklahoma or to Mason.

I just kind of do some research about physically

living here on campus and off campus.

And also in the area.

And then I did some just going through my friends to try to

get some connections.

I mean anyone who's here makes me feel more comfortable

because friends are here.

And then I would say I also--

because I think a lot of people also kind of don't know

if they will be comfortable here in the first place

because they're worrying about their English skills.

So probably I will be good to just keep speaking English

because a lot of my friends are doing that since they got

visa and stuff everything's settled.

Start speaking English every time.

Yeah, I guess there was a lot of details you have to go

through but--

The OIPS is really helpful.

I remember I was just writing emails with an adviser, Erin.

I remember like if I see my Gmail account right now I have

like 40 something emails going back and forth with her.

Actually look up online and found the Attorney-Student

Scholar Association and then I send them emails.

And, actually, they arrange someone to pick

me up from the airport.

So that's really great.

I actually arrive here right on time.

I mean so actually on the following day as I remember,

there was the orientation.

So on the first day I was kind of jet lagged, of course.

And then I had some friends living in the similar

apartments and surrounding areas.

And they showed me around because I came here like a

week before.

They show me around like where is SUB I, where is Johnson

Center, where is your classroom buildings and stuff.

And then the following day the OIPS staff and other welcoming

offices they give us really detail orientations.

And then, actually, there are student volunteers just took

you around the campus.

Before I came here, a lot of students--

and we sometimes burn our free time with American TV shows

and movies.

Like I remember a lot of my classmates and friends we were

watching "Friends." So that was a really great TV show.

But what we thought all the American life was like the six

people in the "Friends" and the stuff.

But, actually, when I came here all the good things about

here is that when you come here on campus, you will

suddenly see the overwhelm of the language and stuff.

I think the most of the surprising thing for me is the

maybe academic overload--

academic workload.

It's not as maybe in China it's not as hard.

I mean I'm taking like seven or eight classes.

But here even if one class it's like over a semester you

have this many stuff to read and maybe

many papers to write.

So I think that's one of the academic experiences that

surprised me.

I mean the information you receive for a single course.

And I think also there's another one it's like how

welcoming people are.

Especially the first time I came to the

US, I didn't know--

I was confident in my English because I

was an English major.

But I didn't know how should I get

involved with the community.

But actually there was student volunteers and stuff.

They all were organizing different events and stuff to

invite international students coming.

I think that was very good.