reflection essay
I will never forget that day when I choose to study abroad. It was a very tough day and sad day because I will leave the people who have always supported me, my family and my friends. Before I choose to study abroad, I was thinking to study in a university in my country, but my father disagreed with me. He told me U.S universities has a high education and a good reputation in all over the world even in my country which is Kuwait. After that day, I decided to study abroad. I was happy and scared at the same time.
The things that made me happy are learned a new language and experience new thing in the U.S such as U.S culture. About the sad thing that made me feel sad is I will not see my family and my friends for an extended period. After I had made the decision, I worked hard in my high school to get a scholarship. I made it. Before I travel to America, my father got sick. (Kidney disease). I was sad at that day, and I felt I will lose my father because his condition was terrible. Two days later, I got the acceptance letter from Interlink language center, but I didn't feel happy because my dad was sick.
One day at night, I sat on my bed staring at the roof remember all the things that my family did to me. I couldn't imagine that In the next few month I will set in a house where there is no family. A few months later, I arrived in the U.S. My cousin wrote papers for me, and he told me to use it when you want to order food or taxi. That is mean I was not good at English at all. I faced many difficulties in the airport. Especially, with the checkpoints. For example, when the officer told me to take off your shoes I was not able to understand what he was saying. After two days of traveling, I was very tired and exhausted. In the hotel, I lay on the bed and start to remember my mother. I missed the person who always wants to see me happy, healthy and succeeds.
October twelve, 2015 was the first day of classes. I felt I was lost or I took the wrong decision when I decide to study abroad. I was not able to recognize that now I am a student and I need to depend on myself on everything. At the end of the day, I went to my empty house imagining that my family is with me, but there were no one in the house expect me.I decide to be strong, and the first thing I did is managing my time because my father taught me a lot about time management. He told without time management no one can success. I studied between five to six hours per day. Every day I walked out of my house trying to find any person who speaks English to improve my speaking skills. I passed all the first four levels with grade A but the last level which is level five I failed.
The main reason that made fail is that two of my father arteries were blocked. After I had heard this bad news, I felt that my day become a black day. I sat in my room, and I cried a lot like a baby who is trying to find his mother in a crowded place. After that, my dad did an open heart surgery, and it worked. Then I repeated level five and I passed it with grade A. I am proud of myself about what I had done in the program. However, my study abroad journey had one last obstacle which is the English proficiency test. I was ready and very excited to take the test. On the day of the test, I felt very nervous and exhausted because I didn't sleep. At night I was thinking of my future and my family. I went to the building, the students in the building were very nervous and scared, but I said to myself I am here for a goal and I will reach my goal. After more than two hours of testing, I was tired. I was anxious to the point that I was going to lose my balance. After fourteen days I got my grade which was six out of nine. I was shocked. I couldn't imagine what I did. I was very excited to call my family and say to them my grade. I was the happiest person in the world.
I think I deserve this grade because I worked very hard to get it. I called my father, and I said to him my grade he told me this is the happiest news I heard in 2016. Also, the main reason that made me worked hard is that my father told me he feels comfortable and better when he hears a good news from me. Now I feel happy because I understand the language, I can read, speak and write in English. After I had finished the program, I was very excited to study in the university. I was not scared because I felt like America became my second country and I made friends. I worked very hard in the last semester, and I got 4.0 GPA I was euphoric and proud of this grade.
In conclusion, studying abroad benefit me a lot. I made many friends, and I can talk and write and speak in a different language which is English. Also, now I can solve my problems without talking with my family or my friends. For example, before if I faced a problem the first thing I do is calling my father, but now I try to analyze the situation and try to figure a solution for the problem. Now I achieved one goal which is mastery the language, but I still have more goals. Now the most important goal is graduating from the University with a perfect GPA.