My SUSI Experience
Kripa, a participant in the FIUTS SUSI program from Nepal, writes about what she's learned in her first week in Seattle.
Over the next month, students from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka are in Seattle for a new program coordinated by FIUTS, the Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders in Journalism and New Media (SUSI). Each student will be writing a blog post about the experience. Here's a post by Kripa Sigdel from Nepal about her first week as a SUSI participant:
I am not a journalism student but media just happened to me. I always wanted to be in some position where I could be voice of voiceless, dig out the uncovered issue and talk about it. And I got the way for it since I started the radio program in Nepal. Since then media studies and journalism are what I wanted to study and understand more. And the selection in SUSI was what I was looking forward to. And I am now very excited to be studying in one of the best institutes of United States, University of Washington with very impressive instructors.
Our group from Nepal arrived in University at 7:30 pm local time. The tiring 26 hours travel and jet lag just seem to vanish away with the feeling of we being in the place where we were so excited to be. Then the day was followed by orientation by FIUTS staffs and then visit to Seattle Times and then Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, then Space Needle. FIUTS, ambassadors and friends from other parts of world making our life so easier and fun here.
Now comes a real part "How much Journalism and Media related knowledge I gained till now?" Yes! To tell the truth, having no academic journalism background, I am having tough time understanding everything in class. Say it libel or slander, the technical words confuse me at times. But at the same time the excitement of learning the subject of my interest makes me try harder understand the subject matter. And I am pretty excited and sure about getting insights in them more with time, hopefully. As they say, learning takes time!
Even classes confuse me at times. The habit of doing last minute preparations and not so many assignments giving me hard time. But this is one most important habit I want to take back home. I am going to encourage everyone to value the time and discipline. People here value time so much which is one key element that sets them part from rest of the world which I have seen. The habit of being sharp at time. It they say 8:30 then it's 8:30. Yes! It has to be too to move with time. You cannot take things or granted. And this is what I am learning here.
When I was back home, I always do last minute preparations and it never did any harm too. But here I needed to be prepared for everything beforehand. I need to make sure all assignments are done before I reach class. And I am seriously loving this 'Make Sure u got it all beforehand" habit. And I believe this is what I am going to do back home. And I so know this one thing will make me different person from I was a week back.
It's just a week and I can already feel the changes. The changes in the way I value time, the way I value rules and the way I value people are making me a different person from which I was a week before. I am sure I have loads to get to know in four more weeks. Five weeks as a SUSI scholar will definitely change me as a person and I am hopeful to take various good stuffs back home. The experiences, memories, friends, learning I got from this beautiful place will be with me forever.
Till the end if first week this place has really been so friendly to me and I just believe this will continue to be till my last day. All the credit goes to FIUTS staff, ambassadors and friends.
The Study of the U.S. Institutes (SUSI), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, promote a better understanding of the people, institutions, and culture of the United States among foreign students, teachers, and scholars. Study of the U.S. Institutes are short-term academic programs for groups of undergraduate leaders, educators, and scholars from around the world.
The program in Seattle is coordinated by the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS), a local non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Washington that promotes international friendship and cross-cultural understanding in the region. The Seattle Globalist, a daily publication covering the connections between Seattle and the rest of the globe, is collaborating with FIUTS to deliver courses on topics in journalism and new media.