"The euphoria of the very first week as an international student at college overseas."

“Kunshan Duke da Xue,” said Temirlan when I finally got a glimpse of a campus I had been waiting to see for over two years (For those who don’t know, I first got into DKU in March 2021 but first deferred my admissions then dropped out). The sunlight rebounding off the DKU tower’s steel surface blinded my eyes.
It was a moment of triumph! I couldn’t believe I was finally blessed with college after traveling 17582 km. While entering the gate, charismatically putting up his cigarette, Temirlan asked me about my intended major. I only remember him telling me to consider switching to Computer Science when I expressed my interest in majoring in Data Science, for the Data Science track contained too many statistics courses, which were hard to master within DKU 7 week session system (we will talk about it in more detail soon). However, I didn’t care that day. I was hungry for new adventures and eager to prove my academic and professional capabilities to those who tried to persuade me to give up on my dream of studying abroad and settling in Uzbekistan.

“First math class, and we will talk again,” said Temirlan smilingly, anticipating my future struggles. Later, we went to eat together, and I finally entered my room to witness my Chinese roommate with his parents, who were helping him set up his belongings. I quickly greeted them and handed the souvenirs I had brought from my motherland to my new roommate. It was a gesture of hospitality deeply rooted in my country’s traditions, which I tried to demonstrate. Excited about gifts, his parents asked where my parents were. I smiled and answered politely, “At home in Uzbekistan, probably busy with their chores.” The moment they were surprised that I had spent several hours traveling from Tashkent to Beijing and then from there to Shanghai and staying a night in a hotel, I managed to arrive in Kunshan safely and soundly. At that moment, I felt proud of myself for taking the initial steps into adulthood, being even more excited to meet new people around the globe and make friends with them.

My first week at college was filled with meeting people from diverse backgrounds, each sharing a unique narrative and bringing a different story of their own. It is funny that each time I tell them I am from Uzbekistan, I hear, “Ooo, Pakistan, I know this country.” Despite the tiny frustration I initially faced when my country was confused for a country with a different history, culture, and location, I accepted the confusion. I set a goal to make my country, Uzbekistan, and Central Asia overall recognizable on campus and beyond. With such thoughts, I stepped into my first class, a 2-credit writing course listening to the symbolic anthem of Uzbekistanis abroad, “Uzbekistonlik,” produced by famous local rapper Konsta.

​⚡️ Новый, 4 эпизод фильма "O'zbekistonlik" - уже на следующей неделе В фильме мы поднимаем очень глобальную тему. Будут сказаны слова, которые еще никогда не произносились с экрана. О том, что экологическая катастрофа - она не стучится к нам в двери. Она…

​⚡️ Новый, 4 эпизод фильма "O'zbekistonlik" - уже на следующей неделе В фильме мы поднимаем очень глобальную тему. Будут сказаны слова, которые еще никогда не произносились с экрана. О том, что экологическая катастрофа - она не стучится к нам в двери. Она…

​⚡️ Новый, 4 эпизод фильма "O'zbekistonlik" - уже на следующей неделеВ фильме мы поднимаем очень глобальную тему. Будут сказаны слова, которые еще никогда не произносились с экрана. О том, что экологическая катастрофа - она не стучится к нам в двери. Она уже зашла одной ногой на порог. О том, как бороться, не сдаваться и побеждать. О том, что мы сможем справиться - если начнем действовать.

Наши герои - директор ЕБРР Камола Махмудова и доктор Кембриджского университета, ученый-биолог из Бухары **Темур Юнусов.

19 октября в 18.00 на телеканале MY5** и на Youtube-канале Uzbekistan's Club. Смотрите трейлер. Будет интересно.

@makarenko_channel

“Writing is a vehicle to become a thinker”

©️My writing class Prof

My life had a turning point when I received an email from Duke Kunshan claiming that the university will fully be online for the 2021-2022 academic year, and that’s the moment when I decided to bargain, taking a gap year and enrolling in a local IT harbor to be equipped with fundamental knowledge of programming and computer science.

PS. wait for part-2. This prolly gonna be a whole book, ahah