“America is another name for opportunity.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
So the journey begins. The name is Doc Alex Busingye and I am an international student from Uganda. It’s the late summer 2010 and this is the dawn of a new chapter. I finally made it to the nation’s capital. Heaven knows what it took to get here, so excuse me if I shout out: “Somebody call the White House; tell them there is a new man in town!”
I AM I AM! They say the future belongs to people who see possibilities before they become obvious. It belongs to those very travelers who pierce through the clouds of oblivion with the force of their determination. I AM one of those people and I come with a suitcase, a dream, my admission to AU and a dedication to blog about the experience. So what’s up DC?!! This is history in the making!!!
Just like every prospective international student, I did research for my new world experience and heard a lot of opinions about what it would be like. Some got me fired up, which was great. I heard some people say that this was an opportunity to turn a dream into reality.
Others were pessimistic though, telling me it’s not the land of milk and honey that they talk about, or how life’s rough out there and most people don’t make it. I can’t stand that kind of low energy - like I always say, “Mate, life might not be all that they make it out to be, but it's all that you make it out to be.” We are accountable for the outcome of our lives. But I know that I can learn from people who have been through it before me, even when they say things I might not want to hear (and I hope you can learn from my experience the same way).
I chose to come study in the USA because it’s a country known for its advanced academic programs, and I know that in life, we are only as good as the quality of help we give and take. I believe I have a set of talent that only I can share with the world and this is the best place to nurture it. Knowing that fueled my journey.
I am aware that the journey ahead of me is full of tests; new situations where I’ll be in uncharted waters trying to figure things out and often the biggest lessons are the most painful. But I believe the approach is simple - it all comes down to proper conditioning of your mind-set. Reality is imagined before it manifests itself; what’s invisible creates what’s visible. So I’ll direct my resolve to training and managing my mind.
This blog is my service to future international students planning on studying in the US. I’ll blog about my experience as an international student, share principles that have worked and those that haven’t. Don’t just read this blog! Find power in the value of my experience. Whatever works for you, keep. Whatever doesn’t, you are welcome to throw away.
Well that’s it for now. Thank you for spending your valuable time reading this blog. Until we meet again, have a good one.
