Check out another opinion at: International students lack participation and in university activities

The prospect of traveling halfway around the world in pursuit of higher education can be intimidating, to say the least. The responsibility of making these travelers feel at home falls on the students of the new university. Making international students feel welcome is an area where the students of N.C. State score high.

Mingling with and befriending people from different cultures is challenging for more than just the reserved. Personal initiative may not always suffice to break the ice and shatter cultural barriers. It needs to be coupled with the organization of cultural programs and get-togethers to allow foreign students to better appreciate cultural diversity. This goes a long way in enabling and fostering bonds between people from different parts of the world, thus making them a lot more comfortable in their new surroundings.

The Office of International Services facilitates free airport pick-ups, a detailed orientation session, a fun-filled party followed by dinner, and a separate office providing a host of services, including counseling, for the sizeable population of international students.  Speaking from personal experience, I felt at ease in my new environment right from day one.

Apart from the International Students Organization, groups like Maitri and Yuva work not only to ensure a smooth transition for overseas students, but to also promote the values and traditions of different communities. This is achieved through a combination of celebrating festivals from around the world, and putting together cultural programs such as dances and skits. This provides a forum of sorts to international students to showcase to American and other foreign students the values and traditions of their society, a matter that is just as important as academics. Our world is quickly becoming  a global village and without the comprehension of what different cultures have to offer, our education in this age is incomplete.

With the deep variety in culture that the United States boasts, studying at N.C. State provides the added advantage of exposure to different value systems, allowing people to incorporate them into their personality. This improves the quality of education even more. Incorporation of the positives of all cultures adds an extra dimension to one a person, giving him or her an edge over others, which is what education at N.C. State is all about.