Domestic Exchange Student Reflections
Stanford University
I anxiously awaited my arrival at Stanford University. As I neared the campus, just seeing the Stanford banners on the streets leading into the campus, filled me with excitement. I was amazed that I would actually be a student at this university. The campus is beautiful and large -- so large in fact that I realized I needed to get accustomed to riding my bike to class.
On the first day of classes, I saw, for the first time, a highway of bikes. It appeared chaotic on certain paths because there were pedestrians, golf carts and bikes all traveling on one pathway. Unfortunately, on day two, I was a victim of this chaos. While riding my bike to the cafeteria, I was hit by a golf cart. My bike was destroyed and my knee was injured.
Luckily, I did not tear any ligaments or break any bones, but I did have some tissue damage. First, the Stanford police showed up, then the fire department, and then an ambulance came to take me to the Stanford Medial Center. The golf cart driver was very helpful and picked me up from the Stanford Medical Center and helped me get upstairs to my room on the third floor of my dorm. He also promised to buy me a new bike and purchase a rental bike while I awaited the new one.
I had to wear a leg brace and use crutches for five days. I asked to complete my assignments remotely since it was extremely difficult for me to navigate the campus with a cast on my left leg and a sore right foot. I spent the five days healing with the assistance of my boyfriend, who lives in Granite Bay just 15 minutes away from my hometown in Folsom, California.
Returning to Stanford University on September 27, I attended classes and started walking again without crutches. I still felt some pain in my knee, but I was able to manage walking and riding my rental bike. I am enjoying my Spanish and human computer interaction courses. I like being in a large lecture, classroom environment, which is definitely a unique experience for me.
I also like that, in this lecture class, I was assigned to a team to work on a quarter-long project. I am also taking a course that is helping me prepare for technical interviews and recruiting events. I attended the Stanford Computer Science Career Fair, which was pretty competitive. I waited almost an hour just to get in the door and once I was in, I pushed through the crowd and talked to as many potential companies as possible.
I also collected some very cool giveaways, including a Pixar poster, pajama pants, comfy t-shirts and so much more. Despite having a rough start, I am enjoying my experience at Stanford University so far. I look forward to reporting more about my unique and exciting experiences this quarter.
