The USA Trip

Burrus Hall, the administration building

Doing an exchange program to the USA has always been on my mind ever since I first stepped into my university... Finally after two years in university we are permitted to do an exchange program. After all the endless searching on the web about ISEP universities... the massive questioning with my study abroad advisor... all the paper work and a whole summer of choosing for what's going in my suitcase... I finally found myself standing here... In Virginia Tech!!! And this is the place where I was going to continue my major - electronic engineering.

The place

Blacksburg, Virginia! Just like most other exchange students, we had no idea where the place was before arrival. All I could guess that Blacksburg is probably a tiny place, though the size of the school totally impressed me. A school of approximately 25,000 students located in the middle of the Virginian ridges. 

My arrival went quite smooth, the volunteer pick-up students from the international office was right there waiting for me at the end of the escalator in Roanoke airport. In the next 3 consecutive days I was running across the whole campus to get all the paper work done and get all my courses registered... And curiously waiting for the arrival of my roommate.

Main Campbell, our room is the first window on the 3rd floor from right

Having a roommate was totally new to me! I wasn't sure whether I would like it before I came here, but I was determined to give my best try! My roommate Clio from Germany came 3 days later than me. And better than I ever imagined! We got along great! At the end of the day it's always fun to come home to someone and share all the up and downs in our daily life... We have also been each other's travelmate during Xmas time.

Clio and me in our hallway on one of these evenings when all hallmates gather and have fun

The Main Campbell gang at our dinning table

This is definitely the place where all the gossips, school work and activities gets discussed and announced. The whole gang from my floor (3rd floor Main Campbell) always go there together and sit at the same table. I love it there 'cos there are so many varieties of food you can choose from. Eating in dinning hall was also new to me, since at home in Sweden we always go and do our own grocery shopping and just thinking about what to cook can be such a headache sometimes.

Is everything! This the element that makes my trip so precious and incredible! It's amazing how fast and wonderful friendships can grow, that's probably because we all have the same will! We all want to make our stay in the USA as great as possible! 

From left: Clio (Germany) Håkan (Sweden) Anna (Germany) Wojtek (Germany) Me & David (Sweden), in Virginia Beach

Lane Stadium - Home of the Hokies

Is very hard to understand! I don't know how many people have tried to explain to me how it works but most of us exchange students still don't seem to get the hang of it. I mean come on, it can't be that hard... It's just a game right? :)

Floor activities

We definitely have the best residential advisor in the whole campus! Thanks for our RA Brady, who arranged so many wonderful activities and trips for us!

left: Main Campbell people at the cascade waterfall, right: main campbell tekken tournament

Me and Clio at the foot of Lincoln statue

Feeling DC...

Even though we are not too far away from Washingtong D.C, it still took some preparation to go there due to everyone's study schedule. My suggestion to DC is to wear some good jogging shoes since DC is just such a huge place to wander around.

Main Campbell people in DC

Time has never flew so fast until I started my exchange program. As the leaves started to fall and snow began to arrive, it was our time to go back home. It might seem sad, though we were all very satisfied with our stay, and we were all looking forward to start our next chapter in life...

2002! it's DEFINITELY the best year of my life! Why? Because I joined ISEP!!!

THANK YOU ISEP FOR EVERYTHING!!!

The final gathering

created 2003-10-30