My credentials as somewhat an expert in this area are my 2 years of high school, 3 ½ years of college, 1 year of job hunting and working in the real world, and yet another year of graduate studies. (Gasp for air.)

Pretty much I am one of those who successfully survived being a student in the U.S. I am just fortunate enough to pass along my experiences to you. Everyone give a round of applaud to Femme!

Going to study abroad is already a scary thought by itself. It sounds even more dreadful if you were to embark on this journey alone. I was fortunate enough to have family friends like P’ Pukky and Aunty Tim who took a good care of me the moment I got off the plane in Los Angeles. When I started at University of Southern California, I also had P’ Pukky close by to help me get acquainted with college life.

Many of you who are thinking about crossing that great big Pacific Ocean might not be as lucky as I was. But I’ll let you in on a little secret.

The thing is, you NEVER have to do this alone.

Any universities with enough Thai student population will have Thai student organizations of some kind. Depending on the college you are attending, generally Thai clubs are mainly composed of Thai international students with Thai-American students mixed in, and sometimes with a pinch of curious non-Thais. Some colleges might have a combined group like Thai-Laotian, Thai-Cambodian, or flat out Asian Student Club.

Anyways. I strongly suggest that you seek these clubs out while you are looking around for universities. Try searching the university’s website for student organizations, or international student office. Then you can try regular search engines like Go.com or Yahoo! If there is not one on your campus, try to find if there is one in a neighboring school.

Believe it or not, the Thai clubs will turn out to be your knight in shining armor. Remember that all of these people have done it all before. They also know about what is going on campus and off campus. So, be inquisitive and start emailing the clubs to find out more information on just about anything.

For example, USC Thai Club is very good about helping out incoming students. Someone has emailed the club asking for help in finding accommodation. Someone else asked for inside information on particular field of studies. These types of messages were passed along to the club’s mailing list, and sure enough someone answered them. During my undergrad years with Thai Student Association (also known as Thai Club) here at USC, I have seen many emails came in asking for more information about programs and student life. I guarantee you. You’re not the only one searching for answers.

Breathing a little bit easier now? Good. You may continue.

So, you decided which college you are going to attend. By this time you’d probably have contacted your local Thai Club already. Now, it’s time to schmooze! (That’s slang for meeting new people and creating new contacts.)

Start familiarizing yourself with the club through email and website. Find out some contact names and numbers. These contacts are going to be helpful when you are actually moving into the neighborhood. Don’t be shy to ask for a place to stay or a ride from the airport. The club and its members will help you the best they can to get you situated.

This is no myth! P’ Pukky had picked up this lady from the airport, and had her over at her apartment for about a month before that girl could find her own place. If I weren’t living in a studio apartment (you know, the one-room-fits-all), I would have loved to host the new people too.

Once you start to settle down, it’s time to pay back the favor. Thai clubs usually hold a welcome party or picnic of some sort to introduce new members to the community. Never miss the first event of the school year. It is the perfect opportunity to get started!

At USC, it’s a tradition now to have a welcome picnic. Even the alumni who are still in the area come back to that, and to other events, just to have fun and to meet new faces. We have either a barbeque or a potluck. Someone brings a boom box or guitar. We play break-the-ice games, and other fun activities ranging from water balloon toss to messy baby-powder fest.

Now that you are finally comfortable enough with this chapter of your life away from home, really get involved with your Thai club. Be an active member. They always need help setting up events. Go ahead and offer your service, may it be preparing food for the gathering, posting flyers around campus, or even get on stage and perform for international night! I’ve done everything from selling Pad Thai to breaking P’ Ake’s wooden swords at a cultural night demonstration. All because the club turned to me and said, “We need some help over here”.

By participating in club events, you would get to meet people and make new friends, expanding your horizon. These people will be your family away from your real family, your future business connections, and may be even your friends for life. Besides, having a position in club looks really good on your résumé.

As a television commercial here said, “When you’re here, you’re family”. That goes for Thai student clubs here too. It’s also a fact of life away from home. Thai club is your new circle of friends and somewhat of a surrogate family. Take care of them as well as they have taken care of you.

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