Student Spotlight
Hilman Rahman – University of Arizona
Two months are not a long time, but it is enough for me to learn something about life. Within two months in US, I could see and learn many things. The first thing is I could see how people appreciated each other, for example they always smile and say thank you or I really appreciate it after I had helped them. In addition, I could see how people really appreciated other people from how they treated disabilities people and pedestrians. For instance, they had automatic doors for disabilities people in almost every building, and the drivers always stop for the pedestrians who crossed in cross line. After that I thought how beautiful our life if we can appreciate each other. Besides, in the class, when I asked a question or gave an opinion, the teacher listened to me and responded it seriously, and all my friends did the same thing. Moreover, although my opinion was different from my teachers’ opinion, they still appreciated it and responded it positively. I felt that my thought was appreciated, and it helped me to improve myself. It was different with my experience in my country. I seldom got appreciation from my teacher or my friends for my opinion, and sometimes it obstructed me to improve myself. Second, I learned and I was aware that discipline is very important and really positive for our life. Now I know what will happen if we apply discipline in our daily activity. In Tucson , I saw a well ordered life; I didn’t see any traffic jam, everyone made line and followed the line, no one littered the environment, and I found the streets, houses, and the public places was really clean. In Tucson I really saw a “human being place” that I cannot find in my country. Third, in my country I learned to look good, but I didn’t learn to behave well. I have to look good when I came to class; I have to wear a shirt, trousers, and shoes when I came to class. In my class, I saw many people who were looked like educated people, but they didn’t behave like educated people because most of them didn’t appreciate the other people. On the other hand, in US, I learned to behave well. I saw people came to class wearing T shirt and slippers, but they behaved like educated people. They appreciated other people, listened other people’s opinions and questions, and studied seriously in the class.
Afterward, I can say that we still have to learn more how to be “human”. From now, I will strive to apply those three things, appreciate the others, discipline, and try to be good not only look good, in my daily life. However, I hope also I can influence the other people to apply those three things in their daily life so that I can make my country a better place for human to live.
Besides, during 2 months in Tucson, I met many amazing people that I could learn from them. That experience has really changed my thought pattern. One of them is my host family. My host father has a wife and six children, and he has job as a volunteer in religious organization. However he has a big beautiful house, two cars, and a “popup” car. Although he never told me what I should do in my life, I have learned many things from him by seeing his attitudes. Actually there are many things that I have learned from him, but at least I can give a lesson that I got by seeing his attitude. At the first week end in Tucson , I and my friends were invited to go camping with him in Chirikahua. My host father’s son, came also with him, and he is 11 years old. During the camping, we did hiking, and the track was so difficult and dangerous. However, my host father never prohibited his son to lead the way although it was his first time to go hiking and the track was so dangerous. He just asked his son whether he was sure or not. If he was sure my host father told him to go. However, he always walked behind him to make sure that he was okay; as a result, my host brother who is 11 years old always leaded the way. I saw that he had given his son freedom to think and chose, but he made sure that his son was okay. I think it is positive for development of children. It was different from our culture that tends to limit development of children. Now I get a lesson that as long as we are convinced that we are right; we don’t need to be hesitant.
Two months of studying in the host country helped me to improve my English skill especially my speaking skill. During 2 months, I used to speak English every day, and it made me speak English more naturally. Besides, now I really pay attention to tenses while I am speaking in English. Nevertheless, I still used Bahasa pattern while I was speaking in English. I have still problems in changing Bahasa pattern into English Pattern while I am speaking.
There are many pluses that I can get by joining this program. The first thing that I got by joining this program is now my eyes are opened to the world. Now I know that we, as human, have many similarities with other people from different nations. It gives me the feeling that although we are from different nations, we, as human, are the same, so there is no reason to think that we are superior or inferior from the others. However, we have also some differences in culture that we have to appreciate them even we can apply their culture in our culture because some of their cultures, which is different from ours, are positive. By joining this program, I can learn that if we are different from the other, it doesn’t mean they are wrong or we are right, but we have to appreciate the differences and absorb the positive things from them. Second, I can improve my English skill because I had to use English every day, and also I studied English in a good institution. The teachers in CESL have many experiences in teaching English for second language, and they are also expert in this matter. For the third, by joining this program, I have many friends from different countries, and by interacting with other people from different countries, my firmament are enlarged.
