Incoming international students attended the International Student Orientation closing breakfast in Global Commons today, Aug. 19 to mark the end of international orientation and the beginning of their semester at Elon.
Johanna Lauff is a junior from Germany and is finishing her last two years at Elon in the dual degree program studying international business.
Because Lauff said her abroad program in Germany was difficult and didn’t leave a lot of time to meet new people or do extracurricular activities, she’s excited to meet people at Elon and experience college in the U.S.
“I think meeting other people, Americans as well as other international students. And also, I’m excited about the American system of learning and teaching,” Lauff said.
Lauff said she didn't get a lot of help from others while in Germany, but she said she feels supported by Elon.
“In Germany, there aren’t any people who are going to help you, so you’re really on your own,” she said. “And here I am feeling that I’m really supported by all of the other people, all the other international students and also the Global Education Center,” she said.
Nina Lichtenberger is also a junior from Germany studying international business in the dual degree program and said she was calm and comfortable when arriving on campus.
“I feel like the orientation leaders and the organization team did a very good job with making us feel like home here,” she said. “So I already feel pretty comfortable here.”
Lichtenberger said in Germany, there was not a lot of student life on campus.
“In Germany, you just go to the campus to your lectures and except for that you don't really spend time on the campus except for the library,” Lichtenberger said.
She is excited for the social life at Elon.
“I feel like it’s a small city of students,” she said.
Lichtenberger said the opportunity to study abroad for longer than a semester means a lot to her.
“We don’t have to pay tuition fees in our program otherwise, my parents and I wouldn't be able to finance it,” she said. “So I’m very grateful to be here.”
Annie Wu is a freshman international student from Taiwan. She said she will probably do all four years at Elon potentially majoring in business.
But, Wu is most excited about being on the Elon golf team. She said she started playing golf when she was approximately ten years old. She started training to receive a scholarship to attend a university in the U.S.
She said she chose Elon because it gives her the opportunity to get her education while playing a sport.
“In my country, if we want to do sports we can’t really study. You can only focus on one thing, she said. “But in the states or at Elon you can focus on both things and they let you focus really hard on academics as well as the golf team.”
Wu’s family dropped her off at Elon and stayed for a couple of days before leaving yesterday. Wu said she is unsure when she will see them again.
“I think the next time I’ll meet them is probably next summer, but I’m not sure yet,” she said.