First Impression: University of Southern Indiana
Being part of the University of Southern Indiana (USI) is like having a dream that you would never want to be finished. I feel so glad to be here since my first day on-campus. Moreover, most of my impressions about the people, this great institution, and its environment apply to the city of Evansville as well. There are so many good feelings I have about this place; however, I cannot mention all of them in one page.
First of all, the campus of USI makes me feel happy, healthy, and motivated. Although I do not see people cleaning, the USI Campus always looks so clean. Here, I have experienced how students care about the environment since they put the garbage in the trash containers. Similarly, the university staff have the same vision because there are garbage cans everywhere on campus. I have learned that a good environment is very important as it helps people’s health and wildlife in the planet. For example, the air is always fresh, morning, afternoon, or night, since they have a forest all around campus. This is home to many wild animals too. Some wild animals, which I have seen, include deer, squirrels, and cardinal birds. There are many fountains and lakes around campus, which give a good look to this college. They look so beautiful!
This university has multiple resources for self-care and a big library where it is never too late to do homework! If you need to work out, to keep your mind and body healthy, there is a Fitness Center where you can go for free or you can go to the library so that you can keep up to date with all your homework thanks to the many computers, books, and great spots to study.
Second, I have experienced that people create a strong sense of community in this part of the country. I have never experienced people’s happiness and friendship that much before. Everyone is so friendly here! Not only on campus, but also in the city you will see people to smile and say “Hello!” or “Hi!” when they pass nearby someone else. This behavior is new for me since in my country if you say – “Hola” (Hello!) to someone you do not know, then you will sound weird. I really like this behavior people have toward others here. Another impression I have had is about the common use of the phrase “I’m sorry” because in my country it is not common to hear someone to apologize until he/she considered there is a strong reason to do so. Personally, this politeness is a great way to show respect to people’s rights. Similarly, it is common to see someone who keeps the door opened and lets others pass.
Finally, the restaurants on-campus are great; it is your choice to eat what and where you want at USI. Since they offer a variety of food, you can eat both fast food and healthy food; besides, you can pay with your USI student ID! To have a table where to eat is not a problem as there are many spots available.
To sum up, I feel really glad because I was placed to study in one part of the United States that has incredible people, places, and a great environment. I feel all these together will help me learn more about U.S. culture, English, and my future career.
Written by Walter Gonzalez Baez, 2018-19 Global UGRAD student from Nicaragua at the University of Southern Indiana