Academic Studies at Ferrum

by Chang S., Panther Blogger

I want to briefly talk about my perspectives in terms of academic studies at Ferrum.

Though Ferrum is a smaller school, there is still a lot you can do with your academic research and studies. As a matter of fact, we have some pretty awesome programs here. In particular, I would say that the business department is one of the best among all. First of all, the business program was one of the original programs offered when Ferrum College was formed, and it is still one of the best programs here at Ferrum. Professors in the business department are well-experienced in their teaching. Moreover, year after year, the professors accumulate the critical and valuable case projects used during class sessions, thus making their teaching unique and effective. For instance, Dr. Angel uses a number of real-life circumstances in day-to-day businesses, which are pretty accurate and helpful. Plus, in order to keep us up-to-date with current events, she also frequently asks for our opinions about hot topics and issues from either the political world or in the business field. I believe all of these efforts great contribute to preparing us for a future career.

Additionally, I would say that Ferrum always has sufficient assistance for personal study. In my opinion, this is the best part of studying here. Our library may not be as extravagant as others, but our library resources are excellent and sufficient for our research purposes. Downstairs from the library, we also have our ARC (Academic Resource Center), which offers group study sessions and PAL (Peer Assistant Learner) tutor sessions. These are among the most helpful ways to get students involved with their studies since we discuss our learning experiences with the tutors or fellow schoolmates. Plus, the free coffee in the ARC helps us stay awake when preparing for tests!

Being a tutor myself, I have been working with Math 100 and Math 111 students. It has been a great time for me to teach the students who come prepared with their problems. I especially enjoy the feeling when I see these students have their questions solved. Although there is not usually a large number of students who come by to ask for help, those who do come always get the help they need. From time to time, I have wondered why more students don't take advantage of getting extra assistance, but in the end, it is our own choice to make for our studies.

Personally, I have kept my 4.0 GPA since I was a freshman -- not because the grade itself gives me some kind of honor or sense of pride, but mostly because I am responsible for reaching the goals I have set for myself by doing the things that I am capable of.  And I believe every single person can achieve his/her goals by doing everything they are capable of. 

Celebrating the Chinese New Year!

by Chang S., Panther Blogger

February 9th is the Spring Festival - the Chinese New Year. Since both China and Korea have the tradition of lunar New Year, we international students decided to celebrate the Asian New Year together.  To make it more fun, I, as an RA, decided to hold a residence life program using this as a main theme. We invited folks around the campus to come and celebrate this great event. (Apart from the students, we also invited Ms. Sasha Saari, Dr. Basu, and Dr. David Johnson and his wife.)

In order to get a more vivid sense of what the Chinese New Year is like, we specifically demonstrated how to make dumplings -- one of the most traditional types of food served on New Year's Eve. The full process of making dumplings includes several steps. First, we made the noodles needed to cover the dumplings. The noodles were made out of flour and albumen. Secondly, we made the meat stuffing using chopped pork and beef. So as to get better-tasting dumplings, we mixed the meat with ginger and green onion scraps. (The aim of this is to avoid the potential raw smell of the meat.) These first steps were mainly a presentation of us (the Chinese students). For the next step, we "wrapped" the dumplings together, which is the most interesting step because it allowed us to make whatever shapes to design the dumplings. Finally, we cooked the dumplings and served them, enjoying various types of seasonings, such as soy sauce, vinegar and oyster sauce.

I think everyone enjoyed that day. For the Chinese and Korean students, it has been a unique experience to celebrate the New Year overseas. Also, for the rest of the participants, I would say it was a great opportunity to get to know about eastern culture, as well as to share the enjoyable time together.

In Beijing time, February 9th is New Year's Eve. There is always a half-day difference between Beijing time and U.S. eastern time. Apparently, such time differences do not affect people's enthusiasm for the New Year across the globe.

Although the program was a residence area program instead of a campus-wide program, we did actually have people around campus coming. Special thanks to Botao Wu, who proudly served as the chef and brought us such delicious food!

The Inheritance of Virtue

by Chang S., Panther Blogger

It was near midnight when we saw Zhen off. He graduated and left Ferrum, the place where he devoted four years of time. He said it might be the last time he felt the grasslands at Ferrum, and he said he'll miss those lands.

From my perspective, part of being an international student at Ferrum is seeing off seniors like Zhen or the exchange students, along with welcoming new international students. I have already seen three seniors off in one whole year.  And here, three is not as small a number as you might think. We are a small, but close-knit group. We come from different parts of the world:  China, Ethiopia, Northern Ireland, Kenya, Russia, and South Korea.  It is easy to recognize us from the crowds.

The majority of us speak English with a "unique" accent, and in many circumstances, we have difficulty expressing what we want. You might come across one of us in the food court, stammering and trying to order a meal. But those efforts should be respected because they show that we're trying to be a part of the community. The locals should also be respected as they are friendly and try to accept the awkward attempts of the international students. Among these locals, we especially appreciate our advisor, Sasha, Professor Johnson, and the theatre folks. They have been treating us with the greatest generosity, and they build us a home overseas.

I came across a picture of some of the international students and me. The picture was taken on a hiking trip last year when we reached the tip of the mountain. The clear, blue sky formed a perfect harmony with the Blue Ridge Mountains. One of the memorable parts about this trip was that it was organized by Mr. Rene Reiner, who had been a former international student at a college in Roanoke and who took on the U.S. nationality a couple of years after he graduated.

Rene told us:  "...When you are my age, you may have a nice job...a fortune. Spend some time with the international students, someone like yourselves as you once were."  Folks like Rene showed their kindness and hung out with him when he was new to the country. Rene had a great time with those locals. He was moved, and so in turn, he wanted to share his time with us - the next generation of internationals. Similar to the way people hold doors for the people after them, even tiny actions pay off.  Seniors receive kindness from their friends, either from native people or from other internationals, and they pass the kindness to those who follow them. Generations and generations on.

Inheritance of virtue -- one of the best things about humanity, I suppose.

Greetings from Ferrum College Student, Chang!

by Chang S., Panther Blogger

Hi, my name is Chang.  I am an international student at Ferrum College, and I am from China. I am currently a sophomore in my second semester.

I made the decision to study here at Ferrum mainly because one of my friends who graduated from here recommended Ferrum to me, and I consider it a great opportunity to study in the United States.  As some might have recognized, Ferrum is a comparatively small-sized and remote school. So honestly, few big events truly occur from time to time, taking into account that there are less than 2,000 students on campus. However, these are the facts that I well understood before I came here, and they still did not affect my decision.

There are actually a number of good things about being in a small and remote school. In the first place, people know each other better than bigger schools -- which is a good thing because this means we can more easily build up communities of friends. Moreover, in a relatively remote area, the whole environment is a lot quieter so that we can get more focused on our work. Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ferrum is a splendid spot for natural scenery. It is more than enjoyable to appreciate the beauty of nature!

On the other hand, there are still plenty of activities that you are able to attend. Personally, I believe some of the activities that I have been involved in have made a big difference to me. In terms of work and studying, I have been a PAL tutor for two semesters, helping students with math problems. I also became an RA this semester -- still a newbie, yet gradually getting familiar with this job. Ferrum Outdoors has other fun events and trips that I have experienced. I still remembered last year when we went skiing at Wintergreen -- it was awesome! Apart from these, I also enjoy some individual activities which Ferrum provides me the opportunity to have access to. For instance, during my free time, I can teach myself to play the piano using the rehearsal rooms in the Grousbeck Music Center. And the even more fantastic thing I enjoy is doing celestial observations on starry nights with my astronomical telescope!

I think Ferrum has given me a brand new experience which I have never had before. As a matter of fact, it is the first time I have been in a foreign country. It is interesting and also significant to understand cultural differences so that we can build up friendly relationships and get more involved in the community. Folks at Ferrum are really kind to me, and they have been teaching me lots of meaningful things, either in class or out of class. The economic classes and business classes have greatly enhanced my perspectives toward day-to-day issues. Jobs help me to better communicate and interact with people, and they let me know what responsibility means. Critical thinking has taught me to make better decisions.

This is just an overall view about me. I'll be telling you guys some more fun stuff about my experiences at Ferrum. Thanks!