Thanksgiving Essay 2015

I hope that you are having a fantastic 2015 thus far.

I want to begin by thanking you again for allowing my summer course credits to transfer to. I truly appreciate all of your help. I excelled in the courses that I took there, and I intend to pursue my political science/international relations interest upon my return to.

As you may know from our discussions last spring, I really wanted to take advantage of a junior year abroad this fall. Since I was prohibited from doing so, I took this desire into my own hands and applied to study at the University of Tehran in Iran. However, due to the late application and visa request, I had some difficulties and was not given confirmation on whether or not I would be able to attend classes in the fall. The University accepted me, but my student visa was very late for approval. Nonetheless, I boarded a plane to Tehran, Iran on September 8th where I would be staying with my grandmother in her apartment until November 27th. On arrival, I immediately went to Tehran University. They were very surprised that I was in the country and appreciated the initiative I took to make it there on a regular visa. As a result, they gave me permission to attend classes while I wait for my student visa. Showing up in the country was a risk, as I was not sure whether I would be able to study, but it definitely payed off.

The students in my class were extremely eccentric and very good people. Many were graduate students living in the country and learning the language for future job opportunities. There was a Chinese boy in my class named Shaofei who could not speak any English. As a result, we were forced to communicate in Farsi with one another. We spent a few afternoons together comparing and telling stories about our respective countries and cultures. We talked to the administration of the University, and were given permission to give a presentation to the student body on our discussions based on the cultural differences between America and China. I cannot explain how much I learned from these kind people. In Iran, the social scene is quite limited and places such as bars are illegal. I originally thought that the social restrictions would lead to a boring three months, but boy was I wrong. The amount of traveling and exploring I would do with my fellow students was remarkable. We would go on long hikes and great adventures within Tehran and around the country.