Alicia Chiang
Question: Hi Alicia! Could you tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to study in the United States, and at Boston University specifically
Answer:Hey! Sure, I’m an advertising major from Taiwan, in my junior year at BU. I grew up there and went to an international school where a lot of the other students were children of ambassadors, so it was a good mix of foreign students. Despite it being technically a British school, most of the Taiwanese students, including me, went to the U.S. for university. Partly because the language was easier and partly because Taiwanese people are more familiar with U.S. schools than European ones. The U.S. college application process was also a lot easier to follow.
Originally, I wanted to study something related to graphic design, but I didn’t want to go to an art school. I decided to study advertising instead of focusing on the arts because I felt like they were closely related. I also wanted something on the East Coast. BU was the perfect fit for my needs because they had a big arts college and a big communications program.
Question: What were your first impressions when you arrived in the US?
Answer:First impressions, I was impressed just how walkable and free the city is. Taipei is very skyscraper-heavy, so it’s pretty difficult to have a pleasant walk anywhere without breathing in smoke and being annoyed by motorcycle engines zooming past. I really love Boston- the architecture, the river, the small neighborhoods, the Commons. Everything is really accessible, and you could walk through the entire city by foot if you wanted to. My friends and I love walking from Seaport back to campus when the weather permits it.
Question: What aspects of American culture or campus life were the easiest for you to adapt to, and what were the most challenging?
Answer:I think there was probably some sort of culture shock when I first got to BU. Nothing was super surprising because of my international school background. Greek life was definitely something I had to get used to and overall just partying culture. There’s way less of that in Taiwan. School is school, so going out isn’t as big a habit back home. Universities are rigorous back home. In college, you focus mainly on academics, which is why that was the easiest part of college to adapt to. Coming here, I also discovered that Americans are quite extroverted! Growing up pretty introverted, American extrovertedness positively surprised me and helped me acclimate to college life at BU, whether that was through finding new friends or joining clubs and organizations.
Question: How have you navigated making friends or connecting with people from different backgrounds? Do you feel like you’ve found your sense of community on campus?
Answer:I’d say that I’m the closest with students who are international or close to their ethnic background. I find that it’s easier to get along with people with a similar background to you, or at least share similar cultural values. A lot of the friends I’ve found have been through chance, through group projects and classes or through mutual friends. I’m glad to have found a community I’m comfortable with, with people who share values that are core to me such as family, ambition, and humility.
Question: What are some key differences between Taiwanese culture and American culture in your experience?
Answer:I think because of American hustle culture and the fact that there’s so much diversity in this country, people are a lot more separated, much more individualistic here. Taiwan is overall a very friendly country, people help each other out, and there’s a sense of community even amongst strangers. A lot of my friends’ parents back home are also close with my family. Family friends in America always reach out to check up on me and see if they could help out even if they’re all the way on the other coast. Because of this, I feel that I grew up to be a very open, sharing person which I don’t see very explicitly within American culture. In Taiwan, people offer help whereas here, you might not get help unless you ask.
Question: Looking back on your time at BU so far, what’s something you’ve learned about yourself or your identity that you might not have discovered if you had stayed in Taiwan?
Answer:Boston gave me a lot of freedom that Taipei didn’t. I travelled a lot- to Montreal, Maine, NYC, even more so right now as I’m in the middle of my semester abroad in London. In Boston and NYC, I went to the museums and movies very frequently- the arts collection in the States is incomparable to Taipei’s. I’d say BU allowed me a lot more access to a diverse range of arts and culture and I’ve learnt how much I appreciate and love exploring new sections of the world. I love Taiwan, but it’s smaller, far away from most countries, and therefore a little limiting in this department. I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve had at BU to expand my horizons and discover more about myself and my interests.