Hello! My name is Aarah Shannon and I am a sophomore at Arkansas Tech University studying hospitality and event management. I’m from Atkins Arkansas and have been commuting to Tech since this last fall semester. Since then I have enjoyed my time in college making several new friends, joining a sorority, and even getting a job at the ATU post office. However, even with all of my wonderful experiences I still long to be somewhere new. I am constantly looking for new experiences, and this student exchange allows me to do just that while still getting an education.
I’ve chosen to study at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst this next year. I chose this school for one main reason. That being that it’s rated as having one of the best hospitality programs in the country. I made up my mind that if I were to go away somewhere, I might as well pick the best school for my field. I am enrolled in many hospitality management classes that will hopefully help me grow and understand my interests that much more.
I’m not too nervous yet to be leaving home and the ATU campus. I feel like it will set in later when I’m there. I will be glad to be in a place where more things are going on, but will probably miss the quaintness of home. I will of course miss my family and all my friends. They will be what I miss the most. It’s going to be hard to go through all my new challenges alone without them in reach, but I know that they’re always just a phone call away.
I know that the people up there are going to be different culturally and mannerly than the folks from here. There will be little shocks here and there about how things are done and how people live. However, I am generally a pretty easy-going person and can handle change pretty well. I’m confident I can make friends and learn the difference in social cues while I’m there. I’ve always believed that people are people no matter where you go.
I am slightly worried and unsure about how my classes will go and what to expect of the professors and their workload. I know that Umass is a bigger school than Tech, so there is that general uneasiness about how much the professors will be able to prioritize each student.
My host campus and living area definitely have different views than most people who live here. I can’t say that everyone I’ve told has been too happy with me going because of the preconceived notions, however, I plan to learn and understand everything about the people and the culture without letting it influence my moral beliefs and ideologies. I like to learn about why people think a certain way or do things, and plan to grow through this experience by taking it all in.
-Aarah <3
