Q&A with Yu Guo (Lily) and her life as an international student in a small town

Q&A with Yu Guo (Lily)

Yu Guo (better known as her chosen American name, Lily) opens her door sleepily. Her face looks shocked as she remembers that she’s being interviewed today. She just woke up from a nap like most college students do in the afternoon after a busy school day. She welcomes me into her room, sits on the unmade bed and we begin discussing her life.

Originally from Fengcheng, Jiangxi, China, Lily will be spending her 19th birthday away from home on March 10. She was 17 when she started at University of the Cumberlands and has been away from home for two years. She is a sophomore studying business as her major and communications as her minor at UC. She wants to be in the hotel or book business or perhaps pursue something in communications.

                                                                   Photo provided by Lily
STARS (Student Trained And Ready leaders of freshman)
 Anna Clayton, Katie Turk, Sara Donahue and Lily
at UC Freshman Orientation July 2014.

Lily can most always be seen with a smile on her face. She’s learning to manage her time better as she takes care of residents as a Resident Assistant in ArcherHall. Though life can be boring in a small town, she enjoys going hiking, hanging out with her friends in Lexington or Knoxville, or just talking in the room.

Lily reflected on life in China and the transition to life at University of the Cumberlands as an international student. She also gave advice on how Americans and international students should interact.            

Lydia Huggins: Lily, what is life like back home in China where you're from?

Yu Guo: I'm from a small town in China. We call it a small town, but one million people live in my small town. In China, it’s a small town. In China, big cities are supposed to have three to five million people. In my small town, we get everything. We have a very big shopping mall. It’s like typical city life. It's very convenient because you can walk to anywhere. Parents drive. Young people walk or ride a bike.

LH: What is your family life like in China?

                                                                   Photo provided by Lily
Lily with her friends Maoshu Nie and Rong Jin
at Xia Men's Beach in summer of 2013.

YG: In China, we have the one kid policy. We have one kid in our family that is why we are closer to our friends since we all don’t have brothers or sisters.

My family, my dad works for the government and my mom works for an insurance company. I think my family is very, very sweet. I really like them, but most of the time when I’m back home, I study.

In China, high school is very, very stressful. College life is super easy. Basically, you only have one exam, final, and you just need to pass it. There is only a pass or not pass. There are no A, B, C, D’s and things like that. In high school, we have to get to school at 6 a.m. and we're released after 10:30 at night. It’s not just in my hometown. Most of the city did.

LH: What do you do for fun?

YG: Actually, we don't have weekends. This is not every school, this is my school. Some schools get one day off or two days off. We get a half day off. Normally, we watch a movie. We like the movie theater to watch movies or go shopping with friends. It's not really shopping just hanging out. I think that is all. It's very boring.

LH: How did you find out about University of the Cumberlands?

YG: At that time, my family didn't plan for me to go to America. It was a surprise decision. Only Cumberlands gave me a scholarship. Other schools were super expensive. We have no idea what it looked like. We never heard of Kentucky. The only thing we heard from Kentucky is KFC.

LH: That was my next question. What did you think Kentucky was going to be like?

YG: Honestly, we Googled it because we really didn't know. We asked my cousin because he’s the only one [we know who] lives in America. He lives in California. He said it's kind of poor and in the south. Basically, we had no idea.

My dad tried to like it because he didn't want to send me to a very poor area. He described Kentucky to me as very good. Google said Kentucky has the best whiskey and derby is very, very famous.

It’s very different from China because in China I only went to the countryside like maybe five times in my whole life. I lived in the city every day so [Kentucky’s] very different from the place I grew up.

LH: What was the biggest surprise when you came here?

YG: In China, I've never seen a city or a town that only has a Walmart [laughter]. They don't have any shopping malls or any busses. People can only drive or walk, but it's not convenient. Even going to the hospital, you have to go Corbin and you always need a driver.

LH: What have you most enjoyed or gotten a laugh about from culture shock? 

YG: I think people are very nice and happy. They make me feel happy. In China, people are too busy and too stressed every day. I really like American culture. Americans are funnier. Asians are more serious because there are too many people in Asian countries. They have strong competition there. That makes life a lot harder.

LH: What was the transition from living in a very busy city to living in a small town?

YG: Okay, first off is the language. When I first came here, I was so nervous. When people talked to me, I couldn’t understand "What's up?" In China, we only learn proper English grammar, reading and some other things. When people ask me "What's up?" I have no idea because what I learned was "How are you?" "I’m good and you?" [laughter]. That is a classic sentence.

I made friends. They teach me a lot of things. I have classes and I get used to speaking English, like now.

Environment is a little different. No, it's not a little. It’s a big difference. In the city, people are super busy and they don't care what you do. Here, people are nicer than people in China. [People here are] very polite when you walk on the street. Even the people you don't know, they will smile at you. That will never happen in China. Don't smile to people when you go shopping because people will think you are weird.

People are kind of cold in China. They are aggressive. If you do something by accident, they will get mad. They will speak out. Here, professors and friends are all polite. They will not say something if it will hurt you. In China, professors can say "You are so stupid" or "I don't think you can handle school stuff. You can just go back home and stay with your parents." They can say something like that even in public.

I will say China is a very aggressive country. It’s a little bit like New York City. They only care about themselves. They don't care how hard you work. They only care about the result.

LH: What is the thing that you miss most from home?

                            Photo provided by Lily
Lily and her parents, Tai Guo and Jiping Chen,
 saying goodbye in Shanghai
before she leaves for UC the summer of 2013.

YG: My parents. That’s all. I’m the person that can really handle the food. It’s not a big deal for me. Even though, first semester I cared about the food part, I get used to it very quickly. I miss my family that’s all. Family and friends are very, very important to me. I wish I could stay with them and hang out with them. I haven’t seen my family for two years. I already booked the tickets, I’m going to fly to China in May and stay there the whole summer and come back here in August.

LH: What has been a major struggle coming to a foreign school (besides the language)?

YG: Maybe, not too many friends at first. All freshmen feel lonely and homesick. I used to have very good friends in China. Since I came here, I talk to them and there are not many common topics. Also when I talk with American, there are also not many common topics. I really feel lonely. Even now, I don't know how to start a very interesting conversation with an American or with my friends back home. They all go to Chinese universities and I’m here. Everything is different.

Americans don't know what it’s like in China. A lot of Americans they don't have any interest to learn about it.

LH: Since you’ve been transitioning pretty well in America, what advice would you give to American students on interacting with international students to help their transition be better?

YG: I think Americans should be curious. They need to be curious about other countries. A lot of students just don’t care. At least you’re curious, interested, and you start to ask questions. I’m pretty sure internationals are waiting to answer those questions. It’s a very good start to a conversation.

And respect. Respect the difference. Some Americans respect the difference. Sometimes they look like [life in China is] unbelievable or something. For American stuff, I feel [like it’s] unbelievable, but I will not let it show up on my face. That is a point internationals don’t like.

LH: How would you encourage new international students to interact with American students?

YG: Same thing, I think they should show interest about American culture and try to learn something from them. Be more curious about American country, read and study about them. Then you can have discussions. Everyone I meet is important for my life because you never know what you can learn from them.

LH: What do you and your friends talk about?

YG: Movies, about professors, class, school stuff, political stuff, the news, especially if American news is connected with China that would be a good conversation. I never talk about books because I haven't read a lot of American books so far.

My friends will talk with me about Jesus and religion. That is a deep conversation. What is life? If I don't know what I should do, I talk with friends. People always need to change about themselves and follow Jesus.

LH: That brings me to my next question. How has UC's focus on faith affected you?

YG: Most Chinese, we don't have any religion. This school since we have convocation and when we pray before a test, that makes me think of who is Jesus, what is Christian? It’s the beginning, I think. They have a very big influence on me, but I still doubt some things. I used to think I was a Christian like one year ago since all of my friends are very serious Christians. I still have some questions and doubts. It stopped me.

LH: Why did the doubt stop you?

YG: It's easy and complicated. All Christians think that God makes people. That is something that I don’t get because in my life when we learn something in biology class we learned people originated from monkeys. They say God made everything like mountains, oceans and everything natural. We think nature is because of evolution. That is a big question and doubt for me. That is the point that stopped me from being a Christian.

LH: What is your main goal in life? What do you hope to achieve?

YG: I really care about career. People always think we should care about family and never worry about that part. I have a very sweet family. I’ve never really had family issues. I don’t have any trouble with friends or family. I need to chase after the career now because I didn’t do a very good job on that so far. The other part I think I already do very well so I’m not worried about it.

LH: You're a business major and communications minor, but you like journalism too. Do you want to pursue that?

YG: If I went to a Chinese university, I will learn that or at least put it as my minor. I’m really good at writing in Chinese.

I used to write for a magazine when I was younger. It was a big deal in my hometown. I became kind of famous after my article was published in a very big magazine. Even though there's few people who read your article, your name is out there. That is one thing that I'm really proud of myself in my whole life, so far.

LH: What do you want to do after college? Will you stay in America, go back to China, or get your Master’s degree?

YG: I have to get my master's degree because if I graduated from here and when I look for a job in China they won't know University of the Cumberlands. It’s not a famous university and they will not hire me. [In America] for internationals, they really care about what university you graduated from because they don't know your background. This is the only background you have.

LH: What kind of career do you want to chase after?

YG: I really want to be a reporter. It’s my dream, but I’m not sure that it can come true. I can study business. Maybe business will connect with news or I can work for a famous company.

I don’t know how to start to be a reporter, especially in America because the background is so different. For now in my young age, I think business will be better. I will be better at business than journalism. Maybe when I get older, when I can speak English just like an American, I will start to do journalism. I try to have a different job, a different dream to make life more interesting because you never know when something will change your life.

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Yu Guo’s (Lily’s) life as an international student in a small town

Yu Guo (better known by her chosen American name, Lily) opens her door sleepily. Her face looks shocked as she remembers that she’s being interviewed today. She just woke up from a nap like most college students do in the afternoon after a busy school day. She is welcoming as always, sits on the unmade bed and begins discussing her life.

Originally from Fengcheng, Jiangxi, China, Lily came to University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, when she was 17 and has been away from home for two years. She was astonished at the thought of a small town of 6,000 people in Kentucky because to her, her hometown of one million people is small.

“It is very different from China because in China I only went to the countryside like maybe five times in my whole life,” said Lily. “I lived in the city every day so [Kentucky’s] very different from the place I grew up. In China, we have the one kid policy. We have one kid in our family that is why we are closer to our friends since we all don’t have brothers or sisters.”

Lily, a sophomore business major and communication minor at UC, can most always be seen with a smile on her face. She loves to laugh and is the life of the party according to her friend, Allie Washing, a senior psychology major at UC. Even though life is sometimes boring in a small town, she enjoys hiking, reading Chinese poetry and other books, writing, watching movies, hanging out with her friends in Lexington or Knoxville, or just talking in the dorm room.

“Every night, she would come in my room and we would have the longest talks and I just loved that,” said Washing. “We just really connected and got really close through our conversations.”

Lily and Washing’s conversations started over a simple question about games that kids play in China. Washing is a part of UC’s International Student Ministries, a group for international and American students to interact at different events and build friendships. ISM were planning a game night for the international students. Washing asked Lily about Chinese games that they could play and from then on they were friends.

“I think Americans should be curious,” said Lily. “They need to be curious about other countries. A lot of students just don’t care. At least you’re curious, interested, and you start to ask questions. I’m pretty sure internationals are waiting to answer those questions. It’s a very good start to a conversation.”

After the first conversation about Chinese games, Lily talked to Washing even more about her culture.

Coming from a city of one million, Lily is used to walking most everywhere and encountering people in the city who don’t smile. She experienced culture shock when people in the South would smile at her, even if they didn’t know her.

“Environment is a little different,” said Lily. “No, it's not a little. It’s a big difference. In the city people are super busy and they don't care what you do. Here, people are nicer than people in China. They make me feel happy. In China, people are too busy and too stressed every day. I really like American culture. Americans are funnier. Asians are more serious because there are just too many people in Asian countries. They have strong competition there. That makes life a lot harder.”

Lily’s friend, Yuko Baba, a business administration major at UC from Saitama, Japan, understands her experience. They met each other for the first time in the Knoxville airport when they were travelling to UC. They bonded over both being international students, taking English as a second language class together, and just hanging out and getting to know each other. They study together and encourage each other as they go through the struggles and joys of college.

“She’s really thoughtful and kind,” said Baba. “She’s open to people which makes it easier to talk to her. She gave me a letter on my birthday and the content of the letter was so thoughtful. It was touching to me.”

                                                                    Photo provided by Lily
Left to right and top to bottom: Brandi Bray, Lily,
Allie Washing, Jasmine Newport, Rebekah Henderson, Kaylee Crawford,
Sydney Freeman, Ashley Smith, and Haylie Turner.
in the Gatliff Chapel for Spotlight (UC's singing competition)
in spring 2014.

Lily’s friendships are important to her. Her friendship and thoughtfulness has influenced her friends’ lives as they have influenced her life here at UC. She didn’t have any religion in China, but here she’s surrounded with the Christian faith at UC.

“Since [at this school] we have convocation and we pray before a test, that makes me think of who is Jesus, what is Christianity?” said Lily. “My friends are a very big influence on me, but I still doubt some things. I still have some questions and doubt. All Christians say God made everything like mountains, oceans and everything natural. We think nature is because of evolution. That is the point that stopped me from being a Christian.”

Even through the differences, Lily’s friends at UC have helped her to transition well. When she first came here, she struggled with the informal English language because she had only learned formal English.

A struggle that most college students deal with is homesickness. Lily hasn’t been home for two years so homesickness is even worse for her. 

“[I miss] my parents,” said Lily. “That’s all. I’m the person that can really handle the food. It’s not a big deal for me. I miss my family that’s all. Family and friends are very, very important to me. I wish I could stay with them and hang out with them.”

Although, she still misses her family and friends from home. She has found a family in her friends at UC.

“She’s really brave and courageous for coming over to this country,” said Allie Washing. “She inspires me so much. We need people in our lives. I think, she really feels somewhat at home when she’s able to go to one of her friend’s home rather than just staying at school. She knows she has family in America too because of her friends.”

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