International Studies Major | University of San Francisco

Leann G | University of San Francisco | College Advice Series

Q&A: International Studies Major – Leann G (2:32)

“I’m a freshman here at USF. My major is international studies. I chose it because I wanted to make a big difference in today’s world.”

Why College

College is an experience all on its own. You get to meet a lot of great people here, different personalities coming from diverse cultures. I love college as a first-year because you’re just figuring out what you want to do. Sometimes you don’t really know yet, but you’ll figure it out. You just have to put yourself out there. And you may have ups and downs, some bad days, some good days, but it all works out.

What I Love About College

My favorite part about college is just hanging out with friends, I guess. Also going and exploring the city a lot. There’s a lot of things to do. I would say explore as much as you can.

Challenges

Being away from home, getting accustomed to just living on your own and just being okay with it– I’m very close to my mom, so it’s hard not to say, “Hey, I’m going to go home on weekends.”

Overcoming Homesickness

Bring something of significance from home for you. So I brought my teddy bear. Even though I’m in college, I still brought my teddy bear. It smells like home sometimes. I have pictures of my friends and family on my wall. Make it your home away from home.

Preparing for College

One thing I did to prepare for college was I was a dual-enrollment student, so I took a college class while being in high school. If that’s not accessible to you, I would say take an AP course of some sort, because you do get credit for that. It puts you ahead of the game and you won’t really struggle to find credits when you’re looking for them.

Freshman Survival Tips

First year, you’re just figuring out everything, so I’d say explore different avenues. Just be spontaneous. Because throughout the year when you’re studying and going to class, you won’t have as much time as you would have before, so be spontaneous. Study hard. Work hard. Don’t let go of your dreams.