OUR TIMES

Chapter 1

20 August 2022

This is my first time ever as a college student. I am so excited now. Today is my first orientation day here at Columbia University, New York. Orientation day will be held for three days. I am excited plus scared, and very nervous about today. Because I came from a long way, I am an Indonesian. My home is across the world. I am all alone here. Being alone here makes me feel about home a little bit, makes me feel so grateful because I can study in New York somehow. I check one of my life milestone today.

From child I always wanted to study abroad. I always dreamed about it, I want to learn other culture, see different perspective, gain more experience in different country. But my parents can't afford it. I am the oldest child in my family, below me there is my brother Erga. After Erga, there is Erna and Erni my twin sisters. So the burden is on me to help my family. Success is a must!!!

My parents isn't one of the rich family. Our economic were not good, and we were barely holding out. It was tough and rough to talk about it, but that is the truth. I'm not gonna write about that here. It brings hard memory.

That is why if I somehow get accepted abroad, study hard and graduate from Columbia, then got a better job in New York, make a fine living in here. I'll be able to help my family, my parents, my brother and sisters. We will have a better life. In the process I will also be able to realize my dream.

I got my chance and God give me a way. Originally I planned to study in Singapore, in NUS university.

I apllied for their scholarship program. I studied and prepared so hard for that program...

They don't accept me. At that moment, all of my hope was almost done.

Until one of my best friend Davin opened a path for me. When I tried to enter NUS which open registration earlier than most university abroad, Davin tried to applied for Columbia University in New York, and same with me he got rejected. However both NSU and Columbia opened a second registration. That means we have a second chance.

Davin and I are a childhood friend. Well back in the days we had the same dream, even until now. To study abroad.

Lucky for us we both are a rock headed person. Persistent is one of our good trait, which we gratefully thanking it now. So we signed up for the second registration. But we flip it I tried Columbia, Davin tried NSU. I knew it is silly but we already think it through, back in the days. You just have to trust me.

When the announcement day arrived we got switched.

NSU accepted Davin, Columbia accepted me. If you ask me now, how can it be happened? Believe me until now I still can't answered it. It was a blessing and a miracle for us. That's all I believe. Sure there is the hard work and grit to achieved it but I'm just grateful about it. If you ask Davin his answer probably something about being lucky, Fortune Goddess is between us.

Davin and I still contacted each other a few times after we got accepted but yeah lately we've been busy with our own university life. Maybe I will contacted him again later when we both have spare time.

In Columbia I got a scholarship but it was not a full scholarship like in NSU. Columbia scholarship program, mixed a scholarship and student loan. Basically the silver lining is for the first year, first and second semester is full scholarship, but the rest of the semester. Only student loan and it only paid the school cost.