Vanessa Petroj came to Ole Miss through an exchange program in her home country Serbia. She arrived in Oxford right before school started in August. Although she came here not knowing a single person, Vanessa has made many friends along the way. She came to The United States to learn more about the American culture and improve her English skills.
Vanessa is a linguistics major and is fluent in three languages and is currently learning her fourth. While Serbian is her native language, she has enjoyed learning English the most. Adjusting to life in the United States was not that difficult for Vanessa. She says the hardest part for her was not knowing anybody when she first got here. Speaking constant English was not a problem for Vanessa because she has classes in English back home. One thing she is still adjusting to is air conditioning. She says back home, the Serbian people keep their houses and buildings about the same temperature it is outside. In America, when it's hot outside, we keep our air conditioners on full blast, and the change from the hot outside to cold inside gives her headaches.
Vanessa lives in Guess Hall with another exchange student from Spain. She is required to have twenty hours of community service for her exchange program. She helped out with the Oxford Film Festival and has been involved in various activities on campus. She will be returning home to Serbia on May 9th, but has plans to return to the United States in the next couple of years.
No comments:
Post a Comment