Reflection

It took a while for Daniel to begin to thrive in America. At first, moving to a foreign country was extremely intimidating. The hardest part of this transition for him was learning a new subject at an advanced level in a foreign language. Daniel had grown up being taught sporadic English during his primary education, but before Northeastern, Daniel had only learned English enough to pass the TOFEL, and there were many complicated college words he hadn't been taught yet.

Daniel also struggled at first with the isolation he felt from his family and friends. Under the academic pressure Daniel was under, he did not have any support system that could physically comfort him in the moment. He was always independent, but feeling like an outcast in a foreign country alone definitely took a toll on his emotions.

However, Daniel does not regret any of the decisions he made. For him, the benefits outweighed the hardships. He pushed through the difficulties of a new environment. When first coming to America, Daniel had to study so much more than others because it inevitably took him longer to understand English content than his classmates. Countless hours in the library and extra help with professors guided him to exceptional grades. To deal with the absence of a family and friends, Daniel joined clubs and cultural groups through Northeastern.

Reflecting on his past, Daniel realizes now that if you work hard and don't stop pursuing excellence, doors of opportunity will always open. Sometimes taking risks is necessary for dreams to come true. His experiences have taught him to go with the flow and accept reality.