First Impressions: Interview with Augustas and Maxim

We asked roommates Augustas and Maxim to respond to several questions in order to give us some insight to their experience as we conclude the first week of the program:

1. On your first day, you guys did a scavenger hunt in Portland. What were your first impressions of the city? Are there any interesting similarities or differences from your home country?

Augustas: The first thing that stuck me the most were the buildings of the colonial red brick architectural style, as they were so different from the ones that I was used to see in my home country. And then during the scavenger hunt we got to meet many local people. Surprisingly enough, everyone gave as a warm welcome and kindly helped us with whatever concerns we had. It blew my mind! I could not imagine people being so nice to a bunch of some high school kids from foreign countries asking for guidance. This is definitely something one could not see in my home country - people are much more conservative and not as cooperative there.

Maxim: The city seemed very interesting to me. The amount of friendly and open people is what I have noticed the most. This immediately made me feel comfortable and more open. In contrast, going up to people in Estonia will at best make them think you are a creep with some serious problems that they should stay away from.

2. Tell us a little bit about your experiences in class. What have you been doing and discussing?

Augustas: Classes have been going great so far. We got introduced to our instructors at first, who are communicative and easy-going, but also keep it professional at the same time. We were told more about the program curriculum, important concepts and what we are going to do throughout the three weeks. Then we had a few meetings with entrepreneurs and startup owners, who shared their wins and loses from their careers in businesses. These meetings appealed to me the most, as they helped to resolve some pre-existing misconceptions of having a business and also stuffed us with a plethora of new invaluable information.

Maxim: The classes are nothing like in school.I have never had a full day of learning fly past so fast as it happens here. It is a unique learning experience that i would recommend to everyone. You don’t see your teachers as “teachers”. You see them as someone closer and simpler, which results in being much more effective.

3. What has it been like to get to know the other students and staff?

Augustas: It wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be. I had this erroneous assumption that we are going to have difficulty getting to know each other because of the different languages and cultures we have. As it turned out, it was so easy to find similarities in the cultures and histories of our countries that starting a conversation with anyone was like a piece of cake. The program leaders have also been very friendly and helpful from the first day on and their competence sense of understanding has made us feel very comfortable that we are going to be taken care of.

Maxim: Sharing your culture and lifestyle was very exciting. These talks can go on forever, as you have your whole life to share. Students turned from being awkward to becoming close friends. This is an out of this world experience. You realise, that the people, chosen to participate in the program, were chosen for a reason. Every single one of them brings something to the table, every single one is different.

4. How is life on campus? What is life like in the dorm, and what do the students like to do in their free time?

Augustas: Life on campus was something I was looking forward to before the trip and it turned out to be remarkably good. It seems to be a little bit hard to do everything by yourself at first, but then you get used to it. On top of that, every program participant living in the dorms shares that sense of belonging, which makes the atmosphere in here an unmistakably pleasant one. And there are so much different things you can do in the free time: go for a walk next to the seaside or around the SMCC campus, go for a swim in the ocean, hit the gym, play volleyball or just chit-chat with someone in the sandy beach.

Maxim: Life on campus is something i have never experienced before. Cut short - it is great. Life in the dorm is like moving into a new city. You get to know people more and more every single day, which just makes your life on campus interesting and different at all times. It is cool to see everyone being active in their freetime. The gym is full of baltic iron freaks, while the new upcoming stars of volleyball are training out there on the baseball field. Some groups are taking walks on the beach, while others are polishing their super smashes in ping pong. Mesmerizing.

5. What has your experience been like in the dining hall? Do you have any fun or strange observations to share with us?

Augustas: What I can tell for sure is that the food culture in the US is very much different from what we have in the Baltics. For example, some of the meals are either very sugary or salty. On the other hand, we also got to try lots of new dishes too. From tofus and tacos to bagels and brownies, the list just keeps counting, not even mentioning the fact that we get to choose from around 15 different beverages everytime we eat.

Maxim: I like the dining hall and the food there. Mostly. The amount of sugar and sweetness in food keeps me full throughout the day. A single french toast can cover your daily caloric requirement. Having the choice of 15 soft drink available 24/7 is not something you encounter in your everyday life. Plus the ice cream. Plus the bagels. Plus the muffins. The list just doesn’t end.