​International Empathy

Aditya Gutpa 

Aditya Gutpa is an 18 year old freshman. He is currently pursuing a B.S. in Computer and Information Technology. He is your average student. He goes to class, studies, and hangs out with his friends. There is one thing, however, that makes Aditya stand out from the normal student. He is an international student. Aditya is from New Delhi, India. Coming to Purdue was a big change for him as he had never been to the United States until the beginning of this school year. We sat down with Aditya to ask him questions about his experience. 

 

• Home Country:

  New Delhi, India

• Native Language:

  ​Hindi

• Other Languages spoken:

  English

• Major:

  Computer and Information Technology

• Living Arrangements:

  First Street Tower Dorms

• Is this your first time in America?

  Yes.

• What made you choose to come to school in America?

  I came here because Purdue is a good university, it has excellent career opportunities, and good courses.

• What was your home life like compared to what you've seen to life in America?

  We have less freedom and more restrictions back home. Here, you have the liberty to do whatever you want.

• What was the hardest part of leaving home?

  The hardest part was leaving behind all my friends and family.

• What has been the biggest shock to you in this transition to college in America?

  The weird thing is that I heard that people in the United States don't care about others or what they do. They aren't interested in others, but here they are actually really friendly and welcoming and it was not what I expected.

• How do you think the experience of going to college is affected by attending university in a new country?

  It has good and bad impacts.College in India isn't as strict and advanced. Here, I will get a better education. The bad thing is that I can't see my friends and family as much and that would release my stress and help me feel more at home. The main problem is that the students from here can visit home. I can only visit home only once a year.

• Give us your definition of empathy.

  My definition of empathy is when someone shows concern for you and if they find you in a difficult position they will try and help you.

• What is your view of empathy at Purdue.

  Empathy at Purdue is really good because the students and professors are really helpful and guide you all the time. The students help too. My one American friend took me shopping and showed me what to buy for a college dorm room.

• What programs have helped you transition into college?

  Boiler Gold Rush helped. The programs like Freezone helped teach us to accept differences and work in groups and stuff like that.

• What programs have helped you transition specifically to America?

  Boiler Gold Rush. I didn't attend Boiler Gold Rush international.

• What do you wish Americans understood about your perception of things?

  One of the things I wish they understood is that I come from a different country. We do speak English but with a different accent and it's good to correct us when we are wrong, but not all the time.

• When you were making your decision to come to America, where did you see yourself after graduation?

  I see myself using my degree in my field and taking the knowledge I learn here and bringing it back to India so I can establish a technology company because in India, we are still five years behind the United States in terms of technology and I want to improve that.

• How often will you get to go back home?

  I will only get to go back twice a year.

• Has meeting people with a similar culture and background helped with the transition? Has been it helped with being away from home?

  It has helped a lot when you meet your own people because you can share your own experiences. India is a big country and there are a lot of regions and I don't know about all of them. Meeting them helps me learn about those parts. We share some common festivals and celebrations that we can celebrate together which helps being away from home when I can't celebrate with my own family and friends.

• Is it easier to make friends with people of you own culture than it is to make friends with Americans?

  There is not much difference because we are all in college and everyone wants to meet everyone. It's actually better to branch out and meet people of other cultures.

• Do you think you will stay in America after gradation?

  I want to go back to India to start a technology company. After that, I am not sure.

• What was your view of America before you came? Americans?

  I saw America as the land of opportunity. However, I thought the people didn't really care about you and what you did.

• How did your view change since getting here?

  My view changed considerably because I found that people here actually care about getting to know me and actually are interested in what I am doing.

 

 

 

Aditya has had a new experience being in America. He came here with a preconception of America and the people who create it.His thoughts quickly change once he got settled in and started to experience America and its people. Aditya thought Purdue as a whole had great empathy. This is something that we are aiming for. As Purdue has a large population of international students, the way the other students and professors empathize with them will have a huge impact on their college experience. For Aditya, so far that experience has be great.