Experience the Washington State Fair in Puyallup: A Fun Guide for International Students

Hey Lutes! The Washington State Fair in Puyallup is one of the biggest fairs in the U.S., and it offers a fantastic opportunity for international students at PLU to experience local culture, enjoy thrilling rides, and discover new events. Whether new to the area or looking for a fun fall activity, this guide will help you make the most of your visit.

Fair Schedule

Mark your calendars for the Spring Fair in 2024, which will take place over two weekends: April 11–14 and April 18–21. This is a fantastic event to enjoy all your favorite fair activities like thrilling rides, adorable farm animals, and, of course, the signature fair food. It’s open most days, but hours may vary, so check the schedule on the fair’s website for specific opening and closing times. Be sure to plan your trip in advance, so you don’t miss any of the exciting events!

My experience in Boston Career Forum 2023!

Hey guys! This is Rei, it has been chilly and foggy these days but I hope you are all staying healthy and enjoying the crisp air. In today's blog, I would like to share my experiences in Boston which I went last week for one of the biggest job career events for Japanese-English bilinguals that are looking for their post graduation positions. 

Exterior of Hynes Convention Center 

The Boston Career Forum, also knows as "Boscari," is a job seeking event held in Boston, for three days in November each year, and it was held in Hynes Convention Center this year! In fact, it is a large-scale career event with over 5,500 students participating each year from all over the world. With over 170 companies from around the world are expected to participate, positions available range from full-time to internships, entry-level to management level for working professionals. 

The biggest difference from a regular company information session is that you can get a job offer from a well-known company during the event. At Boscari, you will not only hear about the companies at their booths, but you will also have the opportunity to interview with them on the spot. If you successfully appeal to them, you may even receive a job offer during the event. Some companies invite their preferred students to dinner on the night of the event, and some say that if a student is invited to dinner by a company, he or she will almost receive a job offer from them. 

After three days of this year's Boscari 2023, I was able to receive full-time offers from two companies! This is a kind of special and exclusive event for Japanese-English bilinguals, but I am sure that there are other events similar to this one. To give you some ideas of one way to find a job, I would like to share a little bit about my three days in Boston! 

Day 0: Thursday, November 16th - Arrival at Boston 

Most students arrive in Boston the day before the event to prepare for the day. I was one of them, and I checked into my hotel and prepared for my interviews the following days. A few students have already been invited to dinner by the companies and the event has already started one step ahead of other students. 

Booths in the venue

Day 1: Friday, November 17th - The day that differentiates the results of the three days

Day 1 is probably the most crowded day of the three-day event. This is possibly due to the fact that two types of students, pre-applications and walk-ins, gather on the first day of the event. Pre-applicants submit resumes, documents, tests, etc. to companies about 2-3 months prior to these three days, and have first- and second-round interviews online in advance. Whereas walk-in students submit their resumes and other documents to company booths on the day of the event and wait for responses from the companies. The quickness of the responses from the company depends on the company. Some students will be contacted by the end of the day, while others will be contacted after the event. Popular companies may close their booths as soon as they receive a certain number of walk-ins, so for walk-in students, the first day is extremely important as it determines whether or not they will receive an offer. I, myself, had applied to several companies in advance, so the first day was the form of second and final interviews throughout the day. I received a phone call that evening from one of the companies where I had a final interview, informing me of the job offer!

Food I had at dinner!

Day 2: Saturday, November 18th - Continued Interviews Day 

It is one of those memorable days that I will never forget! In the morning, I had a final interview with my first-choice company. I remember my hands were shaking a little from nerves. The interview went well and I received an offer from the company by phone, a few minutes after the interview! I was actually invited by the company over the phone to dinner that night, along with an offer. The dinner with the company associates was really good and fun! The steak shown in the photo on the right was excellent, and it was great to chat with the associates in a casual setting. One of the unique features of the Boston Career Forum may be this opportunity to enjoy a meal with a company at Boston! After dinner, I reunited with friends who are also studying at universities abroad and we chatted about job applications and everyday life. It was a valuable opportunity to reconnect with students who are also studying abroad around the world, and even to meet new people! 

View of the Boston

Day 3: Sunday, November 19th - Last day of the event!

On the third and final day of the event, there will be fewer students and the corporate booths will be taken down around noon. Some students come to the venue for interviews with companies that are still in the hiring process, or for casual meeting and greetings after passing interviews. I visited the companies' booths that had made offers to me to greet them and to thank them for their offers. After that, I explored the city of Boston until my flight back to Tacoma. After arriving in Boston, my mind was occupied with interviews, but walking around the city after all things done, I was able to enjoy the historical buildings, autumn leaves, and fashionable streetscapes that are a part of Boston. After exploring Boston, I took an afternoon flight back to Tacoma! Looking back before this event, since I had been preparing for this event for about three months and had been working hard with weekly interviews, regular classes, and work, I remember feeling a sense of accomplishment and relief when I returned to my apartment in Tacoma.

This concludes my three-day Boston Career Forum 2023 experience! My biggest takeaway from this event was that "advance preparation and pre-event application leads to a better end result." I actually participated in last year's Boston Career Forum 2022, but did not receive any offers, as I applied on a walk-in basis for all of the companies I applied. I feel that the key to the success of this year's Boscari was that I had started preparing early, taking advantage of that last year's lesson. I think this applies not only to Boscari applicants, but to all students looking for positions after graduation. Choosing a company and finding a position will greatly affect your future. I know that we are all busy with our college life, but it might be a good idea to think a little bit about what you want to do in the future and where you want to work when you have a little time. 

I hope this experience will be of some help! I know that it is time for important assignments such as finals and presentations, but take a break from time to time and keep up the good work! Go Lutes! 

-Rei 

Wanna experience the nature here in Washington?

Hi everyone, it's Rei - long time no see! As we are now halfway through September, I hope everyone is settling into their new environment. We also had over 60 new international students join PLU this fall!! As many of them set foot in here Tacoma, Washington for the first time, they may be surprised at the culture shock they experience with their home country. With the goal of hoping these new international students feel the charm of Tacoma, today I would like to share some hiking spot where you can feel the "nature" of Washington state with your whole body!

What is Mount Rainier?

You may know it as Mount Rainier (Mt. Rainier), this huge mountain, clearly visible from the PLU campus on a clear day. Mt. Rainier is the highest peak in the Cascade Range, which divides Washington State from east to west. At 14,410 feet (4,392 meters), it is the 21st highest peak in the world. AND! The surrounding Mt. Rainier National Park is the fifth oldest national park in the United States! They also have "Free-Free Days" which you can enter the mountain for free, and it usually cost $15 per person. The upcoming one is on September 23rd (Sat) for National Public Lands Day. If you are planning to visit there, definitely mark the date! Please visit their official website for more information! 

Other options to hike!

Are you worried that Mount Rainier looks too far from the school or too high in altitude for beginners? No worries! I have some recommendations to visit for those of who wants to just experience the hiking more easily! 

1. Snoqualmie Falls

Snoqualmie Falls is one of the most popular scenic spots in Washington State. More than 1.5 million tourists visit the falls each year. The Falls has a two-acre park, gift store, observation deck, Salish Lodge, and the famous 270-foot waterfall. The upper and lower observation decks are open year round! Free parking and free viewing areas are open dawn to dusk. Leashed pets are welcome, and lights illuminate the falls at night. The distance from the free parking area to the observation deck is approximately 200 feet and is wheelchair accessible. 

This is one of the places I have visited! You can drive close to the falls and there is not that much distance to walk. I would recommend this place to those who do not want to walk that much distance but still want to experience nature! 

Link to their official website: https://www.snoqualmiefalls.com/

2. Poo Poo Point Trail

Poo Poo Point Trail is one of my favorite hiking spot! It is in Tiger Mountain State Forest Park, located on Cougar Mountain. The trail is elevated with great views of Mount Rainer, especially at sunset! This point is a popular landing spot for paragliders (just like a picture on the right!) and hang gliders. It is also a great picnic spot with plenty of picnic tables! The trail begins with a gentle incline, but gets a little steeper the further in you go. I remember that there is a nice bridge across Gap Creek that provides a good place to walk and rest, so this is a best spot for those of who want to enjoy the hike but needs a rest occasionally. Also, as the weather gets colder, the colors of the trees will change to yellow and red. The beautiful scenery that varies from season to season is one of the charms of hiking at this time of year! 

Link to Poo Poo Point Trail official website: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/poo-poo-point

Options for those of you who don't own a car!

The above places are for those who own a car or have a friend close by who has a car, as it is difficult to get there without a way of transportation. So how can you hike in Washington without a car? In PLU, an event organization called PLU Outdoor Rec regularly organizes hikes and other events that allow students to be intertwined within the trees. One of the biggest upcoming events is the Mount Rainier Sunset Hike on October 6th at 3pm. Unfortunately, the event is filled to capacity right now, but you can still apply on the wait list! With such a wide variety of quite popular events, be sure to check the PLU Rec app and this IMLeagues website for more upcoming activities! It is also a great opportunity to meet new friends! 

Although I was only able to introduce a few place this time, there are more and more spots you can visit and I am still exploring new spots as well. I hope that through this vlog, you will become interested in hiking in Washington state! I know that studying for exams or classes and everyday life can often be stressful, but feeling the breeze of nature is always relaxing and it makes you feel better. If you have time in the future, try to go hiking on the weekends! And I hope that all of you will be one with nature! 

-Rei 

Some Ideas for Spring Break!

Hey Everyone, it's Rei! 

It's already March, which means spring is on the way! Even in Parkland, we have been experiencing warm and cold, sunny and rainy days lately, and I can feel the change of seasons. I am kind of burning out from last week's midterm, but one thing that has been keeping me motivated is the spring break that is coming next weekend! Since the break is just around the corner, I would like to introduce some places for those of you who have not yet decided your plans or want to go somewhere! 

1. Vancouver, Canada

The first place I would recommend is Vancouver! I myself visited this city for the first time with my friend last spring break and loved it so much that it is our destination for this year's spring break as well. The best thing about Vancouver in my opinion is the urban landscape, similar to Seattle, lots of art galleries, and tons of amazing food places! Vancouver's neighborhoods are city-like and similar in some ways to Seattle, but seem more compact and easier to explore than Seattle. In addition, the numerous museums, such as the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Contemporary Art Gallery, offer much to learn and are must-see for art lovers! And there is plenty of good

Inari place @Grab N Go 

 food there. One of the traditional Canadian dishes you should try is called poutine, which is a combination of french fries and gravy, and it tastes different in each store! Vancouver is a land border with the U.S. and is a close, approximately 3-hour drive from PLU, but Canada is a completely different country from the U.S. Of course a passport is required for immigration inspection. One thing to keep in mind when traveling to other countries as an international student is the Visa process. Depending on the person traveling outside the U.S. on the I-20, a new travel signature may need to be requested. Forms must be completed by March 20th (tomorrow!) so that the I-20 can be returned before spring break. There are a number of Visa-related procedures involved in traveling to a different country, but I would 100% recommend that you do so, as it will definitely make your trip enjoyable and rewarding! 

2. Leavenworth, Washington

With its picturesque scenery and lovely German Bavarian-style buildings, Leavenworth is the gateway to Bavaria in the Cascades, a 2.5 hour drive from PLU. The city offers more than 100 unique stores and restaurants, cozy lodging, art and live music, and a host of award-winning events. Leavenworth is famous for its snowy winter views and Christmas lights, but you can also enjoy a different, warmer, atmosphere in the spring! I have not been there yet, but many of my friends have said it was a great place, and it's definitely on my bucket list to visit someday! 

3. Portland, Oregon

Spring break could be a good opportunity to get out to a different state! As you know, Oregon is only 2.5 hour drive from PLU and is neighboring states to Washington. Like Seattle, it remains a bustling metropolis, but it is noticeably less hectic and very easy to get around by car and bus. The best thing about Oregon is that it is a tax free state, making it great place to shop. Besides that, there are a variety of hiking spots and natural environment that are perfect for a few days of travel during spring break! 

4. Redwood National and State Parks (in CA) with Outdoor Recreation

Did you know that PLU's Outdoor Rec is planning a trip to California for Spring break? Outdoor Rec is PLU's wilderness adventure club. They lead trips each weekend to scenic places around the Pacific Northwest, rent gear out to the PLU community, and provide the resources necessary for any adventure! This year, they are traveling to Redwood National and State Parks (with lots of fun outdoor and CA activities along the way) for spring break (the trip will be from 3/25 to 3/30). The cost ($280) covers your transportation, food, park fees, accommodations, and any necessary outdoor recreation rentals (tent, sleeping bag, etc.). They are welcoming any Lute, of any outdoor experience level, to join them! Sign up can be done through the PLU Rec app or website. I recommend you do so as soon as possible as there is a limited number of spots available. If you have any questions or concerns, please send them their way via the outdoor@plu.edu email. 

These are just a few of the places I know of, and there are probably many more where you can go on break. You can stay in your dorm and relax, or you can finish all the things you have left to do at once. I hope you will be able to enjoy your 10 days of spring break as much as you like. And after the break, we will grind for the studying and living our daily life as usual again! 

-Rei 

"Embracing the American Dream: My Journey as a Business Student at Pacific Lutheran University"

 Hello everyone - it's Blen, welcome to my blog!

When I first arrived in the United States as Freshman student at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), I was filled with excitement and anxiety. Growing up in Ethiopia, I had always dreamed of studying business in America and pursuing my passions on a global scale. However, I was also faced with a new set of challenges and cultural differences that I wasn't fully prepared for. 

One of the biggest adjustments I had to make was the fast-paced lifestyle at PLU. Classes were more demanding, and I was expected to take a more proactive role in my education. But despite these challenges, I quickly discovered that PLU was a place where incredibly supportive, and I was able to connect with a diverse group of classmates from all over the world. 

Another significant change for me was the American approach to education. In Ethiopia, I was used to a more lecture-based style of learning, but at PLU, I was encouraged to participate in group discussions and presentations. This allowed me to develop my communication and leadership skills, and I was able to contribute to class discussions in a meaningful way. 

Outside of the classroom, PLU offered numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth. I joined the Business Club and was able to attend networking events and workshops that helped me develop skills and connect with industry professionals. I was also able to participate in various community service projects that allowed me to give back to the local community and make a positive impact. Living in the US has also given me the opportunity to explore my personal interests and hobbies. I have been able to attend concerts, sporting events, and try new foods that I wouldn't have had access to in Ethiopia. I have also been able to travel to different cities and states, which has allowed me to gain a better understanding of the country and its diverse cultures. 

Overall, my experience at PLU has been nothing short of amazing. I have grown both academically and personally, and I have made connections and memories that will last a lifetime. I am proud to be a student at PLU and grateful for the opportunities that I have been given. 

In conclusion, coming to the United States and studying at PLU has been an incredible journey. It has challenged me in ways I never thought possible, but it has also allowed me to grow and develop in ways that I never could have imagined. I am excited to see what the future holds and can't wait to see where my journey at PLU will take me next. 

 

-Blen

My trip to Hawaii!

 Hi guys, it's Silje - long time no write! 

In the spirit of school starting back up again, I figured it was the perfect time to talk about what I did this summer, just to hold on to summer for a little while longer. 

For most of the summer, I worked as a commercial Mortgage Loan Intern for a financial company in Bellevue - it was exciting to enter into the corporate world and build connections with business leaders to expand my network! If you can get an internship during your time here at PLU, I totally recommend you do so, no matter what you're studying. But, moving on to the fun part - my vacation. During the COVID pandemic, I wasn't really able to travel anywhere except for back and forth between Norway and the US for holidays like Christmas. So, I was really ecstatic to find out that my boyfriend and I were going to Hawaii! I had never been before, and our trip was booked to go to Kona, Big Island for 8 days! 

Horseback riding in Hilo, Big Island (The brown one in the
back was Kiwi, and she's the one who kicked me off. She
freaked out when a group of motorcycles rode by us.)

Our trip was full of adventure, and we were out and about almost every single day. We went to the farmers market and tried some fruit I never even knew existed (ice cream banana and strawberry papaya to mention a couple), went horseback riding on the other side of the island (and got kicked off the back of the horse), snorkeling (saw hundreds of Dory's), hiked up an active volcano (really hot over there), hiked to a waterfall (really hot over there too) and saw lots of beautiful sunsets by the pool. 

Hike (more like just walking up stairs actually) to the waterfall

  

One thing I noticed about Big Island was that there are a lot of lava rocks there - like, a lot. Big Island has 4  active volcanoes, and we visited Kīlauea which is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. On average, it erupts every two to three years, most recently a year ago (September 2021). What's even more interesting is that the different eruptions have caused the island to grow - just during the last eruption, it added one square mile of coastland - and this volcano alone has erupted more than 30 times in the last 60 years. That's a lot of extra coastlands. 

We definitely had a great time in Hawaii, and hope that sometime next year we'll be able to go explore another Hawaiian Island; Maui is on my bucket list. In the meantime, enjoy some photos of our trip! 

Until next time,

- Silje

Steam coming from the volcano 

The hiking trail up to the volcano 

Sunset view by the pool

No vacation without margaritas

Our view from the balcony (random lava rocks in the middle)

Beach day

My experience playing Lacrosse!

Hi all, Silje here! 

I haven't talked to you guys in a while! A lot has happened since Thanksgiving when I last wrote, including going home to Norway over Christmas, a hectic J-term, preparing at the office for our new international students that arrived in February and Spring semester. But, good news; spring semester also means lacrosse season! For those of you that might not know, I played lacrosse during my high school exchange year in Colorado and fell in love with the sport. The second I decided to go to PLU, I knew that I wanted to pick up my lacrosse stick again and play during my three years here. This is my second season with PLU and I am having such a great time with the team at practice and games. Since lacrosse season is, unfortunately, coming to an end in a couple weeks, I am gonna tell you a little bit about my experience with playing sports in college and I'm gonna include some sports and club sports that you can look into playing here at PLU as well! 

Headed to Idaho for a tournament against University
of Idaho and Portland State! (6+ hour road trip)

As I said earlier, I played lacrosse for the first time ever during my senior year of high school as an exchange student. They don't have lacrosse in Norway, so I think that is why I was so interested in trying it, and I am glad I did. I was terrified for my first practice last year because I hadn't played in so long but it went well! I remembered more than I thought I would and most of my skills came back rather quickly. Lacrosse practices are 4 times a week for 2 hours in the evening, and weekends are off unless we have a game. During our off-weekends, we sometimes do team bondings: before Christmas, we had a Christmas party together where we did Secret Santa, we have gotten together to watch other schools play and we also had a Halloween party! 

Idaho tournament

We have played multiple universities this season, including the University of Idaho and Montana State University. This means that we got to travel! Traveling with the team is really fun and you really get to know each other better on a 6-hour road trip + overnight stays in a hotel. At first, I was worried that participating in a sport would be really expensive because of the trips but we had fundraisers before the season where we worked at the Harry Styles Concert and the Seahawks football game (a lot of fun) so that we could raise money to cover our travel expenses for our games out of state. The season is coming to an end in about two weeks, but we still have three more games coming up that we are really excited for; one game in Portland, and two home games here at PLU - Wish us luck! 

After the game against Montana State University
(Notice the snow...)

At PLU, lacrosse is a club sport, which means that there are no official try-outs and a lot of the players might be brand new to the sport. There are also varsity sports teams at PLU, for example soccer or basketball, where they require you to have experience and where you need to try out before the coaches decide if you will make the team or not. If you aren't too familiar with sports, want to try out a completely new sport, or have something a little lower time commitment then a club sport is the way to go. Currently, the club sports at PLU are: Men's wrestling, women's wrestling, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse (highly recommend), men's rowing (women's rowing is a varsity sports team here), men's ultimate frisbee, and women's ultimate frisbee. 

In addition to club sports, PLU offers a variety of interest clubs for example business clubs, investing clubs, or even a Rubik's cube club. I always tell new students to look into the different sports and clubs and to join any that sounds interesting because it is a great way to meet new people and make friends with similar interests as you. 

Delayed at Bozeman Airport, Montana

I hope this sparked some interest in checking out the different clubs and maybe trying out a new sport or hobby! 

Until next time, 

~ Silje

Guest Blogger: Meet Tina from Norway!

Hi everyone! 

My name is Tina and I'm from Lørenskog, Norway. I study business with a concentration in management and HR here at PLU. Choosing the right school for your major isn't always easy and it definitely wasn’t for me. Some of the reasons why I chose PLU was because it is a small school and has small class sizes, amazing people as well as all the wonderful places that Washington state has to offer. I've always known that I wanted to study in the states, and PLU is ranked one of the best business schools in the Pacific North West. I noticed right away that our professors are very eager for us to succeed and do everything they can for us to learn both in and outside the classroom. They want to prepare us for the market in 10-20 years, not only what is happening in the world right now. The business curriculum is mostly designed around soft skills, meaning how we build insight inquiries, how we're able to connect the dots.

I had never been to Washington state before, so I was surprised to see how much it felt like home. The nature is very similar and there are lots of Scandinavian stores around the state! My school is located in Tacoma, which is only 30-40 minutes from both Seattle and Bellevue and only 3 hours from Canada. We have beautiful mountains here, like Mt. Rainier. Here you can go skiing, walk in gorgeous nature or walk around the national park. A little over 3 hours northeast is a small place called Leavenworth. This place is a Bavarian-styled village built in the Cascade mountains. On the west coast we have a well known beach called La Push, this is where several movies have been made but the most known one would be the Twilight movies. I've been to most of these places already, and they are all places I would love to show my family when they come to visit me! 

For me studying in the states has been amazing! I have gotten so many new friends from both all over the country and the world. I celebrated thanksgiving for the first time and that was so much fun! I went with one of my friends to their hometown in Nebraska and I got to experience a D1 football game for the first time and see a whole new and very different state! D
uring Christmas I got to see a good friend in New York, and during summer break I went home with one of the girls to her home in Hawaii. So the experiences and memories we create here are so much bigger than just the state your school is located in! PLU also has many Scandinavian students, the school is founded by Norwegian immigrants and we have some professors who speak Norwegian. This is always fun and it helps you stay connected to home. Some advice I would give to you who might think of coming to PLU, just do it! I'm so happy I did and so will you!

~ Tina

Thanksgiving Recap

 Hi everyone! 

Happy first week of December! This semester just flew by, didn't it? 

Maddie and I on Thanksgiving 

First week of December means that thanksgiving just ended, and finals are approaching really quickly. As a little break from thinking about finals, I wanted to give you guys a little recap of my thanksgiving break. 

This year, I was fortunate enough to be invited to my friend Maddie's home in Colorado, and celebrate thanksgiving with her and her family. I have known Maddie for about 4 years now, and seeing her family again is always a good time. We flew from Seattle to Denver, Colorado on Wednesday and the festivities began bright and early on Thursday! 

Our charcuterie board appetizer

We started the day by getting desserts, dinner and appetizers made. As most of you probably know already, thanksgiving is famous for turkey dinner with all the best side dishes; mashed potatoes, green-bean casserole, deviled eggs, gravy, bread rolls, corn, fruit salad and more! And we can of course not forget about the desserts; the famous pumpkin pie, apple pie, cherry pie, all kinds of pie really. For appetizers, me and Maddie put together a charcuterie board with all different kinds of cheese and meats, paired with crackers, veggies, fruits and dips. Yum! 

When Thanksgiving was over, we had another very important holiday coming up the following day; Black Friday! We all went shopping together at a couple different malls, and snatched a couple good deals. During the black-Friday craziness, we stopped for lunch to celebrate Maddie's grandma's 80th birthday before the shopping continued. On our last full day in Colorado I stopped by my host-family's house (I was an exchange student in high school in Colorado and lived with a host family) to say hi and catch up, before we celebrated Maddie's mom's birthday. The festivities ended on Saturday night, as we had to get up at 3AM on Sunday morning to catch our flight back to Seattle. 

Flying over Seattle with Mt. Rainier in the Distance

All in all, I had a great time celebrating thanksgiving and birthdays in Colorado (thanks for bringing me, Maddie!) and I appreciated getting a little breather from classes and assignments. It was a much needed energy-boost before finals week. And speaking of finals week; remember to sleep, hydrate, eat and take breaks between study sessions. No-one works efficiently when they are sleep-deprived, dehydrated and hungry. 

Good luck everyone!

    -Silje 

Meet Amandine - Our first guest blogger!

 Hi everyone, this is Silje! 

Long time, no see - Things have been super stressful with moving into a house off-campus, being a student leader at the New International Student Orientation and the beginning of classes (which are finally in-person again!). But, we are back on track to our regular blog schedule, and this week is our guest blogger week! This is a new concept that we are introducing to our blog, which will either feature interviews with the guest or a blog-takeover. 

Amandine at the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum

For our first guest blog, we have Amandine Barban (22), who came to PLU during our current semester, Fall of 2021, and is doing a semester exchange for her MBA program! Amandine is from the Auvergne region in France, which she describes as a beautiful, green region with a lot of volcanos (that are thankfully inactive), but she was born in Montpellier in the south of France. Amandine is a student at NEOMA Business School in Rouen, which is located in the north of France, and we are really excited that she is spending a semester of her education here with us at PLU! I asked Amandine a few questions about what she has experienced during her first 3 weeks in Washington. 

You came to PLU for fall semester 2021. Why did you want to do an exchange year from France, and what made you choose PLU as opposed to other colleges in the US?
    I had already had the awesome opportunity to do an exchange program six years ago in Ontario, Canada for 3 months, from which I have met wonderful people and made several great memories. I really wanted to re-live an international experience because I love to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone! I think it is a very fulfilling and enriching experience and I would recommend it to anyone. Also this time is different because I am not living with a family but I am more " on my own '', since I am living on campus and I didn't know anyone before coming here. And the main reason I chose PLU as opposed to other colleges in the US is mainly its location: I didn't want to end up in a state in the middle of nowhere haha! I liked that the Washington state was on the West coast and not too far away from Seattle and other great cities that I wanted to discover.

 What has been the biggest culture shock that you have experienced since coming here?
    There have already been several: first of all, living on a huge campus like this is really something that we don't get to experience in France. Also, I was surprised at the beginning that everybody would ask me how I was doing, at any time: when passing someone on the street, when ordering food, when going to a store... But I have to admit that the biggest culture shock I have experienced here is with the food: even if I love fast food, I really miss eating actual cooked meals. I never thought I would have said that but I miss vegetables and healthy food hahaha! 

Is there anything you noticed were more similar to France than you thought, or anything that you did not expect to be different but were? Anything new that you have learned in the last month of being in Washington? 
    I have learnt to always be careful when looking at prices, since here the tax is not included and also you have to tip almost everywhere! In France, tips are like a bonus for waiters and waitresses, contrary to here where it is the way they actually get paid. Also I did not expect food to be so expensive, I feel like you pay the same amount for fast food here than for actual "restaurant" food in France. Eventually I didn't expect Americans to eat dinner so early, that required some adaptation from me in the beginning.

If your family or friends came to visit you in Washington, what is something that you would really like to show them?

    First I would want to show them the campus and its accommodations; but apart from that, I would take them to Seattle and visit Pike Place Market, as well as show them Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures.

Do you have anything on your bucket list of what you'd like to see or do during your time? Any bucket list experiences that you have already crossed off?

    As said above, I have already had the opportunity to go to Seattle (4 times already!), which was something I was really looking forward to. I have also been to Tacoma several times, and done a hike in Mount Rainier! Next locations on my bucket list would be Portland, the Olympic National Park, Vancouver and New York. I would also like to experience life on campus and I am really looking forward to attending on-campus events such as PLU's Theatre and Dance musical.

You're currently doing an MBA program, which for someone who might not know, stands for Masters in Business Administration. To provide a slight insight on Amandine's masters, she is enrolled in "Organizations, Leadership and Change Management", "Quantitative and Managerial Decision Analysis", "Marketing Management" and "Project Management". How has the first couple weeks of classes been? What are your favorite classes, and why?

    The first couple weeks of classes have been good! I already have a lot of projects and presentations, which is a bit stressful but also stimulating. Also the teachers are very understanding and have a close relationship to their students, which is something that I really appreciate. One of my favorite classes so far is the Marketing class because our teacher is very "entertaining", by that I mean that his course is very dynamic, which is important to me since all my classes are in the evening. I also appreciate that the class is not presented as a lecture but rather as interactive presentations made by students themselves.

What are some advice that you would give future international students wanting to come to PLU?

    I would advise to bring some snacks from home because food will be the second thing you miss the most after your friends and family ahaha! And other than that, just be open to any opportunity that is given to you and to live your exchange year/semester 100% - time flies and you don't get to live this kind of experience everyday, so make sure to take advantage of it as much as possible. This way you will meet amazing people and make wonderful memories! 

And that concludes the interview with our first guest blogger! I want to thank Amandine for her time, and wish her good luck with the rest of her exchange program. 

Until next time, 

    - Silje 

Where are we after one-year got hit by CORONAVIRUS?

 Warm Greetings to Everyone, it's Chau!

Spring is here! I hope you all doing great and stay actively healthy.  It has been over a year that we got hit by the Coronavirus.  I couldn't believe it 😬!!! Let's take a look at how we did throughout the year to FIGHT...

Here is the graph showing the number of new cases in Pierce County from March 22rd, 2020 to March 31, 2021.  As we can see, we reached the peak of cases in November- December😣😣😣.

 I am sad when thinking about people who were sick, lost their loved ones, and also everyone who still fighting for their lives from this ugly virus.  And, I am truly thankful for our healthcare providers and people who work to make our lives back to normal. 💓💓💓

 AND, now we are going to make it down 👏👏👏.  

We have been doing an excellent job to prevent the spread of the virus by practicing SOCIAL DISTANCING, LESS GATHERING, WEARING MASKS, WASHING HANDS,.... 

🌟🌟🌟 COVID VACCINES is on the way to everyone🌟🌟🌟

Let's take a look at the Covid-19 vaccination in Pierce county.  Many people in our county have got their vaccines partially and fully.  Soon, we will be fully vaccinated... 👏👏

The vaccination is eligible to people in Phase 1B Tier 3 and Tier 4 from March 31.  

To learn more about your phase, here is the link to it. 💪

ALSO,  I would love to announce a great news with our community that INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS starting APRIL 15TH !!!!!!!!!!!!

HERE ARE SOME HELPFUL LINKS BELOW:

• WA COVID Vaccine Finder: https://www.covidwa.com/

• Vaccine Spotter WA: https://www.vaccinespotter.org/WA/

• Vaccine Locator: https://vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov/

💥💥💥 Although getting Vaccinated would minimize the spread of Covid, we still need to keep doing our social distancing and MASK UP!!!! 
I hope everyone stays safe and healthy.  Enjoy our Spring and Summer is coming!!!! 

-Chau 🙋.

The Things about Owning a Car

Hi guys,

It's Bryan here. 

So yesterday, I was at St. Joes Hospital doing my 12 hours clinical preceptorship. I got off at around 8 pm,
tired and hungry. I got into my car and ordered dominos pizza to treat myself. As soon as I started driving, I heard some weird noise from my front right tire and the car was really slow. I had to stop the car and jump out to inspect what's wrong, and that's when I realized the tire was punctured and flat. 

I can drive a car, but I had 0 experience with fixing one. I panicked for a hot second, and then I managed to change my tire into a spare one with the help from YOUTUBE. 

As interesting as that experience was, I know many of my international friends needing information about owning a car in US, and here I will go over what I know about it. 

Getting your license 

If you are interested about owning a car, definitely start by obtaining your driver's license.

First, if you have a driver's license in either Canada, France, Germany, South Korea, Japan, or Taiwan, you can exchange your license into US license without having to take any tests. Please use this website to find the specific directions if that fits your case. 

If not, you will need to complete both the knowledge test and driving test before you can apply for a driving license. A quick lists of steps can be found on this website. Below are my experiences:  

1. Completing a knowledge test: You don't need any prior training or classes to take the knowledge test. You do need to know the rules and knowledge though. The test is not hard. I downloaded a DMV Permit Practice App on my phone, did the practice quiz for two days, and I passed the test. I also know people who read the Driver's manual for two times before taking the test. You get to choose your strategies. (BTW, if you decide to enroll in a driving class, you may get to skip this step based on your program.) Once you are ready, you can find a driver's training school and do the test. Link for finding a school here. I did it in the ACME Driving School LCC in Parkland that's right next to QFC. 

2. Learn how to drive: You will have two options. One, you can learn from a driving school. Two, you can apply for a instruction permit and learn from your friend that has a driver license for 5+ years. Instruction permit allows you to drive on the roads while having a 5+ year experienced driver right next to you. I used this method because I had some prior experience with driving a car. But if you are completely unfamiliar with driving, I recommend going to a training program. 

3. Take the driving test at the driving school (appointment needed). I personally took mine at 911 driving school Lakewood. I recommend using their car to do the driving test, as it is smaller than the usual car and easier to park. ACME Driving School near QFC also offer driving tests. A list of skills that will be tested can be found on this website. Also please check to see what documents they require for driving test. When I took the test, I had a learning permit already; for those that didn't apply for a permit, please check to make sure they don't need some sorts of license from you to do the testing. 

4. Visit a Driver Licensing Office to get your license! A temporary license will be given to you right away and be good for a month or so. An official license will be sent to your address. Location of Driver Licensing Office can be found here. 

Hold up before you rush to the licensing office! Obtaining a driver's license require an valid US  address, and a PLU dorm address may not be accepted. Please obtain a support document from ISS in this website to prove your residency at the US. If you live off-campus, it can't hurt to bring some extra supporting documents with you, so consider submitting the form.  

Buying a Car

Buying a car is a skill that demands a lot of experience, especially when buying used car. You will have a high chance of getting a bad deal, if you don't know what to check for and what to bargain about. So try to bring an experienced person with you. 

If you are buying a new car though, there is less worries and more safety with the new car. 

As I have little experience with buying a car too, my recommendation for buying a used car is following: 

1. Know your budget. If you walk into a store, this is typically what they ask about first. You can browse online to get a rough idea of what kind of car you can get with your budget. 

2. Know what your car will be used for. When I was buying my car, I knew I would be driving it to my clinical sites every week, so I went for a newer model with less mileage to ensure my safety. Maybe you like a sporty car that looks cool? Maybe higher chassis can provide better safety? Maybe you will be driving on the snow very often? Think about relevant questions. 

3. Get a certified pre-owned vehicle. A certified pre-owned vehicle means that the car is inspected and damages are repaired before you buy them. So you get extra safety when buying these cars (though they do mean a bit more expensive). Also try not to go to the small dealerships, even if they have cheaper cars. I would recommend going to the dealership of the brand that you want, like Ford, Nissan, Toyota, etc.. 

4. Check the car thoroughly before buying it. There are a number of things you should be checking for when getting a used car, such as any previous incidents, current damages, tire damages, electronic systems malfunctions, and more. I recommend you to look at websites like this to know points to check for. 

Cost of having a Car

Buying a car can be quite costly, but keeping a car also consumes quite some money. Below is a list of cost that you may be paying monthly for your car: 

1. Insurance: around $130 per month. Insurance is required before you take your car to the streets. New license, international student, not under an adult's plan, or no credits can all make your insurance more expensive. You may need to find an insurance before you take your car out, or some dealership can help you find a insurance. Some insurance companies have discount for students with good grades, be sure to check about that. I personally use State Farm for my car insurance. 

2. Gas. around $100 - $200 per month, based on how often you drive and your car's fuel efficiency. 

3. Tax/registration...: $40 - $100 per year. On the license plate, there is a sticker indicating that you have paid this year's vehicle tab fee. It is a yearly renewal thing, and try not to forget about it. 

4. Yearly check-up, maintenance, tier change fee: around $150 - $200 per year. You should bring your car to an auto-care shop for safety checks at least once a year or preferably every 6 month. And if any problem occurred, fixing the car can cost quite a bit of money. So drive safe!

Changing a tire

Knowing how to change your tire can be a valuable skill to know, so you won't panic when things happen. 

Unless you are experienced with fixing your car, the first thing you should consider is calling insurance company and asking if they have road side service to help you. If you are stubborn like me, you can try to change the tire by yourself, but it's really time consuming and tiring, and I don't recommend doing that. Road side services may cost you some money, but it's safer and probably faster. 

If you don't have road side service available, you will need to change the damaged tire into a spare one. There is usually one spare tire available in your truck along with the tools you will need to change the tire. I recommend reading your vehicle owner's Manuel and watch some videos from "YOUTUBE University" before you start. This is the video I used. The basic steps are: 

1. Park your car in a safe place and prevent it from sliding. 

2. Remove hubcap, and loosen the wheel nuts before lifting car off ground. (You may need to step on the wheel brace to turn it)

3. Place the jack at the correct spot based on the manual, and use your wheel brace to turn it. 

4. Remove the wheel nuts and change into the spare tire.

5. Put on the wheel nuts then lower the car 

6. Tightens the wheel nuts completely (Step on the wheel brace and make it as tight as possible!)

7. Drive to a tire shop slowly 

After you change into a spare tire, your car's balance will be pretty bad (it will drift to one side slowly), and spare tires are not designed to last for long distances. If possible, you should avoid going onto the highways and consider going to tire shop as early as you can. 

That's about the basics of owning a car! It's quite a investment for your wallet and there's a lot to think about when buying a car. However, when you have your car, you will realize there is so many fun stuffs waiting for you to explore around the area, and you just drive there. 

Wish you guys all healthy and happy!

Best,

Bryan Yuan

3/31/2021