Life in a different country is completely new to sophomore Chang (Leo) Yuang, an international student from China who lives in St. Joseph’s Hall. According to Yuang, life in the dorms is much more relaxing than one would think, providing students with the opportunity to become more independent and more integrated into the community.

This is Yuang’s first time in America, an exciting new change in comparison to his homework-packed life back in China. According to Yuang, Chinese students spend most of their day in school, and any free-time they have is spent doing homework. “After each class, we have ten minutes for break, but we are usually always doing our homework because there is a lot of homework. On the weekends or [during] vacations, we usually take extra classes,” he said.

According to Yuang, living in America is much different and more relaxing than it is in China, which is the main reason why he wanted to live in the dorms rather than with a host family. “I can sleep late and I can walk to school. I think we are more flexible than other [international] students. Some kids in host families have to stay in school because host families will be late [to pick them up], but we can just walk back to the dorms,” he said.

It is for these reasons that Yuang enjoys the time that he spends not only in the dorms, but also in America. The best part, he said, is being able to wake up late and have the free time to explore his hobbies as a member of the Mock Trial and equestrian teams. “It is actually a lot better over here because I have the time to do my favorite things, hobbies, or other [interests],” he said.

While his daily life is different than it was in China, Yuang expressed great happiness in being able to grow as a person in a completely new environment. “I think America is even better [than China] because if other people arrange your work and your job, then you won’t know how to arrange your life when you are an adult. After you graduate John Carroll, you will know how to be an adult, which is really important.”

Emily Stancliff is a Sports Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.

Living nearly 4,000 miles away from her family and friends in Belgium, junior Florine Lennartz has found herself in a home away from home here in the United States. Lennartz, who lives with junior John Kyburz and his family, has discovered that life in America is very different from what she previously knew in Belgium.

Lennartz attended a public school in Belgium with more students, no uniforms, and no religious studies. She took 13 classes, and school lasted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, sports were not offered at her previous school. “If you want to do sports, you have to find a different club. In Belgium, I used to do soccer and gymnastics, but it was out of school,” she said. Since coming to America, Lennartz has joined track as well as cheerleading.

Living with a host family has also been a new experience for Lennartz. “Family is different because I’m an only child in Belgium and now I have five siblings since John has three sisters and a brother,” she said.

Lennartz’s host family has also introduced her to traditional American holidays. “For Thanksgiving, we were in Virginia with his family and I met all the grandfathers and grandmothers, and that was really nice. I didn’t know what Thanksgiving was before, so it was very interesting,” Lennartz said.

Living with a host family has also improved Lennartz’s English speaking skills. “I hear [English] all the time and sometimes I even think in English now. Living with a host family definitely has helped me with speaking and I’ve learned a lot of new words,” she said.

While Lennartz has encountered many positive aspects of American life, she has also had to make adjustments to her daily life. “I have to adapt to what they do during the day, and since I can’t drive, I have to wait on [John] a lot or find a different person to drive me. In Belgium, it wasn’t like that. I just took the bus,” Lennartz said.

However, her independence and experiences both contribute to Lennartz’s appreciation for living with her host family. “I wouldn’t want to stay in the dorms and have to be back at a certain time and eat whatever they give me,” she said. “In a host family, I can make my own food and I feel like I have more connections to the people in America because you learn the culture and everything more than you would in the dorms.”

Erin McCloskey is a Community Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.