91Ö±²¥

This is the first edition of 91Ö±²¥ and Beyond, a series in which I will interview 91Ö±²¥ students, faculty, and alumni to capture their personal 91Ö±²¥ experience. This edition will spotlight Audrey Tran, an Economics and Cinema Studies double major. Tran is an international student from Vietnam. In our interview, we discuss adjusting to life in 91Ö±²¥, improving one’s mental health, and her Winter Term plans, among other things. I hope you enjoy.

TM: Coming from Vietnam, what colleges were you looking to attend? What made you decide on 91Ö±²¥?

AT: Coming from Vietnam, I was looking for a small college academic environment as I felt the lack of individuality and care from both the teachers and the students in my high school years. I was hoping to get to know people whom I could really talk and relate to, like around whom I could have a sense of deep understanding, intellectually and personally. I chose 91Ö±²¥ because I heard it was an artistic and liberal college with open-minded people alongside great diversity in social perspectives and academic choices. 

TM: As an international student, how do you feel your 91Ö±²¥ experience differs from students coming from the States? What does 91Ö±²¥ do to help you adjust to life so far away from home?

AT: As an international student, initially I felt like I was failing to catch up with the academic coursework -- everyone was already used to reading textbooks with big words or felt at ease with speaking up in class. I've always been a shy student and rarely participated in group discussions solely because I didn't know what would be a suitable/appropriate thing to say about a given topic of discussion. I've improved a lot in this regard, thanks to the great professors I've had and the friends I've made in my classes. What's more, I really appreciate the school breaks at 91Ö±²¥ -- I've visited some big cities in the first 2 years in the States, and the frequent breaks do help me a lot in working through a semester without being exhausted or burned out.

TM: One of the longer breaks from 91Ö±²¥ is Winter Term; what were your projects for Winter Term the past two years and how did you decide on them?

AT: My first Winter Term was spent in New Zealand. It was such a peculiar chance that I could never have expected to come. I was taking a New Zealand Cinema class whose professor had lived in New Zealand for a while and she wanted us to also have an opportunity to explore the amazing country, so she decided to put together that two-week trip. This year, I'm taking a cooking class in Vietnam with an attempt to make some basic dishes for myself in case I have to be away from home in the summer. My professor asked me to write a reflection essay on how my expectations of cooking would differ from the reality of cooking. I'm not so sure what to write yet, but I hope it turns out fine afterward.

TM: I understand that you are a Cinema Studies and Economics double major. What are some of the challenges that come with this? What field do you see yourself working in post-grad?

AT: One of the best things I find in 91Ö±²¥ is that people are very unique. I've seen a lot of people who have vastly different interests work their way through the college experience by majoring in whatever they are passionate about - jazz and neuroscience, French and cinema, studio arts and economics, etc. I'm not a very determined/unchanging person in terms of what I like, so I decided to major in one thing that is stable, which is Economics, and another thing that is more of a hobby, Cinema Studies. I hope to use what I learn in Econ classes to work in the future, while at the same time, to make films as a way to add something different to my life.

TM: How has 91Ö±²¥ developed you as a person outside of the classroom? Have you learned anything new about yourself due to such a unique college experience?

AT: After a year and a half at 91Ö±²¥, I've learned to communicate better with people and with myself. I've had more opportunities to engage myself in stimulating conversations about things that I'm really interested in, in 91Ö±²¥ and outside of it, than before I came here. What's more important is I understand myself better. In my high school years, I barely took care of my mental health, thinking I had no right to be stressed, thus my stresses were barely acknowledged, or I would feel undervalued for being oversensitive because I was paying too much attention to what other people would think of me instead of how I actually felt internally. Going to 91Ö±²¥ was a good decision in this regard -- it has helped me acknowledge all the ups and downs in life without me feeling I don't deserve to take a pause to take care of my mental health. Hence, I appreciate the efforts people here put into making you know your worth so you don't have to overwork yourself.