International student adjusts to U.S.

Choosing where to attend college is one of the biggest decisions young adults are faced with. For freshman Nuwan Samaraweera, the decision was made even more difficult by the fact that he had not even visited the colleges he was researching. As a high school student in London, England, he heard about IU through a professional who assisted international students. Samaraweera was drawn to the Kelley School of Business and overall reputation, so he left his home in London to come to the states, a place he had visited only twice before.\nThat might seem like a gamble, but Samaraweera believed if it was a right fit, he'd know right away. With his noticeable British accent, Samaraweera may stand out but has been able to step back and observe the differences between this country and his native England. Over this past year, he's observed Americans are more friendly and approachable than the British. Though he knew the United States offered great educational opportunities, he also knew getting used to other things would be difficult.\nHe compares the social development of freshmen living in the United States to that of 15-year-olds in England, mainly because he feels that is the age when British teenagers experiment most with alcohol.\n"The hardest things are not being able to drink and gamble," he said. "It was nice to be able to go out and have a drink with friends -- legally."\nHe has also found many American students to be less interested in the world outside of the country and culturally closed off.\n"People here are less cultured," he said. "I miss talking about the things that are going on in the world."\nAn especially difficult time to be away from home occurred during the tsunami disaster. Samaraweera is from England, but his parents are originally from Sri Lanka. His father's side of the family lives in the town of Matara, located very close to the sea. During the tsunami his family was able to see the rising water levels and make it to safety, but they lost virtually all of their belongings. Samaraweera's parents and sister have already made the trip to Sri Lanka to offer their help to the village and survey the damage.\n"My family said it was just horrible," Samaraweera said. "Tourism was their No. 1 industry, and now the country is a wreck."\nSamaraweera has already booked a flight to Sri Lanka this May, where he plans to visit with his family and distribute clothes he has collected for the survivors. He is aware of the risks he will be exposed to like disease, but said, "I just want to do what I can."\nIn addition to his trip to Sri Lanka, Samaraweera is planning to return to his summer job of officiating at Wimbledon. He grew up playing tennis, and though his love for the sport began to fade in high school, the affinity returned around the time the opportunity to become a Wimbledon tennis pro arose. Samaraweera has line judged matches for tennis players Jennifer Capriati, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, to name a few. He said he hopes to keep this job and continue to be promoted. \n"Next summer I will be eligible to judge center court, which is cool, but also bad because the camera can focus right on you when you make a call," Samaraweera said.\nEurope's equivalent of American soccer, which Europeans call football, is the other sport Samaraweera said he follows religiously. \n"Americans follow state sports like football and baseball, but they don't have a sport that really unites the country, aside from the Olympics," he said.\nSamaraweera said when he is home, people all get together for the games, regardless of their background or color. \n"People will hang out in the bars and watch the games," he said. "We are really into it."\nSamaraweera is currently looking forward to going home for the summer. In addition to hitting the bars and gambling, he can't wait to be able to drive again.\n"Here, I have to walk everywhere. I don't mind it, but it will be nice to go back to driving again -- and on the right side of the road," he said, referencing the left-hand side of the road driving in England. \nWhile his English accent has brought him lots of attention from the ladies, Samaraweera has found that initial appeal only lasts so long. When he returns next year, he plans to continue working toward his business major. He said he hopes to be highly successful and live in several different countries. \n"I want to visit every country by the age of 30," he said. "I guess I just can't stay in one place for a long time." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Kimberly Laughlin at kmlaughl@indiana.edu.