Thao Hoang

Every freshman faces adjustments as they transition from living at home with family to being on their own at college. Consider those sorts of adjustments, then add in the difficulty of living 8,500 miles from your parents and learning a new language, and you'll have some idea of the challenges international students like Thao Hoang face each day.
Hoang, a freshman economics major from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, moved to the United States as a high school junior to begin adjusting to American life before attending college here.
"It's not comfortable leaving your family. The people are so different, like the way people behave," she says in a soft voice. "The language is different. I don't have a car, so when I want to go and buy something, I need to ask my cousin or friend, and it's less convenient than in my country. And I'm not used to American food."
After moving to the U.S. two years ago, Hoang lived in Houston with her uncle and aunt, who had moved from Vietnam in 1995. Her older cousin, Anh Hoang, is a junior at Baylor, and is one of the main reasons she chose to attend Baylor.
Back in Vietnam, Hoang's parents run a company that makes furniture. After earning her business degree, Hoang plans to return to her native country and join the family business.
"I think in all of the countries, America maybe has the best education. My family has a business, and we have some customers from America. So [we thought] if I come here, then I can improve my English and my communication, so I can come back and work for my family."
For a non-native speaker, Hoang's English is excellent, thanks to six years of study both in school and in private lessons back home. But the English taught in Vietnam is more British than American, so she's still had plenty of adjustments to make. 
"First when I came here [to the U.S.] I couldn't really understand what the teacher said and people speaking fast and especially in writing," she remembers. "It's been better [since getting to Baylor]. I went to the Writing Center; they helped me with my writing skills.
"The way they write an English paper is different from the way I studied in my country. In my country, the thesis statement, they write it in the body, not in the introduction. Usually we write really long; we don't go straight to the topic. I had to practice writing with my teacher after class [in high school]."
But despite all the obstacles, Hoang says she's getting by okay.
"In my country, we don't have any colleges this big. My cousin studies here. We take care of each other. She can take me shopping. Sometimes my relatives come and they give me some Vietnamese food. It's like at home."