Rigors of being a (real) international student, continued

Technically, I’m an international student. However, I’m only about eighty minutes drive from Niagara Falls and grew up speaking English, so I don’t really count, according to my classmates - over 75 per cent of which are truly international. Regardless, I’m not the only blogger in my class, and I thought I’d comment on some "necessary" conditions for being a successful international graduate student in economics as posited by a friend before I get back to work.

1. "English. If you are just good at English, then it is not enough."
2. "Math. Fortunately, this can still work as your forte[]."
3. "Aggressiveness. "

It’s the last one that’s pretty interesting. And it’s somewhat true. I’ve always been quiet in lecture, but I usually tried to answer the rhetorical questions back home. And there was rarely a dead silence following a question from the prof. Here that’s more the norm. (I can no longer answer, because I’m very occupied keeping my head above water.)

Makes me curious to sit in an truly foreign classroom. Maybe my math skills would improve. At least I’m international enough to complain about the immigration hassles.