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My Semester Abroad at Connecticut College
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It was snow storming heavily and I could hear people shivering and running, trying to get to wherever they were headed to, but I couldn't care less. My eyes were glued to the soft white blanket of snow that stretched as far as eyes could see. The cold and icy snow filled me with joy I couldn't describe.

It was the first time ever I saw snow(other than on T.V) physically. It was the first time ever I was out of India. It was the first flight experience. It was the first time ever I was so far away from my parents. I still remembered their happy-sad faces at the airport as they waved at me. They were proud of me getting the scholarship to study one semester abroad on a student exchange but sad to see me go. I missed them but I was happy.
 
It was like living inside a dream I never wanted to get over, I wasn't dressed enough to bear that cold in New York, but my excitement and happiness was too high to feel the cold and all the snow only amplified the happiness.

University of Mysore had made arrangements to take me and the other student, who also received the same scholarship, to Connecticut College from JFK airport. We hopped in the cab with another Indian student from the college, who came to receive us. His father was responsible for the student exchange program in our college in India, and we were the first ones from our college. There were so many first time at once!

I didn't feel jet lag despite the 11 hr time difference. I enjoyed the drive from New York to New London, from chills down my spine sky scraper to breathtaking countryside. When we reached the campus, I felt it was a small town in itself. The campus was so scenically beautiful I fell in love with it immediately.

We were provided with our respective dorm room keys inside an envelope. I smiled. We were informed that the hostels are unisex there and that may be a bit of cultural shock for us. But I felt warm and welcomed by all. Everyone on my floor were so considerate when they learnt I was from India and assured me they would do nothing that would make me feel disrespected.

I was helped by random students I didn't know to get to nearby Wal-Mart, buy bedding & other necessary stuff for my room, to find my classes and one of my professors even let me have her laptop for the semester (as I didn't have one). I enrolled into classes for Genetics, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Scanning Electron Microscope, and beginners ice skating( for extra points and extra fun).

Classes were not just educational but highly interactive. We were asked to make reports based on our understanding of the previous class in biochemistry. In genetics the professor was such a fun sport, that all I mostly remember of that class is solving genetics problems and laughing and solving the problems was just as fun!

I enjoyed Microbiology classes the most, 180 degree to how I felt in India.

Professor Bernard made us watch short movies based on each microbial disease we were covering that semester and had discussions on the same in next class. It was also the first time that we were allowed to do the experiments ourselves, unlike watching our teachers do, or doing it in pairs or teams. We even chose a topic to do a project (based on topics we covered) and do a poster presentation for the same. I chose Biofilms for I was fascinated by them since the very first time Professor Bernard mentioned them in the class. And she wasn't the only one that made the class so interesting. I would always come early to class to be able to sit next to Andrew, the red head Spanish guy I wouldn't stop smiling every time I thought of him. Eventually we became friends after he came to my rescue every time I messed up the lab experiment. Swear I did not do them on purpose!

Besides he wasn't my only crush there. What do you do when your Ice skating instructor looks like older version of Channing Tatum, who gives you a hand and helps you get back on your feet every time you fall hard on your butt in the rink?

I had another great experience when I could study Drosophila under SEM (Scanning electron Microscope), staining their body parts with Immunogold and studying them, observing them in a closed room!! Something I definitely would not have got to do in the college back here.

I also got to experience the two exclusive Connecticut college festivals/celebrations :

Floralia - A festival to welcome spring and.....what happens in floralia, stays in floralia....!

Fish Bowl - I would rather not discuss it (laughing)!!

All in all I made some great friends there, met; and got to study and learn under some amazing professors while having a wonderful time. It is one of those experiences I would cherish forever. It was one of the most memorable part of MY COLLEGE LIFE!
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