student corner New opportunities in US

By Oluwakolapo Smith

Walking through the glass doors of Chilton Hall and climbing the stairs to the College of Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of North Texas every day is such a joy to me as I have made it a second home.

From my first day in the department I was welcomed wholeheartedly by Dr. Lisa Kennon and also by my advisor Dr. Young Hoon Kim. It did not take me a long time before I could comfortably have conversations with them and tell them the challenges I faced as a new student and also hear them offer me advice on the steps to take.

As a new international student, coming all the way to the United States was a huge dream fulfilled for me. I attend graduate school at one of the nation’s highly rated hospitality programs under seasoned professors and faculty that have tons of industry experience under their belts.

Also, it was going to be a huge challenge for me; the culture shock, the new environment and having to adapt as fast as possible to the graduate school life and the graduate system, but I was ready for all of this.

I adapted to life very quickly in America with the help of the faculty and also the help of senior graduate students who helped me immensely with getting together the whole of my degree plan with special advice from my adviser.

Attending the University of North Texas is an excellent daily experience, from the content of the curriculum, the classes, to the environment that is so peaceful and serene, and the ever helpful faculty members.

At the University of North Texas, the faculty members here are majorly concerned with the success of the students. A number of faculty members always have their doors open to talk to students and also encourage the students to come in and share their challenges in the class. This is a really amazing gesture and helps every student succeed in their careers.

In my first semester at UNT which was the spring of 2015, I was involved in many extracurricular events because the university encourages students to partake in activities.

There are a ton of student organizations which help students feel very much involved with many of the 35,000 students that attend this great school.

The student population is very diverse and this ensures that every student that steps on the campus feels at home. The social life here is also second to none, what with the school program council organizing events to keep the students involved and entertained.

One of which is the graduate student organization which organized a picnic with the students and the faculty. This was a great way to bring these two parties together to create better and more cordial relationships between faculty and students.

A major challenge for me was obtaining funding. This is part of the schooling experience that all students worry about.

At the University of North Texas, there are so many opportunities for students; from work study positions, part time positions and also full-time positions as well.

There are a ton of scholarship options. Particularly, at the College of Merchandising, Hospitality and Tourism Management, there are over 50 different scholarship options and I am proud to be a recipient of two of these scholarships.

This school is located in a great area with lots of job opportunities in the DFW area, companies, industries, hotels, and an unending pool of resources for students and graduates.

Choosing to attending UNT will go down as one of the best decisions I have made because everyday here is a learning and growing experience.

The writer is a student of University of North Texas in the United States majoring in hospitality and tourism management.