When Dimitra Politi GS arrived at Brown three years ago to begin working toward a Ph.D. in economics, she anticipated many differences between Providence and her native Greece. She had heard stories, for example, of harsh New England winters and food that fell far short of what she enjoyed at home.
But other changes, she admits, came as a surprise.
"It's very hard to move around if you don't have a car," she said. "That still strikes me. I couldn't even find a sweeping broom" without venturing off College Hill. "American society is just so different."
As is often the case for international graduate students, Politi and others say they have sometimes struggled to adjust to certain aspects of life in the States, both academic and social. Though the experience can be trying and isolating, they say Brown's environment and superior resources seem to make the challenges worthwhile.
The path to Brown
An "unsatisfying" undergraduate experience in her native Portugal prompted Ana Margarida Esteves, a graduate student in sociology, to consider graduate study abroad.
"We had very little choice in the courses we took," she said, adding that college students in Portugal are often prevented from taking electives until their third undergraduate year. Even then, options are extremely limited, and a lack of available seminars makes class participation nearly impossible.
"There was a huge social pressure not to question and not to intervene in class," she said. "I found this to be quite limiting. I didn't feel that there was really a passion for knowledge."
A permeating deference to the knowledge of professors, coupled with a rigorous workload, limited students' opportunities to pursue independent inquiry and research, Esteves said.
Only when Esteves reached Great Britain, where she earned a master's degree in European studies at the London School of Economics, did she discover "what a real academic environment was." Not only was creativity encouraged, but the culture of LSE fostered learning outside the classroom with students from diverse cultures. "The world was there," Esteves said.
Following completion of her master's, Esteves spent a few months as a market researcher before beginning a four-year stint with the European Union, working in Brussels and later for the E.U.'s delegation in Brazil. But without a Ph.D., Esteves struggled to move beyond bureaucratic work and into more innovative divisions.
She was drawn to Brown because of the University's reputation and prestige. In particular, the sociology department features professors with expertise in a variety of areas as well as an uncommon interdisciplinary approach to development studies that piqued her interest, she said.
Ying Pan GS, a native of China who studied in Shanghai for seven years before coming to Brown, said she also encountered restrictive barriers during her undergraduate and early graduate years. Many Chinese universities require students to select their major prior to matriculation, and often students can spend their entire time at college taking courses within a single department.
These strict requirements make it "hard for you to find out really where your interest is," Pan said. "You listen to the experiences of parents, siblings, older friends. ... Once you come into the university, it's very hard to change your mind."
Though it would be possible to earn her Ph.D. in economics in China, Pan - who is now in her fourth year at Brown - said an American education is "a more profitable investment." Like Esteves, she said Brown's academic resources and the presence of professors with diverse interests encouraged her to apply.
While Pan and Esteves were drawn to Brown's specific offerings, Politi said she "became interested in the States" and arrived at Brown "mostly by chance." The University had already accepted two graduate students from the public university in Athens where she studied as an undergraduate, so she was familiar with what the department had to offer.
"It's not like I grew up wanting to go to Brown my whole life," she said. "Whether you like it or not, the place to study economics right now is the States. American universities are the best places to do research."
Though she could have ended up several other places, Politi said her first three years at Brown have been largely positive. "The whole concept is different" from places she has studied previously, she said. "The idea of a campus is not really into the Greek university system. The working environment is different, too. The way the system is organized is better."
Adriana Lopez-Ramirez, a graduate student in sociology, took a more roundabout road to Providence. The 42 year-old mother of two studied anthropology and demography in her native Mexico before spending a year at University College London. She first heard of Brown in 1997 after meeting David Lindstrom, an associate professor of sociology who at the time was actively recruiting Latin American students for Brown's graduate program. But Lopez-Ramirez initially decided to pursue a career working for the Mexican government, and only considered further schooling when employment conditions in Mexico became increasingly unstable.
"Things in Mexico have become very difficult," she said. "I had a secure position, but I was not very confident in my work."
Had she not been accepted to Brown, Lopez-Ramirez would have likely been forced to stay in Mexico.
"In Mexico, if you are over 35, nobody gives you money for grad school," she said. "Brown was my only option."
Though she sometimes feels detached from the Brown community, Lopez-Ramirez said that is likely the result of her own unique circumstances. "I'm married. I have two children. When I'm not here ... I want to be with my family," she said. "I guess I'm an atypical grad student in that sense."
"A very lonely road"
Transitioning to life in the United States is not always easy. Pan, who had never been to the States before arriving at Brown, said a debilitating language barrier has somewhat dampened her experience. Though Chinese students typically begin learning English by the seventh grade, this preparation can be inadequate, she said.
"I think we put too much emphasis on written English," she said. "It's still hard for us to speak fluently and to convey our ideas very concisely," a shortcoming that can complicate both academic and social situations.
Pan continued: "I feel kind of shy in class. Sometimes I'm afraid what I don't understand is common knowledge. It's silly, really. If I were in my own country maybe I would not be so shy."
The lack of a support structure of family and friends can contribute to an isolating and lonely experience, Pan said.
"Sometimes you feel sort of helpless," she said. "You have to be strong and tough."
Politi said she agrees that international graduate students can often lead solitary lives while at Brown.
"It's a very lonely road," she said. "People warned me. And now I'm just seeing that they were right."
Even with these words of warning, "I never expected it to be that hard academically," Politi said, adding that she feels both internal pressure and pressure from colleagues to perform well. "It's a lot of work if you want to do it right," she said.
Despite these somewhat isolating factors, Politi said she believes Brown does nearly everything in its power to make international graduate students feel at home. Though there is not always much integration with the broader University community, "I don't even know if that's possible because we have so much stuff to do," she said. "The undergrads have a lot more time on their hands than we do."
Lopez-Ramirez said she has had trouble adjusting to New England weather. Also, her current cost of living dwarfs personal expenses she would incur in Mexico, she said.
Though Esteves misses Portugal's food, beaches and warm climate, she says she views Brown as "a very welcoming place" that offers exposure to diverse "characters" and superior resources.
Esteves' interactions with American students have also surpassed her initial expectations.
"Contrary to what Europeans think, Americans aren't all the same," she said. "I was expecting that the Americans would be far less friendly than they are. I've never been the object of such curiosity," she said.
Esteves is now in the second year of a five-year program, researching "solidarity economics" and "alternative paradigms of economic development," including networks of small producers, co-ops and the role of micro-credit. Her research has already taken her to Latin America, and she hopes to return to supplement this material.
It would be "quite difficult" to follow a similar course of study in Portugal, she said.
"This is the country where you get better conditions for research," she said. "It wouldn't be as easy to get funding. The relationship with colleagues wouldn't be as collaborative or collegial as it is here."
Politi said her biggest complaint has to do with the resources Brown provides the economics department.
"I thought the infrastructure in my department would be better," she said, describing Robinson Hall, which houses the economics department, as "not a pleasant" place to study and hold office hours. "I know that Brown has a lot of money. I would've expected that we'd have more space."
Even with these difficulties, Politi said her transition has been largely successful.
"Now that I have a car, I feel like a complete member of society," she joked.
Life after Brown
Once she completes her Ph.D., Lopez-Ramirez would like to pursue a career in international bureaucracy, saying she is "not that interested in researching or teaching." Though she would prefer to stay in the states, a tight job market may force her to return to Mexico, she said.
"I'd love to stay here, especially for my children," she said. "It's a great environment for them."
For her part, Politi said she might ultimately pursue an academic career.
"I like to teach. That's a pretty good indicator that you want to be at a college or university," she said. "But at this point, I don't know."
Despite a positive experience in the States, "I think eventually I belong to Europe," Politi said.
Esteves said her decision to stay here is contingent on both career opportunities and "my private life," adding that she would prefer to live near friends and family. Though academic research is "a possibility," Esteves is also considering further development work and a possible return to the EU.
Pan will likely return to China, following a path she said is more typical of Chinese students who study abroad.
The Chinese government "actually encourages students to go out of the country and bring back their knowledge," Pan said. "It's good for me to study here. Also, it's good for my country."
