Ileana Riva
Year: 3rdHometown: Buenos Aires Argentina
Major: Commerce School: Finance and Management
If I could give one piece of advice to incoming international students!
Don’t be afraid. Challenges are exciting, and coming to UVa will certainly prove that. Be strong and ask for help when you need it, but don’t give up on this chance if you feel it’s overwhelming. You would be missing out on so much!
What class do you think is a “must take” for any UVA student and why?
I am a little biased towards commerce classes, so I’ll try to be as objective as possible. Take ENWR 110 if you don’t know how to write papers in the American style. It will help you a lot in the rest of your courses. I know myself I had a completely different way of writing and now I feel much more comfortable doing so.
A resource that was very helpful to me here was…
People. My advisors, my peer advisors, and the International Admissions Department were very supportive and helpful throughout the whole adjusting process. They were instrumental in helping me get to know everything I needed at UVa.
Was it difficult to adapt to the new culture?
The environment is certainly different and it takes some time to get adjusted. Actually, though I came with my own cultural background, I never felt I was a stranger. People were friendly and helped me face this challenge. Now I feel that the experience has taught me a lot.
From whom did you receive the most support?
Besides my peer advisors, I received a lot of support from all over the international community, especially Latinos. They helped me a lot get through the rough moments and I’m really thankful for that. When you’re feeling lost, it is incredibly helpful to ask those who underwent similar experiences and succeeded.
What makes this experience worth it?
All the opportunities you’ll encounter, such as getting to know people from around the world, experiencing so many curricular and extracurricular activities. In a few words, it’s a very enriching experience from the beginning.
