Puzzles on campus

Adjusting to Caltech, California, and the United States as an international student can be difficult at first: you have to get used to the different systems and cultures and understand the limitations that come with your status as an F-1 student in the United States. I myself was an international student for three years in high school, which provided me an opportunity to adjust culturally, but coming to Caltech as a college student, I still had to research and learn more about things I can and cannot do in the United States as an F-1 student, which was time-consuming and confusing at first.

SURF provides you a great research opportunity with renowned professors, but it also challenges you both academically and non-academically. One of the biggest challenges you face is food: now that I only have a $500 declining balance plan instead of Anytime plan, the first alternative option I turned to was cooking. I currently live in Bechtel Residence, an unaffiliated undergraduate housing on campus. I live in a 4-person suite which comes with individual rooms and a small lounge area equipped with a microwave and a fridge, so I can keep my ingredients without worrying about forgetting or getting anything stolen. My suite is conveniently located right across the hallway from one of the three kitchens in Bechtel. Each kitchen in Bechtel comes with several pots, pans, utensils and gadgets for communal uses, as well as basic seasonings and oils, a communal fridge, a stove oven, microwaves, and a dishwasher. This summer, especially, Bechtel kitchens have been bustling with Caltech and non-Caltech students cooking and sharing meals with friends. So, I decided to give this plan a go.

As a rising sophomore, I decided to take advantage of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, a 10-week research program, at Caltech. SURF is a great opportunity to work with professors who have expertise in the field, but it also provides you an amazing opportunity to make new friends. According to the Student-Faculty Program office at Caltech, nearly half of SURF students every year come from other institutions. Always wanting to make more friends, my friends and I decided to take advantage of this.