On a campus where 70 percent of the students are from Kansas, the 1,614 international students at KU are in the minority. Despite being thousands of miles from home, some international students have become more independent, but, like most students, they still miss home.

The decision to study abroad isn’t easy, and for some international students, like Julio Castillo, Sucre, Bolivia, junior, boarding a plane destined for the United States is the first time they have left their country.

Castillo followed his sister’s footsteps in leaving Bolivia to study electrical engineering at KU because the universities are much better in the United States, he says. “At the beginning, I was excited about coming to the United States, not exactly Kansas,” he says with a laugh. “I only heard about the Manhattan side of Kansas.”

Despite his original perception of Kansas, Castillo has grown to like the state and has gotten involved as a student ambassador for the Global Awareness Program, an initiative that recognizes undergraduates’ international experiences through study abroad, foreign language study and international co-curricular activities. He is also involved with the International Students Association, where he met Jakub Lichwa, an international student from Ropczyce, Poland.

Lichwa, unlike Castillo, made his decision to study abroad months before enrolling at KU. After picking up a Newsweek magazine in Poland, the junior studied tuition rates and national rankings of American universities before calling family in Philadelphia for advice. He completed the Test of English as a Foreign Language (a test international students must take to demonstrate at least a limited proficiency of the English language), sent his admission application to KU and began classes two months later.

Don’t let the quick decision fool you, though; Lichwa has always been interested in studying here. “If you have an American degree in Europe, you have doors opened to you,” he says. For international students like Lichwa, the cost of attending KU is the same as out-of-state tuition for domestic students.  Opting for the more independent approach to orientating himself to the University, Lichwa skipped the traditional New International Student Orientation held the week before classes start in August. The New International Student Orientation allows students from 113 countries to meet new people, learn about KU and the U.S., and offers information sessions on topics such as enrolling, cultural adjustments, healthcare and safety. Although he doesn’t regret not attending, Lichwa says he was frustrated with the lack of classes related to his major that were available when he finally enrolled only a few days before the semester started.

Even more frustrating than enrolling, which every KU student knows is a pain, is the bar scene in Lawrence, Lichwa says. In Europe, 18 is the legal age for driving and drinking, but because 21 is the minimum age for admittance into most Lawrence bars, Lichwa says, “You have to be 21 to basically get out of your apartment.” However, since turning legal age in September, he has been able to enjoy Lawrence more and has visited Las Vegas and Miami, two vacation destinations he says he cannot get enough of.

Lichwa even gets to go home more often than most international students because he takes advantage of winter and summer breaks and easy flight connections out of New York City. Imran Ghazali, Karachi, Pakistan, junior, isn’t always as fortunate to return home.

Ghazali has been home only once since enrolling at the University in August 2004. “I wasn’t as excited as some other people were about starting classes at KU,” he admits, but he has enjoyed the freedom of living independently of his parents. Moving more than 7,500 miles away from home has given him the autonomy of making his own decisions, so he can choose to eat at 3 a.m. or hang out with friends until late, he says. But he says he still misses his parents, family, friends and native food.

Ghazali has certainly made the decision to get involved while studying at KU, which was briefly interrupted when he transferred to Johnson County Community College to save money on tuition his sophomore year. He is now on the executive board of the International Students Association, an organization that promotes international representation and activities on campus such as International Awareness Week, game nights and a Halloween party. He also helps organize concerts for the Pakistani Club, plays with the Cricket Club and attends Muslim Students Association meetings. “I feel like I should put some time into my studies, but I would rather be involved,” he says.

Ghazali spends so much of his time with his organizations that most of his friends are also international students from various countries that he met in these clubs, but as his classes get smaller in the School of Business, he has made more American friends., he says

Even halfway around the world, some things in class are the same for Ghazali. At home in Pakistan, most of the lectures in high school and college are conducted in English, so he doesn’t find his classes here too difficult. However, he says sometimes he thinks he needs extra time to understand the content properly, like during exams.

Dr. Joe Potts, director of the International Student and Scholar Services, says he is delighted that international students have brought their world to Lawrence to share with other students. “Ninety-five percent of the world is un-American, so an education is incomplete and parochial unless it acquaints students with their entire world and not just the American sliver of it,” he says.

As for these three international juniors, each is looking forward to graduation in May 2008, but each will pursue a life as different as their cultures.

Castillo wants to remain in the United States and is looking at graduate schools, where he is considering studying biomechanical engineering. If he stays, he will need to adjust to the food, which he currently hates because everything is frozen and processed, he says.

Lichwa’s love of Miami forces him to quickly say he will live in Florida and fish and play golf every day, but he too will be looking for a job to match his finance major. Unlike the other two, he says he wouldn’t mind returning to Europe to work in London.

And in true upperclassmen style, Ghazali says, “That has become a tricky question now.” Even though he still has a year left to study at KU, he says his plans will depend on whether he gets a job, but his parents would like him to return home.