Experiences of a FOB

FOB or a fobbie is a slang phrase which means 'Fresh Off the Boat'. I was and still am a FOB (like many others) who came to US some 5 years ago as a student for my Masters. Coming to a new country, new culture, new climate is tough. But what is tougher is adapting & accustoming yourself to this new environment and retaining your culture, temparament and recollection.

It is that time of the year when foreign students come to US universities for further studies. I came across 2 such graduate students (family friends) who've come here for doing MS and MBA. Meeting and talking to them took me straight to a path I had crossed some years ago, 'My initial FOB days'. The initial struggle and adjustments were never forgotten but as time passed, I became more comfortable in the routine work life and live for the weekends 'syndrome'.

I've nothing but good memories of my student life, I was blessed with really good roommates (very very important) and wide group of friends. Some of whom I've known for years even before I came to this country and others I'll know and grow more fond of no matter which part of the world we're in the future.

As a FOB going to a big and expensive school like USC has issues, issues about housing, courses, on-campus jobs, studies, funding, internships, full-time jobs (order in which they come in a FOBs life). I too went through this cycle, like many of my friends. For some of these issues I was lucky, like housing (right place, right time worked). Also thanks to M. Shah who drove us around the campus for housing. For others like on-campus job I switched many before sticking to a place. There was a lot of back and forth for the courses (my own immaturity). There are other experiences like cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, disagreement between friends, dealing with competition which I'm not even considering to write about. Actually a whole blog can be dedicated just to cooking and cleaning escapades.

The moments, stuations, pranks, encounters that a FOB faces will have a lasting memory, personally it makes me what I'm today. Through these experiences you'll learn to live on your own, be responsible for your own decisons, learn time management, be organized, learn whom to trust, whom to believe, whom to ask for help and whom to help..... in general it will define your attitude in life.

With each passing day a FOB makes more friends, acquaintances, colleagues and in doing so creates his 'home away from home'. This comfort zone will be touched by innumerable people. I was lucky to find this comfort zone in my roommates, my 1st year neighbors and my friends at Monmouth St. As a FOB, I also experienced help by people who had no rhyme or reason to do that good to me, but they did and I'm grateful to them.

Life is but an experience, experience of hanging out with friends at night, experience of growing up, experience of being foolish, and lots of others. My suggestion to the new FOBs ......
Go find and enjoy your own! Experience ......

Next: Impressions of a FOB

Below some of the (old & unclear) pictures with my closest buddies from my FOB days.