With the semester just ended, most UA students may be humming “I’ll be Home for Christmas.” International students may be going home (but not necessarily to celebrate Christmas), but they may also be visiting new places or staying in Tuscaloosa.
The travel patterns of international students have changed in recent years, said Charter Morris, director of international services at Capstone International Center.
“In the past, it was almost a guarantee they would stay here over the holiday because travel was so expensive. Now a good majority of international students can travel, either through the United States or abroad.”
Some international students are at UA for a short time and want to experience as much of the Unites States as they can. But most, said Morris, are here for longer periods. While these students often sightsee during vacations, they must budget their travel resources for those important visits home.
Among the globe trotting students this holiday break is Parnab Das, a doctoral student in environmental engineering and a native of Kolkata, India.
Though he hasn’t been back to his home country since 2014, Das, who serves as president of the International Students Association, headed home over the holiday break. He was looking forward to reconnecting with friends and family.
“My best friend is getting married,” he said. “I haven’t seen him for awhile, and I want to be there.”
The top countries that supply students to UA are China, Saudi Arabia, India, South Korea and Turkey. Many of these students, as well as those from other countries, experience Christmas for the first time in Tuscaloosa.
Liu Liu, known to his friends as Daniel, came to Alabama seven years ago through a university exchange program. A native of Qingdao, China, he was offered a scholarship to UA and decided to stay. He graduated in December with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering.
“We don’t celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday in our country,” Liu said. But, western traditions have seeped into Chinese culture, especially among young people. “We do celebrate and get together. For young people dating, it’s a special time to go out together.”
In the past, he has taken advantage of the time off between the fall and spring semesters to travel to New York, California and Atlanta. But this year, Liu plans to spend time with friends who live in Tuscaloosa. He’ll join them for a traditional Christmas Eve dinner, take part in the family celebration and maybe attend a church service.