An Interview with my Cousin

It is my first semester here in the United States, and I will hopefully start college on January 2015. I applied to two universities in Texas: UT San Antonio and UT Arlington. Last week, I interviewed my cousin, Ahmad, about his experience in the United States.  He is a graduate student from The University of Texas at San Antonio and is on his way to receive his Master’s Degree from UT Austin.  I choose this topic because it could provide me with some information about the college life in Texas.

When asked how was his life back in San Antonio, Ahmad said, “San Antonio was just like my home; my friends and some family members are still studying there. It’s a beautiful, quiet place. I think people here are much friendlier than San Antonio.”

From what I understood from my cousin, San Antonio is different from Austin. Austin is full of life; younger generation and atmosphere is phenomenal. San Antonio has a quiet atmosphere when you compare it to Austin.

Ahmad moved to Austin because the university is ranked as one of the top universities in his major, which is Civil Engineer. It has a great reputation.

I asked him what he liked most about Austin. Ahmed told me that he had liked South Congress because it had great restaurants, nice weather, and it was located near Lake Travis. “The nightlife on Sixth Street is amazing. Austin has a diverse population and is close to San Marcos, where the outlet is located,” he added.

Ahmad’s life changed since he came to the United States six years ago. He met lots of people from different cultures. “I became independent, more social, and my English definitely improved,” he added.

Furthermore, I asked my cousin whether he would prefer living in the U.S. or Kuwait. He told me that he couldn’t really decide. “You know, Kuwait is my home and where my family is. But Austin is also a nice place,” he said.

Ahmad believes that it would be better if he worked here for a couple of years and then return back to his hometown. He thinks that job opportunities are better in Austin.  He told me that in Kuwait, you would have to wait for a long time to get a job. “I would like to have this special experience. I am not planning to work here all my life, but for several years. You know, get some experience and then go back to Kuwait,” he added.

At the final stage of the interview, Ahmad told me that so far, he’s happy with his life here in Austin. “Great professors. I met lots of people and they are so amazing,” he added. My cousin had loved the festivals that were held in Austin. He finalized the last question by saying, “The community is great, and I hope to stay here for a long time.”