As the academic year has drawn to an end, most of us have already made plans for the well-deserved summer break. Some are working, others have internships and there are quite a few more who are visiting new places, or, in my case, boarding an 18-hour flight back home.

According to the NC State Office of International Services, NC State enrolls about 4,800 foreign students annually, from more than 120 countries around the world, outranking the international population at all of the other schools in North Carolina. Like many other international students at NC State who have similar agendas for the break, I can’t wait to meet my folks after a year of being away from them.

I was facing a computer screen in Maharashtra, India, as I read my NC State acceptance letter in an email around this time last year, with a mixture of disbelief and excitement. I had gotten exactly what I wanted, and when it finally dawned on me through the shock, I was beyond thrilled. Still, my heart couldn’t help sinking a little as I realized that this meant I had to leave everything behind — almost all of my family, friends whom I had known like the back of my hand and the comforting familiarity of my own city.

Having spent a major block of time in India, the general idea I had about the typical American lifestyle came from Hollywood and a couple of conversations with my cousins, who live in Cary, whenever they visited. From the limited, not to mention vague, knowledge I had from these sources, I gathered that most cliques had fully developed and been set in stone by high school, so I was slightly apprehensive about whether I’d be able to fit in and form new friendships, especially since I wasn’t the best at approaching new people.

The thought of building a brand-new life from scratch and actually establishing a solid sense of happiness and contentment in a totally alien environment was pretty intimidating. I also wasn’t much acquainted with the American education system, so that would probably take some adjustment. Nevertheless, I was whole-heartedly looking forward to the move. With each passing day, the date I was to leave for Raleigh was approaching fast. I spent most of last year’s summer hanging out with my friends at our favorite places and reminiscing about the wonderful moments we’d shared together. And then, it was time to say goodbye.

The instant the airport became a tiny speck on the ground was when the whole move became very real. I wondered whether the next four years would be anything like I’d pictured them in my head. I had stalked NC State’s profiles extensively on Facebook and Instagram, and I wanted to see all of those beautiful places — Talley Student Union, the Memorial Belltower and Hunt Library — for myself and I wanted to cheer for the Wolfpack at games. I was ready to enjoy the entire college experience.

After becoming accustomed to the seemingly deafening silence, as compared to the perpetual din of Indian cities, adapting to Raleigh wasn’t entirely difficult. I liked going out for walks and exploring places around campus. I’d mostly hang out by myself around Hillsborough Street and Talley Student Union during the first few weeks of the year. Unfortunately, the novelty wore off a few months later (I still love these landmarks, though) and I was hit by sharp and painful pangs of homesickness.

I caught myself fervently wishing I were back home with “my people.” There were several occasions when I saw posts of my friends on social media having loads of fun, and knowing that I wasn’t going to meet them anytime in the near future made me feel even more nettled; no matter how often, phone calls and text messages didn’t quite cut it. These feelings of nostalgia were particularly intensified during festivals like Diwali and Holi.

I was lucky enough not to face huge challenges when it came to language barriers, but even though English is as good as my first language, I was used to frequently slipping into native tongues for certain expressions and exclamations when I communicated with my friends and family. The culture shock was proving to be worse than I expected it to be, which isn’t surprising, since relocation has been reported to be the third most stressful life event after the death of a loved one and divorce.

NC State hosted a variety of campus events during the year for the international student population like NCSU Garba, Holi and the International Festival, which more than 1,000 students attended, according to a recent Technician news article. These turned out to be a lot of fun, as they helped me experience a taste of home.

There were some changes that I embraced almost immediately. Though there wasn’t much of a difference in the academic material, the system was far from similar. Even as an engineering student, I had the opportunity to take a class in psychology last semester, thanks to the General Education Program (GEP) requirements — something that I’d never be able to do in India due to less flexibility in choosing courses.

Homework and assignments suddenly went from being on paper to being electronic, so the hard deadlines made me a lot more aware of how I was managing my time. Gradually, I settled down and formed a steady routine. I spoke to more people and made friends, which made the transition a bit easier. I still missed home and regularly contacted my friends and family, but it was getting better.

Now, at last, I can see the date I’m going back without flipping past a single page in the calendar. I’m curious to see if anything has changed, or if (though I highly doubt it) my habits have altered in any way. I won’t know how much I’ve adjusted to Raleigh in the past year until I determine the degree to which I experience reverse culture shock when I’m back home, and maybe, I’m a little scared to find out. All the same, that won’t stop me from crossing off the days until I’m in the company of my friends and family again, with stories to tell and stories to hear.