Studying abroad is like starting a new life. You arrive at a school far away from your home country, and at first you don’t know anybody.

That’s what it felt like when I left Germany in the fall to start my study-abroad year at UCLA. With my stay in California now coming to an end, I can say that this experience has taught me a lot. Not only have I profited academically, but the people I met here have given me a much better picture of what life in America is like.

I have learned to prefer In-N-Out over McDonald’s. I now say “excuse me” or “sorry” at every possible occasion – even when people bump into me in the dining hall. I’ve gotten used to not being able to drink beer in public, even though the warm weather would be perfect for that.

I was also surprised to find out that almost everybody here can trace their origins to a country outside of the United States, which destroyed my concept of “The Americans” as a homogenous group.

Along with things like these, I’ll take lots of memories back home. But I’m confident that during my time here, I did not only receive, but also gave.

I tried to give my friends a better view of what life in my native Germany is like. I often talked to people about politics and history, and I’m sure I brought a different perspective to such discussions.

Here’s one thing that I want to suggest to domestic students here at UCLA: Get involved with the large and diverse international student population at this university.

Nationwide, UCLA ranks No. 9 for international student enrollment. In the 2003-2004 academic year, 4,320 international students walked the halls of this institution.

Most of the people I met here have been very friendly and have shown interest in my home country. Still, I want to encourage all domestic students to take advantage of the international variety here.

For starters, you can just look around your classes and see if there are any students who seem to have trouble with their English. You can make their day by breaking the ice with a simple, “Hey, where are you from?”

If you want to do a little more to deserve the title “Citizen of the World,” the Dashew International Center offers a number of opportunities for domestic students. You can aid foreign students during their arrival at UCLA by volunteering for the center’s orientation program, for one.

Trust me: Those poor, lost French, Japanese, Brazilian or Chinese students will be forever thankful if you help them out a little bit in picking a cell phone service, renting an apartment or choosing a car dealership.

I remember my own orientation pretty well. It’s always nice to have some professional people talk to you, but the American students were the ones who gave us the inside scoop on life at UCLA.

I talked to Marcelo Mitnik, the director of programs at the International Center. He agreed that the center’s activities can help bring international and domestic students together.

“It is more likely for someone to take the initiative to actively interact with people from different countries, cultures, or backgrounds if they are first given the opportunity to do so in an organized program,” he said.

Another way to get in touch with foreign students at the center is the International Connections Program. In this program, one or more international students are matched with a domestic “ambassador.” The ambassadors can show the campus to the international students, take them out for a nice dinner, or just stay home and watch movies with them.

Reyna Alorro, program coordinator at the International Center, said, “Ambassadors really help students to get to know L.A., and also invite them to meet their other friends, which is important for international students to build a social network.”

And of course, the American students benefit from this experience as well.

“A lot of them say they’re going to stay connected to each other, even when the international student goes home,” Alorro said. She added that some of the ambassadors go on to visit their friends in their home countries.

Some of my friends have already threatened to visit me back in Germany, and I’m more than happy to show them around. It’s really easy to build an international web of relationships at UCLA, and you never know when you might need it.

Looking at the big picture, I’m even more convinced that these types of activities can benefit society. The United States has such an important role in the world today – it’s fair to call it the only superpower left after the fall of the Soviet Union. What the United States, its government, its military and its citizens do has repercussions in all corners of the world.

The symbolism of the alleged mistreatment of the Koran by American soldiers has triggered fierce anti-American protests in some Muslim nations. The final installment of the Star Wars saga will rake in millions of dollars worldwide. No matter where you look, the scope of U.S. influence is unrivaled.

But with this position comes the need for Americans to stay informed about what’s going on in the world. In a country that has notoriously little coverage of international events in the mainstream media, that’s not such an easy task.

But you can’t sit on top of the world without knowing what you’re sitting on.

Talking about the effects of intercultural communication, Mitnik said, “Gaining a deep understanding of other cultures can be a crucial factor in reducing the possibility of conflict.” Domestic students at UCLA have a unique opportunity to work on their country’s image and on international relations on a one-on-one basis.

Look for us internationals on campus. We’re an interesting bunch.

Starre is a third-year English student. E-mail him before he goes back to Germany at astarre@media.ucla.edu.