Humans of Hofstra: Waranya Plengpojjanart

Photo Courtesy of Qainat  Anwar

“I grew up in Thailand. The first time I came to the U.S. was when I got here, to Hofstra. I heard about Hofstra through email, Hofstra sent out advertising emails and I found it interesting. I applied because of the wide range of majors they had to offer and it’s in a good location, close to New York City. I got offered a few scholarships, so now I’m here [and] I’m in this honor society for accounting majors. [During] my first year, it was difficult being away from home, but after a while I met some friends. Now this feels like home, it’s much better. Compared to Thailand, the education system here is much more flexible because in Thailand, everyone has a fixed schedule. Starting from middle school, there aren’t many choices you make for yourself. There are only a few lines of studying: math, science and language. Social sciences don’t even exist. In university, you have to choose a major before you attend and you have to stick with that for the whole degree, you can’t change. If you wanted to change your major, you would have to reapply to the university. It’s much easier here, that’s one of the reasons why I chose to come here, I like the education system. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do my first year, and at Hofstra I was able to explore. There are many resources here – the career center and advising teams [are] really helpful.”