Philip Neblett
International Student from Barbados
My name is Philip Neblett and I am from Barbados. I am a sophomore at Fulton-Montgomery Community College (FM), majoring in Spatial Information Technology. Fulton-Montgomery Community College is part of the State University of New York, one of the world’s largest public university systems.
I decided to choose FM as my college as I was very familiar with the advantages of the two-year Associate degree. Excellent education at a fairly low tuition cost. FM also offered the unique major of Spatial Information Technology, which intrigued me. Cartography and the GIS field are components of this major, making it all the more attractive to me. The Spatial Information technology Center at FM is funded through a US Federal NASA grant; therefore they have all the state-of-the-art technological equipment, so I know that I am getting the best education possible in my field.
After locating this school on the Internet, I found the application process fairly easy and I heard back from the school quickly. I had visited New York City before and while upstate New York is very different from that metropolitan center, I find the rural environment a surprisingly beautiful area. It certainly is a good environment to concentrate on your studies! I made the Dean’s List last semester and I have a strong Grade Point Average (GPA); these factors are important as I will soon seek employment after graduating in May.
In addition to studying, I work five hours per week in the Learning Center on campus as a Writing tutor. My English teacher recommended me to this position. This experience has helped me develop strategies to be even more successful in college. FM has small classes and a lot of teacher support and I also enjoy the campus facilities including the Fitness Center, the Computer Labs and the Student Union Billiard room. I currently share a duplex with an American family, which helps me get to know what Americans are truly like. College life can be very challenging at first especially if you have to experience a change in climate and when you miss your family and friends. I recommend that students take advantage of student clubs on campus and even get involved in extracurricular sports, of which there are many. Although, I really miss my sport, which FM unfortunately does not offer- cricket!
I encourage you to visit FM’s website at http://www.fmcc.suny.edu and come to know what my school is all about.
Sincerely,
Philip Neblett
