Editor’s Note: This is the sixth part in a series of stories chronicling international students in their experiences at OU and in the United States.

Haiying Kong is never sure exactly what time to arrive when she’s invited to an event.

Kong, a communications graduate student from China, said time is viewed very differently in China, and it has taken her a while to get used to time perception in the U.S. versus that of her country. Usually she asks her American friends for advice when it comes to arrival times.

“I always ask people, ‘Shall I be there five minutes early, or on time?’ People emphasize punctuality ... but sometimes you can be a little bit late for certain functions,” Kong said. “So it’s hard to grasp every time for different functions.”

Kong, who has been in the U.S. for seven years, said people in the U.S. tend to adhere more strictly to time on the clock than in China. She said although more formal events in China usually start at a certain time, less formal social events don’t always have as clear of a timeline. Rather, she said, events take place naturally, as people see fit.

Kong said people in China don’t plan events as far in advance as those in the U.S.

“People [in the U.S.] have planners for every day, even for months, for years ahead. We seldom do that,” Kong said. “Events take charge. We don’t really say, at this time, we have to do this. We don’t tend to plan weeks or months ahead.”

Kong said she finds it difficult to plan her availability a few months ahead of time, as is common in the U.S. Often, she said, she does not know what to tell people when they ask if she is available for an event far in advance.

Jall Cowasji, a University College freshman from India, said he has found, after being in the U.S. about three months, the pace actually seems slower here. He said things in his country, especially school assignments, are expected to be done on shorter deadlines.

“I get a lot more time to do it here. I feel like it’s a more laid-back atmosphere over here,” Cowasji said. “They have a lot of consideration as to you shouldn’t have too many things due at the same time. Back at home, they just pile it all on you.”

Kong said she noticed the U.S. emphasizes different ideas about space as well as time.

“In this country, people tend to want more personal space compared with a lot of cultures,” Kong said. “In general, [China] doesn’t really emphasize this is my space. People tend to get close to each other. Over here, I feel like people really know to define their space, and people have a clear idea of what boundary they cannot cross over.”

Kong said people tend to stand closer to each other while in conversation or in public places in China, and people do not emphasize the idea of a personal space bubble as much.

“If you’re waiting in line, like shopping, whatever, I have to remind myself, keep a certain distance,” Kong said.

Mailis Amico, an exchange student from France studying economics, said people seem to touch each other less here than in her country. She said French people typically greet each other with a hug and a kiss, but that is not as common here.

Amico, who has been in the U.S. about three months, said cities also seem much more spread out here than in France, and there is less activity and fewer people in the streets.

“Here, everybody is in their car, and there’s nobody walking in the streets,” Amico said. “I went to Walmart and everybody was in the car, and we were the only people walking. In France, I walk every time.”

Kong said she also noticed there is much more open space in the U.S.

“When I got here, everything was so spread out, and I was like, ‘Where are the people?’ There’s too much space,” Kong said. “Houses are so far away from each other. I was used to having people around.”

Amico said people in France tend to either use public transportation or walk, and she finds it inconvenient that public transportation is not as developed here. She said it once took two hours to get to Walmart on the bus.

Cowasji said he has found that cities are actually planned better here than in India, because many parts of India are congested, partially due to a high population density.

“We have the second-largest population in the world,” Cowasji said. “People are just building one building after the next, and it’s just getting more and more congested.”

He said roads in India tend to become narrower over time because the country adds buildings without widening any of the roads.

Cowasji, who will live in the U.S. until he graduates from OU, said it has been very difficult adjusting to life in the U.S. in general.

“It’s a very different atmosphere. I definitely get a culture shock,” Cowasji said. “In the beginning I found it hard to socialize ... because everything was so different.”

Kong said although she has been in the U.S. for seven years, she still finds perceptions of U.S. time and personal space to be somewhat foreign entities.

“I still haven’t completely grasped time in this culture,” Kong said.