If Prateek Bhatnagar’s community adviser were to walk into his dorm room earlier this month, he wouldn’t have liked what he saw.

Newspapers were spread out just inside the doorway to catch the pieces of birthday cake that were joyfully thrown at Bhatnagar’s face. He didn’t care that he had just turned 18, but it was his first birthday in America.

Bhatnagar, freshman in computer engineering, is from New Delhi, India. He came to Iowa State this year in hopes of working for a computer security company after he graduates.

He said there are plenty of differences between the two cultures and that it has been interesting trying to learn them.

“I liked Iowa State because it’s a big school which is known for its computer technology and will help me get better job opportunities in the future,” Bhatnagar said.

Bhatnagar also looked at schools such as Texas A&M, San Jose State and the University of Texas-Dallas before deciding on Iowa State. The transition wasn’t easy at first.

“The hardest thing I had to adjust to was the type of food,” Bhatnagar said. “There are so many new and different types of food here.”

This complicates things for Bhatnagar, because beef is not consumed at all in India, where cows are considered sacred.

However, Bhatnagar said he has at least tried beef, but didn’t like the taste of it.

Bhatnagar said that along with the food challenges, he suffered from homesickness at first.

“It was hard being away from India for so long for the first time, but it’s all good now,” Bhatnagar said.

Bhatnagar’s roommate, Harmit Singh, freshman in electrical engineering, is also from India. Singh and other friends from New Delhi has made the transition easier for Bhatnagar. Riddhik Rathod, one of Bhatnagar’s friends, also admits that having a group of friends he can relate to have made it a lot easier.

“We share the same culture and there is a wall of confidence because all of us speak the same language. It helps when one another is feeling homesick,” Rathod said.

Bhatnagar’s dorm in Helser Hall is commonly filled with his peers as they stay up late into the night talking on the phone and enjoying each other’s company.

Some differences between schools here and in India weren’t hard to find. In India, for example, most of the reading and homework assignments were done in class, as compared to the take-home philosophy in the west.

Bhatnagar said he had an idea in his mind that people in America were snooty and standoffish. He was happily surprised.

“I was surprised at how friendly people are. They seem to always be willing to help and offer advice,” Bhatnagar said.

Above all, his favorite part of his experience at Iowa State has been meeting new people.

“I like meeting new people and making new friends in and outside of class,” Bhatnagar said. “Having friends from all over the globe will help me in the long run.”