Learning about other students as well as sharing about his life is what Imtiaz Butt had in mind when he decided that he wanted to study in the United States. “I’m from Islamabad Pakistan and I came to the United States to get a higher education at the university here and to get a broader experience, more cultural experience, to have a wider diversity of friends from different countries and learn things from them and teach them something as well.”
Imtiaz says coming to the United States was a fairly easy process for him. After submitting his passport to the Embassy back home, two weeks later his visa was approved. Shortly after that, Imtiaz Butt walked on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Currently I’m at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and I am studying economics,’ he says. “My ambition in life is to be an investment analyst or a commodity trader so economics gives me the insight on how to read financial data to make my analysis on certain things that is the major reason why I took economics.”
Imtiaz says the business school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is ranked top notch and he likes being around other international students that are studying economics because they are willing to give him advice and help with his own studies. Imtiaz has also learned to maintain his studies while staying busy with other campus activities. “While I am here I am involved in Phi Delta Zeta fraternity which is a fraternity on campus and I am a full-time student along with working part-time as well,” he says. “My economics major has been a good experience in the sense that I have learned a lot from my instructors over here. They are very knowledgeable of the subject and they are willing to spend time with you if you don’t understand the subject matter,” he adds. “As far as my other activities are concerned outside of classes there is a lot of stuff to do here like intramural sports and other student organizations that I am a member of so it is a pretty busy time of life.”
There are a few things Imtiaz says he has notice that aren't the same for him as it was back home. “Well the Pakistani people are very friendly in the sense that they would want to be your friend and more than likely they will not have a language problem either. Their comprehension of English would be as good as an American when they come here,” he says. “ Usually people don’t talk to foreigners because they are scare that they might offend them so the number one thing that I say is the only way you can offend them is by not talking to them or not approaching them,” he says. “Also back home when you meet someone even if they are old friends of yours you greet them with a handshake. Over here that is not very common. Another thing is that back home the term ‘hi’ doesn’t exist ‘hello’ exist or a greeting in our language exist,” he adds. “Another thing back home it is a bit more conservative on how you go to class, what you are wearing. Over here you can just go in jeans and T-shirts.”
Right now Imtiaz says he sees his country and the United States as allies; however he also says both countries need to become more trusting of with one another. “Right now I consider we are allies and we are fighting together against terrorism so I would say that the relations are good. I just think a bit more trust needs to come between the two parties that if Pakistan says that they will do something…they will get it done. No sanctions or strong-arming needs to be done in order to get something done and vice versa,” he says. “Also the number of visas given in Pakistan to come to the U-S has been reduced because of terrorism. It is not the people, you can say if you bring people over that they are bad, they want to see the U-S too it is like a tourist attraction and they have no bad intentions for the U-S at all.”