When I first went to Iowa, USA to study, I lived with some relatives. Soon I was uncomfortable living there and was unable to study. At first it was difficult for me to leave my relative’s  house as my family allowed me to go the States provided that I live with my relatives. Another reason was that I was not used to looking for an apartment, I was not used to living on my own and was not used to sharing an apartment with another student. I could not overcome my feelings of fear and hesitation. Thinking about living outside my relative’s home meant that that was the end of my stay in the States. But as the situation worsened and could not cope for 8 months, I sent a detailed letter to my mother and brother in which I described how I was living. My brother called and said I could move out. This was a great relief, but it happened one week before final exams and I was finishing some term papers and it was not opportune to look for an apartment. Two Iraqi friends of mine (Huda and Mona) invited me to stay with them during final exams and offered to help me look for a place to stay once final exams were over. I stayed with them for a month and learnt some self-management skills from them.