LSU graduate turned fear into best-seller

• By JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: May 17, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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International student Ge Mu of China was lonely and scared when she moved to LSU to study mathematics.

But she was all smiles Friday when she was among 3,247 LSU graduates.

Mu eventually adjusted so well to life in Baton Rouge she literally wrote the book on applying and adapting to college life in the United States through her own LSU experiences.

The book, which translates to “Being an Undergraduate in the U.S.,” is a best-seller in China and is helping introduce LSU to the Far East.

“It was really scary,” Mu said of moving to a new country. “I spent a whole week crying because my English was not good then.”

But other Chinese students helped her adjust and she quickly branched out to the point that she feels LSU was the best place for her.

“I call it a fate,” she said. “I’m just excited. I’m so proud. It’s like a feeling of gratefulness beyond word description.”

Mu’s parents even flew in from Harbin, China, for the main commencement ceremony at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

The main commencement was among 14 diploma ceremonies throughout the day.

The main ceremony’s commencement speaker also took an unusual route to LSU.

Gov. Bobby Jindal lived the first few years of his life in LSU student housing, even though he never actually attended LSU.

Jindal’s parents moved to Baton Rouge from India 37 years ago when his mother, Raj, was pregnant with him. They were moving so she could study nuclear physics at LSU.

Jindal joked about being praised Friday as LSU’s honored guest.