UW-Madison plays host to nearly 4,000 international students each semester, and during the bone-chilling winters, it is easy to wonder why these students ever wanted to come to Madison.
For graduate exchange student Johanna Brotherus, her arrival to Madison from Finland was her first chance to visit the United States.
'I had heard it was lots of fun, but wild, and the school was very good,' said Brotherus, who won a scholarship to study at Wisconsin.
For Daniele Dosi, a graduate exchange student from Italy, weather was his biggest fear, since he had already been an exchange student in other countries.
He was surprised by the strong feeling of community and connection between the city and university. Other international students agreed.
'It is a small-big place, it's very vibrant and there are so many things to do outside of the university,' said Chinthu Udayarajan, UW-Madison graduate student from India.
Udayarajan came to Madison for the food science program because she had heard it was strong.
At first, the American English accent was difficult for her to understand, but her comprehension has since improved.
Similarly, Brotherus had a tough time adjusting to the language, particularly in conversation.
'It took me awhile to get used to the small talk. At first I could not tell if people were just being friendly or if they were hitting on me,' she said.
Like Udayarajan, research assistant Mee-Ryung (Agnes) Lee came from Korea to UW-Madison because of academics.
'You can do whatever you want here in terms of research,' she said. 'Professionals respect students, and the opinion of students is valued.'
Many international students like Lee agree that the trials of studying in another country are well worth it.
'My favorite part is the lake and the summertime ?? I think this is one of the most happiest times of my life.'
