International students frequently choose the United States for their degrees because of the variety of challenges it provides them. Studying here can be both exciting and nerve-wracking!
Here are some helpful tips that will ensure international students enjoy a successful and exciting experience at college!
1. Learn the Language
Learning a foreign language can be an essential element of international student experience; yet its repetitive and often monotonous nature may lead to burnout over time.
One way to combat that is by finding ways to make language learning fun and enjoyable. Listening to popular songs or watching television programs may help students enjoy language study without becoming tedious or boring.
Meeting language partners is also beneficial, both online and off. Websites like Hellotalk, Italki and Tandem provide language exchange between people speaking their native tongue and students who would like to practice speaking it for equal speaking time. Students may also volunteer with immigrants or visit businesses serving their local community for practice sessions.
2. Get to Know Your Host Country
Acquainting yourself with your host country will be key in understanding its culture and environment while abroad. Doing so will allow for smoother adaptation, less discrepancies between expectations and reality, and being an excellent representative for UVM and America.
Knowledge of your host culture’s attitudes toward race, ethnicity and nationhood will also be invaluable. Additionally, be sure to investigate whether their expectations for gender roles align with your personal values.
Gather as much knowledge about your host country’s history, geography, current events, food, and music by asking locals, visiting museums and monuments, listening to music from there as well as watching movies and television shows from there, exploring its cities on foot or bus, etc.
3. Keep in Touch with Family and Friends
Maintaining strong family ties during extended studies or work can be challenging when international students live far away from their family. Try calling or video-calling them regularly to see how they’re doing and inquire about any health concerns among older family members.
Finding out if their school offers international student support services or general student support services will also prove valuable in making sure students can understand their legal status and culture, meet other international students with similar experiences, and receive advice. Such connections ensure students will always have someone they can turn to when feeling homesick; furthermore they provide access to pedagogies designed to promote inclusivity and diversity within classroom settings.
4. Get a Cell Phone
International students studying in the US should make it a point to purchase a US-based cell phone as this will allow them to stay in touch with family and friends back home while making tuition and bills payments easier.
An international student needs reliable internet connectivity whether traveling for work or studying overseas. Knowing if their apartment or school offers good coverage is also helpful.
Encourage international students to develop support networks by making it easy for them to form connections on campus and with local people. Your university should offer mentor buddies and Unibuddy programs; providing this help demonstrates your care for international students who wish to succeed in their new environments.
5. Build Support Networks
Students studying abroad often benefit from connecting classroom lessons to their personal experiences, making it easier to grasp and participate in discussions. Furthermore, studying abroad allows students to network with professionals from abroad who may work or studied at their home university and provide insider knowledge or referrals that would otherwise be difficult to come by.
International students may also benefit from making connections with campus services, including the international student office, tutoring programs, advising services, multicultural centers and general support services.
Educators can also connect students to campus clubs and organizations, which offer great opportunities to meet like-minded individuals. By encouraging participation in these activities, educators can ensure students create supportive networks that will last even after graduation has taken place.