Hopefully you are all doing well. The past weeks have been crazier than usual and I haven't had a lot of time to write. This month was the closing ceremony for the CUNY Service Corps at Lehman college. I woke up so early (whoever knows me well, also knows I am not a morning person...unless I am getting paid for it, then I can wake up at 3am, 4am... hahah ) to take the subway all the way from Brooklyn to the Bronx and it took me over 1h and 20 minutes to get there!
I was happy to see my friends and heard the awesome news that some of them got hired!!
I've also had a chance to talk to other international students that were not able get job afterwards because of visa restrictions.
Every single person I've ever met who was not in our f1 visa have no clue what we go through.
Sometimes international students move to the U.S with little or no English at all... other times, we face the struggles of paying for our college tuition (no financial plans, no FASFA, not a lot of scholarships, out-of-state tuition, etc.) and so much more.
The reality is that we come here alone and we are probably leaving alone (unless you get married at some point ! lol) that is the reason we need to set a goal and work as hard as we can to accomplish it.
I am not going to lie and say I was the best student at High School, in fact I was really bad. I couldn't care less about my grades and if I got a passing grade, I was happy. Failures have shown me that I needed to change something in my life, I had to keep trying, I had to find my passions and set up GOALS.
Moving to the U.S has changed me in a dramatic way. The American system works differently; not only in terms of college education, but also personal relations, networking and the paths to get to your dreams. The best way to improve yourself is moving to a country where you have to conquer you job through you academic rating and understanding your flaws and limitations.
When I started to participate in college activities and I was exposed to what was available for me in terms of friendships, jobs and personal development; I could not stop. Self-improvement is addictive!
A special thanks (and I will always be grateful for this person) is to Mr. Harry Mars, who is the Director of student activities of my college. He is ALWAYS there for students, not only as a director but taking multiple roles; such as a father for students, a role model, a counselor, a peace-maker and he will always be his best it doesn't matter what the situation is. Oh! Just a funny thing that happened last semester:
When I was the Vice-President of the Beauty and Fashion
Club, we were hosting a big Christmas party for students and the president of
the club got some donations, which were HUUUGE panels from a previous Fashion
show she has attended. Since we did not know who to talk to, one of the club
members just drove this huge truck and dropped everything off on a space that
had an open door (for college deliveries and stuff like that). Since we were
not allowed to do it (but unaware of it) The college security started looking
for us, investigating cameras and everything and they were also decided to call
the city trash collection to take it away hahah
So Mr. Mars was contacted, and after talking to us, we explained that it was our first club, we were not aware of where to dispose things, college permissions, etc. As usual, he went above and beyond, he talked to security with us and did his best to try to accommodate all the stuff we had but unfortunately the panels were so huge that they couldn't even pass the college's door. But anyways, it was just one situation that Mr. Mars showed his professionalism and understanding of student needs and at the same time, we learned what to do and definitely what NOT to do on campus haha.
Through him, I've heard and participate of leadership academies ( B.O.L.T and P.L.U.S) and I've made friends for a lifetime. THANK you again Mr. Mars.
Going back to our topic, as an international student myself I faced and continue to face a lot of challenges every single day. I found out some tips for international students are they seem to be very accurate!
1- Get involved
One of the best ways to make new friends is to join a club or an organization. Do you love music or play an instrument? Mix with a group of like-minded people and maybe even join a band or choir. Participate in sports or some other activities that you like and have maybe even done before college – Sports are a great way to meet new people because you all have a common goal. Whatever it is that interests you, you will have no trouble finding a group or organization, either on or off campus that you can join and enjoy. Once you are a member, join group activities and volunteer to help. You will get to know others while doing good. Club activities easily turn into social activities and you’ll find yourself going to the movies or for a bite to eat with fellow members.
2- Learn English phrases and slangs
This seems obvious, but the slang is the important part. College students in America typically don’t speak as formally as the books and guides that teach non-English speakers, so be sure to research some commonly used phrases and slang terms among the youth of America. If you hear a phrase that confuses you, don’t be afraid to ask! It will be easier to make friends with other students if you show genuine interest in what they’re saying.
3- Tip!
Tipping, while not a common practice throughout the rest of the world, is expected in the U.S. Restaurants do not typically add gratuity to a bill, so patrons are expected to tip their server somewhere between 15-20% to reward them for their service. It is considered extremely rude not to do so, so be sure to check your bill and tip your waiter if gratuity hasn’t been added.
4- Keep up with pop culture and sports for good conversation topics
College students in the U.S., just like everywhere else, love to talk about entertainment and sports. Use your free time to read magazines and update yourself on entertainment news, watch popular TV programs, and learn the basics of popular American sports like football, baseball, basketball and hockey. Not only will this help you have conversations with native students, but it will provide you with an authentic experience of American culture.
5- Befriend American students as well as other international students
I’ve been an international student before, so I understand that it’s often difficult to break out of that classification and make friends with the locals. International students are grouped together in living arrangements and classes at many universities, so you should make a conscious effort to befriend some Americans. It may seem intimidating, but it’ll give you a more authentic experience and hopefully provide you with lifelong friends that you can go back and visit someday!
6- Don’t be intimidated
This advice goes for pretty much anyone studying abroad: no matter who you are or where you’re from, you’ll be interacting primarily with other college students, and we all have many similar qualities and interests deep down. Take the rest of these tips into consideration and get ready for the experience of a lifetime!
So Mr. Mars was contacted, and after talking to us, we explained that it was our first club, we were not aware of where to dispose things, college permissions, etc. As usual, he went above and beyond, he talked to security with us and did his best to try to accommodate all the stuff we had but unfortunately the panels were so huge that they couldn't even pass the college's door. But anyways, it was just one situation that Mr. Mars showed his professionalism and understanding of student needs and at the same time, we learned what to do and definitely what NOT to do on campus haha.
Through him, I've heard and participate of leadership academies ( B.O.L.T and P.L.U.S) and I've made friends for a lifetime. THANK you again Mr. Mars.
Going back to our topic, as an international student myself I faced and continue to face a lot of challenges every single day. I found out some tips for international students are they seem to be very accurate!
1- Get involved
One of the best ways to make new friends is to join a club or an organization. Do you love music or play an instrument? Mix with a group of like-minded people and maybe even join a band or choir. Participate in sports or some other activities that you like and have maybe even done before college – Sports are a great way to meet new people because you all have a common goal. Whatever it is that interests you, you will have no trouble finding a group or organization, either on or off campus that you can join and enjoy. Once you are a member, join group activities and volunteer to help. You will get to know others while doing good. Club activities easily turn into social activities and you’ll find yourself going to the movies or for a bite to eat with fellow members.
2- Learn English phrases and slangs
This seems obvious, but the slang is the important part. College students in America typically don’t speak as formally as the books and guides that teach non-English speakers, so be sure to research some commonly used phrases and slang terms among the youth of America. If you hear a phrase that confuses you, don’t be afraid to ask! It will be easier to make friends with other students if you show genuine interest in what they’re saying.
3- Tip!
Tipping, while not a common practice throughout the rest of the world, is expected in the U.S. Restaurants do not typically add gratuity to a bill, so patrons are expected to tip their server somewhere between 15-20% to reward them for their service. It is considered extremely rude not to do so, so be sure to check your bill and tip your waiter if gratuity hasn’t been added.
4- Keep up with pop culture and sports for good conversation topics
College students in the U.S., just like everywhere else, love to talk about entertainment and sports. Use your free time to read magazines and update yourself on entertainment news, watch popular TV programs, and learn the basics of popular American sports like football, baseball, basketball and hockey. Not only will this help you have conversations with native students, but it will provide you with an authentic experience of American culture.
5- Befriend American students as well as other international students
I’ve been an international student before, so I understand that it’s often difficult to break out of that classification and make friends with the locals. International students are grouped together in living arrangements and classes at many universities, so you should make a conscious effort to befriend some Americans. It may seem intimidating, but it’ll give you a more authentic experience and hopefully provide you with lifelong friends that you can go back and visit someday!
6- Don’t be intimidated
This advice goes for pretty much anyone studying abroad: no matter who you are or where you’re from, you’ll be interacting primarily with other college students, and we all have many similar qualities and interests deep down. Take the rest of these tips into consideration and get ready for the experience of a lifetime!
0 COMMENTS:
Post a Comment
Leave your comment here! :)