How American Colleges Should Adjust Themselves for International Students - Essay Example

How American Colleges should adjust themselves for International Introduction Without any doubt, asstudents from international community study in American institutions they come with many benefits for the United States. They add the diversity of student populations, increase perspectives to classroom conversations, and increase our appreciation and awareness for other cultures and countries. They bring skills and knowledge in many fields, especially within engineering, sciences, and technology. Students who decide to stay after completing studies add to the capital intellectual of the United States, and those that fly back to their home more do with good will and affinity for their homes. In addition, in the field of policy of the foreign the United States and other more developed countries’ colleges educate many of those who take positions in leadership. Especially in other countries, this in the end may benefit relations between nations (Kegel 1). In addition, International students from international communities who chose to study in America colleges are mostly the bright students in their home nations and are also very motivated and focused students. However, these international students face a merge of challenges from the time they report to college. One of the challenges, for instance, English proficiency may be particularly problematic for most students from internationally. For example, in China, English is not taught through a speaking form but rather more through writing. As a result, many students from China know English vocabulary and grammar better, but have a hard time in conversing in English. International students from the international community mostly have challenges in understanding lectures, taking part in class discussions, writing term papers and taking notes. These students may also have difficulty understanding U.S English accents, idioms, slang, accents, and jokes. More so, international students may however think that they are incompetent in English conversational to participate in class (Kuo 1). However to make this matter more complex, the corporate world and community want students to grow and learn during college. Employers, parents of all students, and the public at large expect that college graduates will have gained adequate knowledge and certain abilities, qualities, and skills, including career cognitive and competencies when undertaking practical. They will demonstrate a given high level of competency in critical thinking, working as teamwork, resilience, solving problems and communication. They will be committed to social and personal responsibility, civic engagement, intercultural competency, and possess the ability to apply learning across various fields and in many dimensions. A graduate student who has developed those qualities is ready for success in career and life. The kind of learning experiences that helps students achieve those outcomes is not just memorizing, and it takes more than simply cramming for tests or sitting in class at the last minute. More so, true higher learning demands a lot of students. It demands sustained and real engagement with learning experiences outside and inside the classroom. To take advantage of the opportunities in higher education, students need to do far more than just showing up during classes. Given what it takes to be more successful in higher education and later, in life and work, students have to be social and spiritual well-being. Brain, body, and mind must be in shape ready to learning a state of physical, psychological, emotional, for and open to learning experiences. How prepared a students are for learning determines how well and how much they learn, and influences retention, graduation, and persistence. Therefore, with challenges international students undergo, they may not be able to be in a state that is conducive as mention. Everyone wants a student who begins college life to experience all that higher education can offer and to graduate. It means we must pay attention to well-being of the students (Douce and Keeling 1). Therefore, the main idea and focus of this paper is to outline a means in which American institution can adjust in order to accommodate international students to avoid challenges and problems they undergo which might affect their studies. The paper will also outline critical examples of the problems on what most international students’ experiences in the United States colleges. Colleges need to negotiate basic academic procedures and living arrangements for international students. It includes admission; registration, residence life, and dining in order to accommodate students from other nations despite the more requirements such students have as compared to native students. There is a critical necessity of colleges to identify ways of meeting the special needs of international students on campus; however this is might be more difficult for small institutions. Another observation is that the issues that international students encounter should be often addressed through counseling by colleges. After the fact, and contends, the focus should be on proactive programs that assist students in their initial integration into the community (Lee and Rice 386). Creation of International Support Services Section in every college would also be essential. Its responsibility should be to assist international students in their transition into life at American colleges and Institutions. They should also provide international students with the information that is necessary and provide assistance that would help them to adapt and learn the local lifestyle and culture. It is in order for them to comfortably and fully experience a diverse international environment (business 4). To support this argument, for instance, international students confront an array of adjustments of culture. Most often, the responsibility is always left to the students to adapt or adjust to the American culture rather than for colleges to understand and try to accommodate their unique needs. There are reports that students from other developing countries and Asia experience greater difficulties than students from Western Europe in the areas of teaching, tutoring, language, teaching, homesickness, and making friends. These issues greatly hinder their social integration as well as their academic progress. Therefore, colleges must provide international support services for these students in order for them to overcome these odds (Lee and Rice 386). Students may feel a difference and therefore marginalized in the total student population (for example by ethnicity, race, gender expression ethnicity, country of origin, sexual orientation, veteran or age). International students have been even having more difficulty in reaching out for help from the various American institution and colleges. Providing cultural actively competent and outreach services to certain populations in the college is necessary to assisting all students seek help when needed in every college in America (Douce and Keeling 4). However, neo-racism is can be a notion of cultural and national superiority and an growing foundation for assimilating or marginalizing groups in a globalizing world. In the higher education setting, neo-racism can emerge in the form of rejection of admission, less than objective academic evaluations, losing or not being able to obtain aid in finance. It may also be negative remarks from fellow students and faculties, and barriers to forming interpersonal relationships in the host society (Lee and Rice 390). Guidelines and regulation that relates to working and teaching with international students need to be articulated by every college administration. Its aim is so to make faculties aware of their responsibilities in the provision of an environment that is welcoming and safely for international students. It should be known, for example that these students may have different perceptions of the faculty-student relationship. They may also respond in different ways than do United States students, and may have a feeling that authority figures are beyond reproach. International students need to be made aware and sensitized of intercultural issues they are likely to find, and be well informed of avenues of redress and support should they encounter threatening or unfairness situations. For instance, some international students have been reporting direct insults from their professors. Several international students have been speaking of faculties making negative comments about their culture or home country in class and, in a few cases, engaging in verbal or sexual harassment (Gerdes and Bren 282). Colleges also need to have a degree of institutional accountability for international student satisfaction and, ultimately, for positive relations with potential future students in the internationals’ home countries. The most obvious first step is for colleges in America to become aware that discrimination based on a nation of origin exists in many forms. However, members of the educational community in every college should be made aware of this issue. Also need to know their responsibility in creating intellectual environments that foster cross-national acceptance and learning and in rejecting the perpetuation of national stereotypes (Lee and Rice 406). There is a need to organize interaction programs in colleges. It can only be achieved by either International Student Unit or Student Affairs Unit or should be formed if it is not in existence in every college. It is to promote wonderful relationship among fellow students from international communities and culture comprehension. Such activities include activities and programs for international students; Gatherings for friends and families; Meetings with fellow countrymen. It is because many international students feelings of discomfort are experienced in classes where international students feel they are ignored during lessons. Already, under such circumstances, feeling like someone from outside, insecurities heightened when they are left out of students’ study groups or social events. For instance, Lee and Rice reported about young Chinese women who tried very hard to grasp English and fit the culture of students. They said that during class breaks or leaving the room after class they usually hear American students make plans to get together but that she and other international students are not invited. Some attributed their problems to their lack of knowledge in speaking English fluently. Others were uncomfortable with the give and take of classroom dynamics, and perceived as incompetent. Some of these negative experiences involved actions and attitudes of professors (Lee and Rice 397 ). Conclusion In conclusion, Universities and Colleges cannot, whatsoever ensure high-quality learning and therefore cannot achieve their vision and mission. Colleges cannot accomplish their goals or serve their valuable social, economic, and civic purposes without attending to the challenges experienced by international students. They cannot effectively educate students or prepare them to be innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders without responding effectively to the factors that affect their ability to learn. Treating and recognizing depression and anxiety, effectively managing stress and behavioral homesicknesses can strengthen learning outcome. Improvising the quality and nature of the environment for learning can also be expected to strengthen and improve learning outcomes for students of any age bracket and in any context. Works cited Gerdes, Hilary and Brent Mallinckrodt. Emotional, Social, and Academic Adjustment of College Students: A Longitudinal Study of Retention. Journal of Counseling and Development, 72.3 (1994): 281–288. Print Louise A and Richard P. Keeling. A Strategic Primer on College Student.American Council on Education: 34.2 (2014):1-4. print K, Kegel. International College Students. Compelling Counselling Intervention.Journal of Psychology Counselling. 16. 7 (2009): 1-2. print Kuo, Ya Hui. "Language Challenges Faced by International Students in United States." Journal of International Students. 10 .7 (2011): 341-342. AMC School of Business. "International Students Handbook,. " web 28 November 2014. Lee, Jenny J and Charles Rice. Higher Education."International Students Perceptions on Discrimination. 53 .1 (2007):381-399. Springer Science and Media Publishers. Read More