A Whole New World: Insights into the
International Student Experience
Presenters:
• Jill Burrus
• Megan Gurdine
• Carla Honkanen
Did you Know?
According to the National Association of Foreign Student
Advisers (NAFSA) annual Economic Impact Statements for
the 2014-15 academic year, international students
contributed $30.5 billion to the U.S. Economy.
For NACADA Region 8 U.S. States (Alaska, Idaho, Montana,
Oregon, and Washington):
◦ Enrollment: 48,744 students
◦ Total Contribution: Over $1.4 billion
◦ # of Jobs Created/Supported: 15,363
Numbers
According to the July 2015 Student and
Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) report,
there are over a million F-1 students in the
U.S.
Top Majors for
International
Students
Bellevue College
Fall 2015
 Over 1,200 international students
 Over 74 countries represented
 Three different programs—English language, college (certificate, associate’s, and bachelor’s), and
International Business Professions (IBP)
Advising Team
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Four International Students Advisors and one Assistant Director of Student Success
Provide immigration and academic advising
Students are divided up into groups, with college the largest group
Advisors are responsible for 300+ students
Rotating walk-in advising schedule for four hours per day Monday-Thursday
Important Documents
1. Passport
2. F-1 Student Visa
3. Form I-20
Most Important F-1 International
Students Rules
1.
Pursue a full course of study (a minimum of 12 credits/quarter)
2.
At least 7 out of 12 credits must be on campus or hybrid. The remaining credits can be
online
3.
Make normal progress towards completing the course of study
4.
Report address changes within 10 days
5.
Follow college, local, state, and federal laws
6.
Cannot work off-campus without permission
Key Advising Tip
F-1 international students must have at least 12 credits for the entire quarter.
A Hardship Withdrawal “HW” or Withdrawal “W” does not count toward the student’s final
completed credits. If a student is registered for 12 credits and gets an “HW”, s/he will be out-ofstatus (unlawfully in the US) at the end of the quarter for failing to complete 12 credits.
Possible Solutions:
1.
Save immigration status by sacrificing the GPA. Ask the instructor to change “HW” to a letter
grade.
2.
Save the GPA by sacrificing immigration status. Become out-of-status (unlawful) with
immigration for completing below 12 credits and take necessary steps to regain valid F-1
status.
Legal Work Options
F-1 Student Visa holders cannot work off-campus except in special authorized circumstances,
BUT they can work on-campus.
Common places that hire international students are:
Bookstore
Cafeteria
Early Learning Center
Computer Lab
Gym
Library
Student Programs
Tutoring Center
Office of International Education
Legal Work Options
1.
Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
◦
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2.
Internship (paid or unpaid) related to major
Available after nine months of study
Must have approval from Academic Advisor and Office of International Education
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
◦
Student must graduate with a 45-credit certificate or higher
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Available at the academic certificate, associate’s, bachelor's, master’s and doctoral levels
Apply through United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
If approved, given an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card
Employment must be related to degree
International Student Experience
Do we know what the experience is like for international students? Can we try to understand
what they are going through?
Let’s see if we can connect a bit to their experience… an activity!
ACTIVITY:
Take a note card and read the description. Then discuss your scenario with a partner
International Student Experience
Back to the question: “Do we know what the experience is like for our international students?”
Ways to empathize with their experience:
•Ask about their experience, be curious
•Travel (long enough to experience culture shock)
•Study a new language and dare to use it
•Go out of your cultural comfort-zone
What is the purpose of academic advising?
International
Student Advising
Survey
•
•
•
•
Stress management (Alleviate uncertainty about one’s future)
To plan courses efficiently in order to graduate as soon as possible
To prepare for major pre-requisites efficiently
To learn about applying to universities
What do advisors do for their students?
• Guide class choices and guide selection of pre-requisites for major
TAKE-AWAY: Time really is money for international students
One student writes, “For international students, tuition is more
expensive, so students want to finish courses as fast as they can, and
should make sure that classes fit with their major preparation.”
Please tell us something you wish your advisor understood about your
culture.
International
Student Advising
Survey
• International students don’t like being seen “as exotic and exciting”
• School names and ranking are extremely important and these
choices guide success in their future careers
• Difficulty making eye contact with elders or “superiors”
• Differing communication styles as well as different levels of intensity
when discussing personal and academic goals
TAKE-AWAY: Don’t make assumptions – consider personal/cultural
differences
Describe what you think a perfect meeting with your advisor feels like?
• Student feels welcomed and the appointment is personal
• Advisors asked questions the student hadn’t considered and offered
a variety of solutions
• Worries are confronted in the session
• Advisor is well connected to other resources on campus to
supplement their own knowledge
• Appointments are easily scheduled and an advisor can be seen
sooner, rather than later
What International Students Want
TIME
40%
of respondents prefer making
appointments in person
One student wrote:
“I wanted to have more time to discuss, but I had to stop because
there were students waiting. When appointments are made, if you
put a little time between students, it will help to negotiate the
time before meeting the next student.
What International Students Want
60%
40%
of respondents prefer contact with
advisors by email.
of respondents prefer contact with
advisors by text.
Challenges and Tips:
1. Language Barrier
• The language barrier is not usually an international student’s largest obstacle to
learning, but it is present.
• A student may experience a sense of being “pushed away,” if forced to rely on their own weak English skills to
resolve an issue.
• Academic writing and high volumes of reading tend to be the most difficult for
students
• Second language skills do not reflect intelligence – may be an excellent
communicator in their first language
• An academic major may have a different name in the student’s home country.
• One student pointed out, in Korea, “Urban Planning” is named something more like “Environmental Science.”
Challenges and Tips:
2. Difficulty Connecting between Advisors/Students
• Take time to learn and remember the student’s name – ask them to write it
and show interest
• Be direct and set up an appointment if you need to see the student –
encourage walk-in hours if possible
• Comprehension checks can be useful
• Ask specific question like “How do you like school here?” or other questions
of interest
Challenges and Tips:
3. Unfamiliar with US Education Culture/Style
• Clarify expectations of US academic system
• About 82% of Bellevue College international students come from Asian countries, where most instruction is
conducted in a lecture format with focus on memorization and grades based on quizzes and tests.
• Eager to finish and transfer-out ASAP (e.g., Age limit in job hunting in Japan):
• “We are overwhelmed with school, financial issues etc. American school system is very complicated, and we need
extra help. If we mess up we are in huge trouble so we can't afford to make mistakes.”
• Students feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility due to the financial sacrifice one’s family is making.
• Unclear on general education requirements (e.g., Why take a humanities class as an
engineering major?)
• Reiterate the importance of regularly meeting with academic and international
advisors to stay on track
• Share personal experience to illustrate the importance of well-balanced knowledge in
your profession (writing skills are important!)
Challenges and Tips:
4. Lack of Experience in Navigating Diverse Environments
• Many students come from homogeneous societies where students are same
age, same race, speak the same language, and have similar socio- economic
backgrounds
• Encourage students to see you during the office hours for any concerns or
confusion
Challenges and Tips:
5. New Found Independence
• US college life may open students to new experiences, but may also make it
hard to balance the freedom with their usual daily structure
• If you notice a decline in academic performance, please contact the Office of
International Education and find out if s/he is an int’l student and then
encourage the student to see an International Student Advisor
Challenges and Tips:
6. Passive Approach to Education
• Which university is good for me?
• One student wrote: “In Asian culture, we have some cultural institutions that measure the success of education by
the name of schools. Therefore, some international students want to transfer to "good" universities to make their
career better.”
• What major will get me a good job?
• International students may view faculty and advisors as “older and wiser” and expect
to be told what to do
• In our survey, students rated positive experiences based on the advisor’s:
◦ Ability to recommend good classes or even choose classes for the student.
◦ Ability to evaluate previous coursework (and choose appropriate classes). Remember: Time is Money!
• Explain that getting to know oneself is part of learning
• Encourage students to take active part in numerous university transfer workshops
and activities that happen every quarter
Challenges and Tips for Supporting
International Students
7. Immigration and Governmental Limitations
• Know that international students, even at a young age, are bound by many
citizenship and visa status policies that may add stress and concerns that
domestic students do not have
• Students may not work, take a break or ‘be anonymous’ like their US
classmates
• Encourage contact with their International Student Advisor to be
informed/advised!
The End—Thank You!
References:
NAFSA International Student Economic Value Tool. Retrieved from
http://www.nafsa.org/Content.aspx?id=34242
SEVIS By the Numbers: General Summary Quarterly Review August 2015. Retrieved from
https://www.ice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Report/2015/sevis_bythenumbers_aug15.p
df
NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Retrieved from http://www.nafsa.org/
Huggins, B. (2015) Personal interview.
Hada, K. (2015) Personal interview.
Gurdine, M. “Quality Advising for International Students." Survey. January 2016