Success Strategies for
International Students
Chetan Tiwari, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Geography
Undergraduate  Graduate
▪ Student  Apprentice  Expert
▪ Breadth over Depth  Depth over Breadth
▪ Recipient of Knowledge  Analyzer/Creator of Knowledge
▪ Externally Directed  Self-Directed
▪ Need to start “thinking critically”
▪ Need to “master” a specific skill set or create “new” knowledge
Courtesy: http://www.uwo.ca/humanresources/leadersdigest/documents/Grad_Student.ppt
You’re In! Now What?
▪ Take classes
▪ Teaching
▪ RESEARCH!
▪ Get a social life while you are at it!
Classroom Success
▪ How many to take?
▪ When to take which classes? Make a DEGREE PLAN!
▪ Take “easy” classes or “hard classes” or classes that your friends are
taking?!
▪ Plagiarism in the classroom – no its NOT OK to simply copy your
friends homework solutions from last year
▪ And, its NOT OK to “outsource” your assignments either!
Classroom Success
▪ Grade expectations – B or higher!
▪ Know the syllabus
▪ Most classes are quite interactive – participate in the class – prepare
ahead
▪ Try to incorporate your research objectives/goals/milestones into the
class
Research Success
▪ Know the deadlines and procedures in your department – qualifiers,
comps, research papers, proposal timing, etc.
▪ Think about your committee as you take classes initially
▪ Form your committee, work with you committee members, and keep
them updated on your progress
▪ Prioritize projects  RA, thesis, class project, others?
▪ Issue of IRBs
▪ Writing your final dissertation  easy way and the painful way!
Research Success
▪ Be proactive  what do you really want and how do you attain those
goals?
▪ Embrace your academic community  attend departmental
seminars, conferences, seek out other graduate students doing
similar work
▪ You are a professional member of an academic field  think and
behave that way!
▪ Work on your writing skills  read papers for content and style 
apply that to your class assignments and everything else!
▪ Form/join a peer study/support group
Research Success
▪ Challenges:
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Not able to understand expectations for a graduate student
Lack of direction
Feeling isolated with no way out
Difficulties with advisor, other graduate students, lab conflicts
Funding anxiety or financial difficulties
Seeing other people move on and succeed
Worried about “life after graduate school”
Unexpected personal problems
Successfully Navigating Academic
Challenges
▪ Communication
▪ Time management
▪ Work/Academic ethics
▪ Interaction with undergraduate/graduate students/faculty
▪ Familiarize yourself with campus resources
▪ Manage you graduation date
▪ Don’t isolate yourself
▪ Be responsible for your own success
Successfully Navigating Academic
Challenges: Communication
▪ Don’t hesitate to ask questions – if you don’t ask, people assume you
know/understand
– E.g. “Where do I find the right datasets for assignment 1?”
▪ Be direct
– E.g. “On assignment 1, do you care if I use publicly available data that may not be
100% accurate, but it more up-to-date?”
▪ Salutation
– Dr., Prof., Madam, Sir, Chetan, “Boss”
– Ask if you don’t know!
▪ Eye contact
▪ if u hv time tmr mrn cn I meet u in ur off?
Successfully Navigating Academic
Challenges: Time Management
▪ Please don’t be late!
– If you’re taking a bus, don’t take the last one!
– Use a “loud” alarm!
▪ Time spent on research versus TA versus having fun
– Need to balance the three
– If you are consistently being asked to do more than 20 hours/week on your
TA/RA/GA, let the professor know
– Take time off – spend a weekend camping at a state park
– Use campus resources
▪ http://learningcenter.unt.edu/time-management-online
Successfully Navigating Academic
Challenges: Work/Academic Ethics
▪ Plagiarism
– Be careful
▪ “Sharing” homework assignments
– Don’t assume it is OK
– Ask your professor if you can do that as a group and what her/his expectations
are?
– Don’t try to “fake it”
▪ Understand class, departmental, and university policies
– Decisions are not arbitrary
– Don’t hesitate to ask
▪ Writing Assistance
– Get help if you need it (Graduate School, Library)
Successfully Navigating Academic Challenges:
Interaction with Students/Faculty
▪ If you are a TA, document interactions with undergraduate students
– Communicate by email
– Set clear expectations
– In case of exceptions, let your professor know immediately
▪ Your fellow graduate students are your colleagues
▪ Interact with graduate students/faculty members in your department
– Friday seminars
– “Happy Hour”
– Don’t isolate yourself
Successfully Navigating Academic
Challenges: Campus Resources
▪ Use campus resources
– Be familiar with them
– Use them!
– You know everything there is to know about travel funds, computing, library
▪ Stress Management
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Being away from family
Minimal social support
“Culture Shock”
Too much work, too fast
▪ Time Management
▪ ODA Resources
Successfully Navigating Academic
Challenges: Other Thoughts
▪ Manage your graduation date
– Implications of CPT/OPT/H1B, etc.
▪ Getting a Drivers License (and a car!)!
– Get one ASAP!
– Find a friend who knows about these things!
▪ Understand how healthcare works
– ASK, ASK, ASK!
– “How much will this cost me? Can I get this done cheaper?”
▪ Don’t isolate yourself
– Find a housing co-op
– Socialize!