“Liberal arts is about fostering your identity. They
want to cultivate your mind. You may not remember
all the knowledge you’ve learned after four years, but
they want you to know how to learn.”
(Chen Yong Fang, Liberal Applications, paragraph 2)
College Life in America
Take out a full piece of paper.
At the top, write your Chinese name, English name, and student ID.
Write down 3 questions you have about College Life in America
that you want answered today.
Draw this chart on your paper.
Complete this chart throughout class, you will turn
this in to me at the end of class today.
Getting into College in America
There are usually 4 things colleges require in America:
1.
SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or ACT (American College Test)
GPA (grade point average)
3. Personal Statements and Essays
4. Teacher Recommendations
2.
Most Popular College Majors in America:
Business Administration and Management/Commerce
2. Psychology
• Students do not have to
3. Nursing
come to college with a
4. Biology/ Science
major already decided,
they can choose after
5. Education
their freshmen year
6. English language and literature
7. Economics
• Some students change
8. Communication Studies
their major during
9. Political Science
college
10. Computer Science
 Other popular majors: International Relations, Foreign Language,
History, African Studies, Religious Studies, Philosophy, Sports
Management, Performing Arts, create your own major, etc.
1.
College Classes
 In big universities, some classes are very large where the
professor lectures throughout all of class
College Classes
 In some schools (such as liberal arts colleges), classes are smaller.
Classwork, Homework and Exams
 Most American students spend 20-35 hours per week studying.
 Professors usually assign textbook and other readings each week.
 Most classes require several written reports each semester (these
can vary from 2 pages to 20 or 30 pages each).
 Most classes are lecture or discussion style.
 Science students are also expected to spend time in the laboratory
and usually submit weekly or monthly lab reports.
 Most courses will have a midterm and final exam. Some courses
will have written reports instead of a formal exam.
College Dorms
 Unlike China, most students only have one roommate.
 Usually, only freshman live in dorms.
 Upperclassmen typically rent apartments or houses off
campus with their friends.
Standard Breakfast
College Food
 Freshman usually eat in the dining halls.
 Upperclassmen usually eat off campus at home or restaurants.
 Many campuses offer fast-food options such as Subway or Pizza Hut.
 Some dorms have kitchens which students may share.
 Students normally pay one price to enter the cafeteria and can refill their
plates as much as they want. It’s “buffet style.”
Part-Time Jobs
 About 80% of American college students work while in school.
 On average, they work 30 hours per week.
 Typical part-time jobs:
 Restaurant or coffee shop staff (waiter, cashier, etc.)
 Food delivery (pizza, etc.)
 On campus (research or teaching assistants, office assistants, etc.)
 Retail shops (clothing, grocery stores, etc.)
 Babysitter/nanny
 High school/primary school tutor
 A recent study found that students who worked 15 to 20 hours
per week have higher GPAs than students who do not work.
 GPA decreases as students work more than 20 hours per week.
Weekends as a College Student
 On the weekends, most American college students go out to:
 house parties talk with friends, drink alcohol, have fun
 coffee shops talk with friends, eat snacks, drink coffee, do work
 bars similar to house parties
 music concerts listen to music, dance, have fun
Questions?
Look at the 3 questions you wrote down at the beginning of
class, have I answered them? If not, now is the time to ask!
Role-Play
 With ONE partner:
 Imagine you and your partner are Chinese students who are
studying abroad in America.
 Create a dialogue discussing your opinions about American college life.
 Some ideas to include:
 What you are having a hard time adjusting to (food, culture, etc.)
 What you like/dislike about American Universities
 What you miss about China
Be creative!
Midterm Presentations – April 11th and 25th

In groups of 4, choose a foreign country where English is an official language (not USA or England).
 Your group will research and give a presentation introducing your country to the class.

The presentation must 8 to 10 minutes. There will also be a 2 minute Q&A after your presentation.
Everyone in the group must speak equally.

You must submit a written outline or script of your presentation.

Your presentation must discuss the following:
1. What are the important facts about your country? For example:

What is the population and geography? (I.e. How many people live there? Where is it?
How big is it? Etc.)

When and how was it founded? (I.e. colonialism, war, etc.)

What kind of government does your country have? (i.e. democracy, theocracy, socialism)

What is the major religion?

Etc.
2. What is the main economic source for your country? (I.e. farming, manufacturing, etc.)
3. Does your country have connections with China? If so, what? (I.e. business, foreign aid, etc.)
4. An important current event happening in your country. (I.e. election, war, women’s rights, etc.)
**Each group must have a different country.
**Your country must be approved by me. You will sign up after class.
**If you want me to help proofread or edit your presentation, you must give it to me by April 9 th.
Group Discussion:
 In groups of 3 or 4, discuss the following topics:
1. What are the major differences between Chinese and American
Universities?
2. Do you think it would be hard adjusting to college life in
America?
3. What do you like better about Chinese Universities?
4. What do you like better about American Universities?
5. What college life do you think suits you best?