One of the fear for new international students is that they
may have trouble understanding the lectures in class. What are some solutions
to this problem? One thing that international students can do is tell the
professor ahead of time that you are a new international student and tell
him/her your concerns. Majority of the time, the professor will work with you
or they will go slower, so that you can understand the lectures too. Another
thing is make a friend in the class. Tell them that you are a new international
student and you did not understand what the professor have just said. Most of
your classmate will tell you what they know and both of you can become future
study buddies too. Last but not least, you can ask the professor if you can
record the lecture. After you record the lecture, you can listen to it at home.
This is one of the best thing to help improve you English. Therefore, do not be
shy and ask your professor and/ or classmates to help you if necessary.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Campus Picnic and Block Party
Many events are held on and around
campus throughout the school year. We, the students, love going to events so
that we are able to meet other students. Yesterday was the campus Block Party
and Picnic. I am very sad that I was not able to really attend the event this
year. Classes keep me so busy, but luckily I was able to walk quickly around
the Block Party between my classes. There were so many booths and interesting
things to look at and learn about. You even got to make your own stuffed Numa
animal! The Block Party is a great opportunity to learn about other
organizations you may not have known anything about beforehand. I would
recommend stopping by the Block Party next year if you can. J
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Don't Be Nervous
The first week of school is always scary, even if you are a
senior. But the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, UAFS, is a very welcoming
school. I love UAFS, it is a great school. Students here are very nice and love
to meet all of the new students. I am a senior and I still get nervous for the
first day of class. It is normal for students to be nervous when they are
meeting new people and going places they have never been before. If you want to
make new friends, UAFS offers many different events that give you the
opportunity to meet other students. There are so many events and activities that
are offered here on campus such as basketball games, baseball games, volleyball
games, the block party, and many other events. If you go to any of these
events, you will meet several new people and make friends. If you are shy, you
should pair up with an American student or another international student who
feels comfortable communicating with other people. I understand that it is very
hard to make new friends, especially if you are an international student. But,
you should always remember that the American students are just as nervous about
meeting you as you are about meeting them.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Making Friends
A few days ago, I was asked by an international student a simple
question, but it took some time to think about it. She asked “How can I make
American friends?” It was a simple question, but I had to think about my
experience of how I made friends in college. I met those that when I approach
them, they kindly talked to me and we were friends that quickly. Then I met
those who I would wave my hand saying hello and going to talk to them, they
look at me like I am some odd stranger and those rejections hurt. After much
thinking, I’ve concluded that making friend is a process. First, I must start
with priming and that means I need a good starter. The best one is a smile. I
smile at them and watch for a smile back. If so, I proceed, with a “Hello, how
are you?” conversation and watch for a response. Then, I want to do what I call
scanning/ researching. In this phase, I would ask those questions about their
classes or perhaps something that I know would be of interest to them and I
would make a friend from there.
-Priscilla Her
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