Please Welcome Jenna: New Administrative Specialist

Jenna Palmer has recently been appointed as Administrative Specialist for the Office of International Relations at the University of Arkansas- Fort Smith.

Jenna graduated in May 2010 from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations. Originally a native of Fort Smith, she taught English in Zhangjiagang, China for two years. She then went on to live in Seoul, South Korea for two years studying Korean and teaching English. She has a passion for traveling and has spent much of her time visiting countries across Europe and Asia. She also enjoys learning new languages and has studied French and Korean, as well as immersing herself during her time in China and learning some of the local phrases. She has a passion for meeting people from all over the globe and getting to know them on a personal level. From her personal experience of living and traveling abroad, she is eager to help students with the trials they face from living and acclimating to a foreign country and culture. 

 Please welcome Jenna to UAFS International Office Team!

Tutoring Programs at UAFS

Are you having a difficult time with your homework? Do you need someone to guide you through some steps? Try going to the Academic Success Center (ASC) located in Vines building in Room 202. ASC also work with students with disabilities and is a testing center for majority of the full online class. At UAFS campus, they offer many tutoring programs for different subjects such as math, reading, computer literacy, spelling, social sciences, writing, and natural sciences. If there are enough students, they even assign a group study together where the students will get to interact with other students in the class. ASC also provide mini free workshops on how to take better notes and study skills helpful to students. Many staff members that work in the ASC are very helpful and friendly. They are willing to answer any questions that students may have. Even if they do not know the answer, but they will help the student find the answer. For more information on how the hours at ASC visit their website at http://uafs.edu/success/academic-success-center

Below is a picture of the front desk for ASC.

Buddy Program

          UAFS offers a program called the Buddy Program. With this program, you as an international student, are provided an American buddy/friend that is here to help you along the way with anything that you need help with. Your buddy is to meet with you once a week during the first month of school. Usually, buddies tend to meet with you more than once a week. A close friendship normally develops from the Buddy Program. I met a student two years ago, because she was my buddy, and I still keep in contact with her even though she has gone back to Japan. I believe that every new international student should sign up for the Buddy Program, even if you do not think you want an American buddy. American buddies help international students from feeling homesick or overwhelmed. This is a great program, and something that every new international student should consider becoming part of.

 

My international buddy

 

 

Go Exploring!

      BCM, Baptist Collegiate Ministries here on campus, provides transportation for international students throughout the school year to many different places in Arkansas. There is a notebook located in the Office of International Relations that has numerous activities for you to be able to sign up for and participate in throughout the semester. There is usually a limit on how many people are able to attend each event, so it is better for you to sign up for these events as soon as you can. This weekend, the international students are going to Mount Magazine. Mount Magazine is the highest point in Arkansas, it is beautiful there. With these trips, international students are able to see more than just Fort Smith, Arkansas. These trips help you to explore other parts of the beautiful state of Arkansas. Being a new student here, make sure to sign up for these events as soon as you can. You don’t want to miss out!!

 

 

Mount Magazine

 

 

 



Be Involved!

There are so many interesting organization at UAFS campus. These organizations are set there for students like you to be a part of. Why should you be involve in organizations on campus? The reason is that it looks great on your resume. For future employers to view and see that you are very involved on campus will make them want to hire you. Another reason is that you get connected and make lifelong friends. These are friends that will help you in the future. Last but not least, you should be involved around campus because it is just a lot of fun and you will gain so much knowledge and understanding of the campus as well as yourself. This will allow you to be more creative and more outgoing. Therefore, get involved now at the UAFS campus. Below is a link of all the different organizations that are available at UAFS. Find one that matches you and join now!

http://uafs.edu/life/student-organizations

Planners are Amazing :)

      By the third week of school, hopefully, you have gotten into a daily or weekly routine and are used to the way things will be throughout the school year. Once you get into a daily or weekly routine, things become much easier. It is very important to keep a planner so that you are able to keep track of all the assignments and their due dates. Organization is very important in school. Teachers do not always remind us that we have assignments due so, if we are not organized and do not have a planner, we may not know that we have assignments to turn in. I started keeping a planner last year and I feel way more organized than I have in the past. I am still a procrastinator, but I always get my work done on time thanks to my handy planner. J

 

How to Overcome Homesickness

I’ve notice many students mentioning about homesickness. I understand that about that feeling too. I was overseas for a month, yet it was still hard for me to adjust the very few days I was there. However, I learn to overcome them quickly. These are some of the tips that I used. First, I made friends with other students and I kept myself busy. In just a matter of seconds, I forgot about that feeling of missing my family. Next, I go to do something fun such as shopping or walking around the campus. Walking relieves stress and can help you stay fit. Last but not least, I Skype with my family and I usually call them at least once a week. That way, I stay updated with my family and my family is not worry about me. These are some of a few tips that I used during my stay overseas.