By Bob Hooker with help from Elizabeth Hooker, Guimei (Christina) Zhai and Gao Tong (Michelle)

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LIFE

by Bob Hooker with help from Elizabeth Hooker, Guimei (Christina) Zhai and

Gao Tong (Michelle)

It’s not like the movies!

The facts Students study a lot Students don’t party all night Most students are not rich

Borrow money for college Work part time jobs

Campuses are safe

Colleges vs. Universities Colleges

Undergraduate only – BA, BS Four years (no three-year colleges)

Universities Undergraduate – BA, BS Graduate – MA, MS, PhD Professional - Law, Medicine, Business, etc.

Public vs. Private Public (state) colleges & universities

Get much of their money from state governments

Generally cost less to attend Private colleges & universities

Non-government Many have religious affiliations Generally cost more

Usually non-profit

Disclaimer: What follows are generalizations Colleges and universities are all

different Many exceptions to just about

everything You MUST do your own research This presentation can only give you

Things to think about Questions to ask

Getting into college or university - Undergraduate Take TOEFL or IELTS Research colleges and universities Take SAT/ACT if required Apply to schools you qualify for

Transcripts Letters of recommendation may be required Essays may be required

Getting into university - Graduate Take TOEFL or IELTS Research colleges and universities Take GRE, GMAT, etc., as required Apply to schools you qualify for Transcripts Letters of recommendation Personal essay

Paying for University Scholarships

Full or partial Work-study - undergraduate Assistantships - graduate

Grants Student loans Fellowships Some popular majors don’t give

scholarships

Choosing your major - Undergraduate You are completely free to choose

your major Begin as a liberal arts student Choose your major later Many change majors at least once Also choose a minor or a second

major

Taking classes:Not like China!

You have your own schedule Classmates are different for every

class Meet three hours a week per course About 12-15 class hours per week 2-3 hours of homework for each hour

in class

Required & Elective Courses Required courses:

Core courses in liberal arts such as English, math, science

Courses in your major Electives:

Choice of other courses, but … you must have them in certain areas

Class types:Large lecture classes Mostly freshmen-sophomore undergrad Hundreds in a lecture hall Followed by smaller (~20 students) lab

sections led by grad students

Class types:Smaller classes 20-30 in a class Preparation: reading assignments

Textbooks Professional journals

Come to class prepared to: Listen to lectures Discuss topics Ask questions

Class types :Seminars

Upper level undergraduate and graduate

~ 5 students in class Preparation: reading assignments

Original source material Professional journals

Come to class prepared to: Discuss topics Ask questions

Class participation You are expected to participate! You should:

Read and think about the topics Form opinions Express your opinions in class

“Show yourself!”

Grades Professors have their own grading

systems Your grade can be a combination of:

Tests Papers Attendance Participation etc.

Grades (cont.) You must do the work! If you don’t, you can flunk out (fail) Plagiarism, “copying,” is not tolerated.

Dormitories

No “lights out“ or curfew Two students per room Showers in dorm building Men and women share dorm buildings

Different floors Separate bathrooms

Men and women can visit each other PS: Don’t call students “boys” and

“girls!”

But: you may not be in a dorm Many universities dorms are only for

freshmen You will find you own housing off-

campus Get help from:

Housing office International students office Chinese student groups

Find out from the university

Campus Athletics:Intercollegiate

Competition between universities Sometimes travel long distances Most universities have several sports

teams Some have famous teams that make

a lot of money and have large stadiums

Campus Athletics:Intramural Competitions between teams on

campus Something like sports days, but more

often Not during class time

Student Clubs

Great for developing skills & meeting people

Types of student organizations: Intramural sports International students Religious: Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. Music: dance, band, chorus, etc. etc.

Meeting AmericanStudents You must make an effort!

Join clubs Go to sports events Get a part time job

Don’t spend too much time with other Chinese.

Or you can live in America for years and never meet an American. It’s up to you!

Problems you may face Culture shock Culture bumps Isolation and loneliness

Skype QQ

Some Chinese Students in America Claudia Evelyn Michelle Andy

Claudia English major Shengda College

Zhengzhou Boston University Masters in Accounting

Evelyn Marine Science TUST Miami University Masters in

Marine Technology

Michelle Journalism major United International

College, Zhuhai University of Missouri Bachelors of Journalism

Andy English major Shengda College

Zhengzhou Teaching Chinese

America