The Lives of International Students
Chiamaka Emoka
Posted in: News on 10/17/09 at 9:41 PM PST
International students are a special kind of students. Like many colleges, Los Angeles Harbor College participates in an International Student program. These students are usually teenagers or young adults who leave their home in another country and travel to foreign educational institutions. Harbor and other colleges also assist with student exchange programs that expose international students to see the United States.
It also helps these students improve their language skills as well as advance in their specialized studies. Of course, not all countries have it the same when it comes to getting a proper education and welfare. A majority of these individuals leave for better opportunities and to get exposed to different cultures and broaden their horizons.
California is the leading state for international students at 77,186 this year followed by New York. Still, this is a decline compared to recent years. The overall decline in International students enrolled in the U.S colleges and universities have been caused by variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include difficulty in obtaining student visas (especially in science and technical fields) and rising tuition costs such as Harbor Colleges increase from $20 to $26 per unit. There are also extra charges on top of the cost per unit for the international student!
There is an upside to the international students here at Harbor. These students seem to be get along with other students as some friendly individuals are able to meet others with similar interests in less than a week. Still, some might find it more difficult due to the fact that they are not from an English speaking country. These individuals mighty also find it hard to understand the students and teachers. However, with time and aid, most will become familiar with things and get by fine.
There are do's and dont's as an international student which makes them different from every other student on campus. These students pay for their tuition and books as well as housing and food on their own. Sometimes they get sponsors such as parents or any other relative aware of their status in the United States to assist them. The drawback to these sponsorships is that the students do not qualify for any student loans or financial aid of any sort. They stay in-status by taking 12 units per semester until they graduate. If by any chance they add on another unit(s), they get to take the units in question for free. Like every other student in school, they belong to some group. International Student Advisor Paul F. Grady plans dinners in order to give these students an opportunity to socialize with each other.
It also helps these students improve their language skills as well as advance in their specialized studies. Of course, not all countries have it the same when it comes to getting a proper education and welfare. A majority of these individuals leave for better opportunities and to get exposed to different cultures and broaden their horizons.
California is the leading state for international students at 77,186 this year followed by New York. Still, this is a decline compared to recent years. The overall decline in International students enrolled in the U.S colleges and universities have been caused by variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include difficulty in obtaining student visas (especially in science and technical fields) and rising tuition costs such as Harbor Colleges increase from $20 to $26 per unit. There are also extra charges on top of the cost per unit for the international student!
There is an upside to the international students here at Harbor. These students seem to be get along with other students as some friendly individuals are able to meet others with similar interests in less than a week. Still, some might find it more difficult due to the fact that they are not from an English speaking country. These individuals mighty also find it hard to understand the students and teachers. However, with time and aid, most will become familiar with things and get by fine.
There are do's and dont's as an international student which makes them different from every other student on campus. These students pay for their tuition and books as well as housing and food on their own. Sometimes they get sponsors such as parents or any other relative aware of their status in the United States to assist them. The drawback to these sponsorships is that the students do not qualify for any student loans or financial aid of any sort. They stay in-status by taking 12 units per semester until they graduate. If by any chance they add on another unit(s), they get to take the units in question for free. Like every other student in school, they belong to some group. International Student Advisor Paul F. Grady plans dinners in order to give these students an opportunity to socialize with each other.
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