Studying in the USA

Students from across the globe are continuing to pursue degree courses in the USA. Peggy Printz and Alfred Stover explains why the numbers are rising

Maybe you have been dreaming of studying in the U.S.A. for a long time, or maybe you have discovered that you need to improve your English in order to continue your studies or career. You may also have discovered that you can best gain expertise in your field at a particular U.S. university. Certainly your prospects for employment with a U.S. corporation will be enhanced by your U.S. degree.

You have read about the U.S.A., seen American films and videos and talked to Americans. But only the experience of actually living in the U.S.A. will give you the mastery of the language and sympathy with the culture that is necessary for understanding this large and influential country. Many international students arrive in the U.S.A. with misconceptions about American life. They are pleasantly surprised to find that not all Americans are blonde, wealthy or intolerant of others.

Diversity
The land and people of the U.S.A. are incredibly varied. Wherever you choose to study, you will encounter a regional culture rich in history, local traditions and customs. The U.S.A. is a multi-racial society that is still absorbing new immigrants. While students must exercise caution in a few locations, in much of the U.S.A. streets and university campuses are clean and safe.

Differences
U.S. universities may differ from those in the U.K. in several ways. For one thing, classes are generally small. There may be as few as ten to twenty students in a class. While in class, students are encouraged and expected to contribute to the discussion. Professors meet with students in their offices or even share coffee or meals with them. The close relationship between students and faculty serves to motivate students and fosters a personal approach to the curriculum.

Most U.S. university students live on or near the school campus. When you are studying in the U.S.A., you will have many opportunities to join planned and informal activities, spending your leisure and study hours with other students. This will enhance your language skills. From your fellow students you will learn about U.S. culture and about all the other diverse cultures represented on any U.S. campus.

The Leading Edge
While studying in the U.S.A., you will be exposed to some of the most up-to-date developments in technology. You may be fortunate enough to meet and even study with the leading scholars in your chosen field.

Because the U.S.A. is in the forefront of new technology worldwide, at many universities in this country you will benefit from innovations such as state-of-the-art computers, multimedia and networking.

Technology in Student Life
You will encounter and use a wide variety of modern technologies as soon as you arrive on campus. When you sign up for classes, you will register using an automated, interactive system. You may use remote access via telephone or modem when registering. Later you can check your own records, e.g. grades and instructors’ comments, from your remote personal computer, as most college administrative records are now online as well.

Students will use email to communicate with each other and with their instructors as a regular part of class work. Faculty members often create automatic email mailing lists, “listserves” so that students and instructors can easily communicate about specific topics and keep up-to-date with assignments.

Many classrooms are equipped with networked computers that have World Wide Web access for use during class. Often, professors will post course information including syllabi and announcements on a home page on the Internet. This home page may include links to other sites with data, text, graphics, video and sound files related to the content of the course.

As part of their out-of-class work, students are increasingly encouraged or required to gather information from sources on the Internet. For example, at the University of Arizona’s Center for English as a Second Language in Tucson, international students are asked to locate pictures, charts, graphs or other data on the Internet for use in class projects. Increasingly, students will combine digitized photographs, video, sound and graphics with text to illustrate their research papers and class assignments.

If you are learning English, your school may have a multimedia lab. Programs can be customized to each student’s level of English proficiency, so the computer will respond to a student’s inquiries more quickly as he or she develops greater fluency.

During class, a number of students take notes on their laptop computers. The professor may present visual materials using a laptop connected to an overhead projector. You will find that the number of computerized tests, especially standardized tests, is constantly increasing, with the results therefore available more quickly. Use of an identification “I.D.” card doubling as a debit card is probably the easiest way to buy a meal in university dining halls.

Extending your Educational Horizon
Because of computers, your education will no longer be limited to what is available on your own campus:

• More and more universities are using video conferencing for instructional use. Faculty hold classes in rooms equipped with wide screens where they interact with “guest” instructors or experts in other cities.
  
• Distance learning is becoming a factor in the education of many university students.
  
• University libraries use electronic storage and retrieval of information, and online searches of various databases have become commonplace. Encyclopedias, book texts and other reference sources are available via remote access. You can contact other libraries around the world from within your university library or from remote sites.
  
• Potential students can explore information about universities that interest them.
  
• In short, advanced technology has become part of almost every facet of U.S. university life. This is yet another reason why studying in the United States offers specific advantages for someone who wants a career in the new technologies of the 21st century.

By Peggy J. Printz; Editor and Publisher, Study in the U.S.A. magazine, Seattle, Washington, and http://http://www.studyusa.com/ website, and Alfred D. Stover, Ph.D.; Network and Database Manager of the Center for English as a Second Language at the University of Arizona