High Hopes: International Student Expectations for Studying in the United States

Abstract

Coming to a U.S. university can be an exciting time for new international students, who are typically away from home for the first time and are learning to cope with a new educational environment and a new culture and often are also immersed in a new language. International students bring with them a variety of expectations, as well as both conscious and unconscious assumptions about their upcoming cultural and educational experience in the United States. This chapter looks at these expectations, how realistic they are, and how institutions can assist students in successfully navigating their new campus and culture. It is critical to understand that not all international students (even if they are from the same country) are the same nor do they have the same experiences or expectations, and therefore, although generalizations are necessary, we must continually question our own assumptions.

Chinese international students’ wellbeing: Experiences of assessment in higher education

“…All Chinese internationals in this current research believed that expressing themselves in academic English under time pressure or word limit was most challenging. This finding is consistent with that of Dorsett (2017) who found that international students who pursued a Master's degree in the UK considered their inadequate English capability as one of the biggest impediments limiting their academic adaptation. Also, Tu (2018) explained that international students were extremely afraid of exams since they thought that the UK academic English was exceptionally rigorous and themselves incapable of expressing thoughts clearly in limited time.…”

“…In general, all students in this research thought their peer support positively. Conversely, Dorsett (2017) revealed that while the strong network was the chief response to the challenges international students facing, they sometimes shared poor skills and knowledge with each other. The reason why the absence of poor-knowledge sharing in current research might be the self-report essence of the interviews, so it is possible for students to share poor skills unconsciously.…”

“…Also, academic hospitality, as a core value, can benefit not only students' academic achievement considerably, but also their successful transition, psychological wellbeing and socialisation (Andrade, 2017). However, few ask international students' for ideas about how tertiary educational communities can support their experience of assessment, so these institutions can further silence international students by not asking for their advice on their desired support (Dorsett, 2017). In this situation, participants in the current research were pleased to have their voice heard, which might be conducive for institutional support for those international students.…”

“…Generally, most Chinese internationals possess a holistic perspective, valuing the significant support from the whole college community, especially teachers' pedagogy, curriculum content, student services, academic and language support. Most essentially, institutions themselves have to shed their neo-colonialist mindset and involve international students in the decision-making process (Dorsett, 2017). In this ongoing process, firstly, it is fundamental for the education institutions to develop an inclusive awareness across all members of the college community accompanied by practical actions, like increasing meaningful interaction among unfamiliar groups (Güvendir, 2018).…”

Qualitative Analysis: Mexican University Student Written Advice to Future Students at the Conclusion of a Semester Abroad Experience

“…The second major group of literature falls into the category of foreign student experiences while in the United States. Dorsett (2017) wrote on common expectations of international students studying in US universities that closely fit with what we know about our Bécalos students. As with the students we engaged with in this study, he observed that most students were away from home for the first time and faced challenges including how to cope with a new educational environment, culture, and a new language.…”