When thinking about campus resources students might need to help transition to college, one might come up with academic advisors and orientation activities. However, for international students, needs typically range from figuring out their student visa to learning about what celebrating Thanksgiving entails.
In the Fall of 2015, there were 5,531 international students enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, representing 124 countries, according to enrolment facts published by the UW-Madison Office of the Registrar. Many resources are provided by organizations such as International Student Services (ISS) and University Health Services (UHS) aim to provide specialized assistance to international students to aid in their transition to college and U.S. life. …show more content…
Language and cultural barriers are one of the most common difficulties that international students face in their transition to college life and when trying to establish connections with domestic students.
“Many domestic students think that international students only hang out with other international students because they don’t want to make American friends,” Mr. Nelson said. “But other international students are going through similar cultural transitions and can relate to the same struggles, which often makes these kinds of connections easier to make.”
To encourage more international student/domestic student interactions, ISS works with many different offices and units on campus to offer collaborative programs. For example, the BRIDGE (Building Relationships in Diverse Global Environments) program connects first-year international students with a domestic student to assist with college transition. ISS also supports student organizations who host internationally-related programs and events, such as cultural organizations like the Vietnamese Student
In the Fall of 2015, there were 5,531 international students enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, representing 124 countries, according to enrolment facts published by the UW-Madison Office of the Registrar. Many resources are provided by organizations such as International Student Services (ISS) and University Health Services (UHS) aim to provide specialized assistance to international students to aid in their transition to college and U.S. life. …show more content…
Language and cultural barriers are one of the most common difficulties that international students face in their transition to college life and when trying to establish connections with domestic students.
“Many domestic students think that international students only hang out with other international students because they don’t want to make American friends,” Mr. Nelson said. “But other international students are going through similar cultural transitions and can relate to the same struggles, which often makes these kinds of connections easier to make.”
To encourage more international student/domestic student interactions, ISS works with many different offices and units on campus to offer collaborative programs. For example, the BRIDGE (Building Relationships in Diverse Global Environments) program connects first-year international students with a domestic student to assist with college transition. ISS also supports student organizations who host internationally-related programs and events, such as cultural organizations like the Vietnamese Student