What should you pay attention to when studying in the United States?

I.?Studying in the United States requires: Do as the Romans do when you are in town

1. Contact tools

Soon, you will meet new friends who can help you. If they are Chinese, then you can continue to use the previous contact tools (QQ, Weibo, Renren). However, I suggest you get in touch with Americans and international students from other countries. If you want to keep in touch with them, you'd better have the following tools

Mobile phone

Mobile phone is probably the most important method of contact. In the United States, texting on mobile phones is as popular as in China. I know that many international students bring unlocked phones to the United States, but if you don't have one, then you need to buy an American phone.

Gmail

Basically everyone here uses Gmail. After applying for Gmail, you will have permission to use Gchat. Because Gchat is built within Gmail, it is a widely used chat tool. Applying for Gmail will also give you permission to use Google Docs. You'll find that Google Docs is a very useful collaboration tool when working on group projects.

Facebook

Facebook can effectively help you stay in touch with classmates you see every day. Also, it's a great place to help you remember people's names.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is equivalent to Facebook for jobs. Your LinkedIn profile page is your job resume.

2.?American friends

The best way to practice English and learn American culture is to make American friends. I always see international students gathering in Chinese social circles. Although it seems natural and interesting for Chinese people to play with Chinese people. However, you need to notice that this social model sacrifices something:

Always speak Chinese, you have no chance to practice English

Americans will be disappointed because there are a lot of people around you who speak Chinese. Chinese-speaking people are scared away and don’t want to get close to you

If you make Chinese-speaking friends quickly, you may lose the motivation to contact Americans

Not entering the circle of American friends means this You will lose the opportunity to absorb American culture

Not entering the American circle of friends means you will lose the opportunity to expand your professional circle

In the first few weeks of college, everyone will Very open to making new friends. In most cases, if you talk to them, they will talk to you. Everyone ate with new people, made new friends, and it was all fun and open. However, after 2-3 weeks, people start to stay within their own circle of friends. From this point on, it becomes increasingly difficult to enter their social circle.

Don’t make friends with Americans with the mentality of learning English. This kind of friendship seems too deliberate. Find people you really like, hang out with them, and do fun things with them.

However, making friends does not mean being heart-to-heart. In American social circles, friends are roughly divided into the following types according to their degree of familiarity

Acquaintances/classmates/colleagues

Friends of friends

Friends

Good friends

Close friends/family

Making ordinary friends is not the same thing as being heart-to-heart. Being casual friends means you can hang out together but keep each other's private space. For example, a normal friend who hangs out with you will still want to find time to hang out with others. They still have reservations when discussing personal topics with you, such as your home address and salary.

3.?Proof of identity

Most of the international students I met used their passports as their ID cards before getting their driver's license. I think the limited understanding of "you can only use your passport without taking a driver's license" makes their lives unnecessarily troublesome (unless you plan to buy a car and get a driver's license as soon as you come). To get around this hassle,

First, you need a Social Security Number (SSN). The Social Security number is very, very important: this number is equivalent to the Chinese ID number. A Social Security number is required when applying for state ID, applying for a job, and filing taxes. This document from the Social Security Administration explains how international students (F-1, M-1 or J-1 visa holders) can apply for a Social Security number. According to this document, if the school allows students holding F-1 visas to work on or off campus, the students can apply for a Social Security number. In order to find a legal job and apply for a Social Security number, you will need these things:

F-1, M-1 or J-1 visa

Form I-94 (from the airport Arrival/Departure Record)

Form I-20 (Proof of Legal Student Identity from School)

Recommendation Letter from School Proving Your Student Status and Work Eligibility

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Employment letter from employer

For letters of recommendation regarding job qualifications, you may consult your legal advisor or college advisor. As for the employment letter, the easiest way is to find a job within the school.

Once you have your Social Security number, you can apply for a state ID card.

Each state has its own identification card (ID card). An ID card looks very much like a driver's license, but it can only be used for identification. (A driver's license can be used as both driving proof and identity proof). An ID card can effectively facilitate you to apply for a job, open a bank account, rent a house, buy alcohol, etc. With your own ID card, you don't need to travel with your passport (no one wants to lose their passport). In addition to your student ID card, in special circumstances where your identity needs to be confirmed, you can present two types of identity documents to increase your credibility.

4. Roommate Contract

Many students will face conflicts with their roommates. A roommate contract agreed at the outset can help reduce misunderstandings and effectively avoid the possibility of conflict. A roommate contract should outline situations where problems may arise, and have solutions for different issues. For example:

What should I do if my roommate wants to spend the night with friends of the same or opposite sex?

What should be the temperature in the room?

How should I play music or watch TV? How loud should you turn it up?

What is the schedule for cleaning the dormitory?

What is the contact information for each roommate?

If you have any concerns about something If you have a strong request (for example, you want the room temperature to be lower), then don't say you don't care out of politeness. Compromising against your true feelings can cause problems in the long run.

You can't foresee every problem. So, if something unexpected and uncomfortable happens, don’t ignore it and wait for it to happen again. Don’t hypnotize yourself: “It’s not a big deal.” If it's really not a big deal, you should be able to easily report it to your roommate and resolve it. Try having a private conversation with your roommate to talk about your feelings and hear how he feels. Ask your roommates for their input beforehand and let them help you. Remember, most of the time, misunderstandings are the source of conflict. Eliminate misunderstandings and conflicts evaporate.

If your conflict is serious, go to your dormitory manager or dormitory counselor for help.

5. Food

Unless you live in an area with a large Chinese population, it will be difficult to find good Chinese food. The quicker you adapt to American food culture, the better off you will be.

Cheese

Salads

Almost every American food has a little cheese and cream, even salads. You can order anything without cheese, but many dishes lose texture and flavor without cheese. Getting used to cheese can open up a new world for you in American food culture.

Sandwiches

Pizza

Spaghetti

Americans can eat it year after year, day after day, from breakfast to dinner, just Eat these three things, or a combination of these three things. Pizza is the cheapest food in college. Generally speaking, when organizing group activities, the organizer will provide free pizza.

II.?Studying in the United States requires: Mechanical practice

7. Course selection

If you want to get good grades, half of the credit is for course selection. Many Chinese students believe that "getting good grades" and "learning real skills" are two different things. Good course selection skills can help you balance these two points.

You may have a language barrier when starting out, so be careful to avoid this shortcoming. When choosing your courses, you should:

Avoid courses that involve a lot of reading and writing (literature, history, economics, sociology, media, etc.)

Choose courses that cover content you are familiar with Courses (Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics)

Check professor rating websites, such as Koofers: Professor Ratings, and choose professors with high scores.

When you attend school Orientation, you will have the opportunity to meet with your academic advisor, who can help you choose courses. Don’t trust their advice 100%! You should research and start selecting classes weeks in advance. Why? Because many advisors recommend that first-year students take courses broadly across fields to meet core graduation requirements. They may suggest that you take

a math class

a literature class (bad review!)

a history/economics class (bad review!) )

One science class

One professional class

Look at this curriculum. Among the five classes in the first semester, there are two classes that have nothing to do with your major, but you will be disturbed by those two useless courses. These two courses, based on English literacy, will give you plenty of distractions. No one wants to face this kind of pressure during the critical period of adapting to a new culture. on the other hand. If these reading and writing courses are only for satisfying core course credits, generally speaking, schools do not impose strict requirements on the order of classes. Therefore, there is no need to take them in your first semester. Wait until you are a junior or senior in college and have more basic knowledge of English before you tackle these classes.

Your freshman class schedule should look like this:

Two math classes

Two science classes

One major class

The reason I recommend science classes is because they require less English reading and writing, not to mention, you may be familiar with the knowledge before.

The junior science courses in American universities are actually the content of Chinese high school courses.

If the class is full, don’t worry, just add to the wait list. The most common trick Americans use is to sign up for more courses than they can handle, and then drop some they don't like within the first few weeks of school. Universities actually recommend this practice because they want students to experience different courses. This also means that some classes are overcrowded at the beginning of the semester, and the seats in the class will be vacant after two weeks.

If you are on the wait list, tell the professor on the first day of class, then send the professor an email with your name and student number, and explain that you are on the wait list and you want to join the class. . Then, you continue to attend class as a classmate who has been selected into the class. This will show your sincerity in wanting to take this course. After two weeks, the professor will usually formally add all students on the wait list to the course. When I was in school, I had one class on the wait list every semester, and I only encountered it once when the professor didn't add me to the class. But even though I didn’t join the class that time, after talking with the professor, I figured out a way to replace the relevant credits by doing an independent research project, which solved the credit problem

Special little Recommendation to students majoring in computer science: Many computer majors in the United States already have many years of programming experience before entering school. Because of this, projects in introductory computing courses can be more difficult than you think. Even in the face of these slightly difficult projects, those experienced students can handle them without any effort. The level of these students is actually not at the level of introductory courses. You have to take classes with them, though. Don’t get frustrated because it took them a day to complete a project that took you a week. You are here to learn, not to find a sense of existence. Treat computer classes as art classes. For those students who have no programming experience, there is a path in the book, and diligence is the path. If you are not familiar with the code, just do exercises. (Stack Overflow, CSDN are also your good teachers and helpful friends)

8. Ask questions frequently

Professors expect students to ask questions. If you didn't understand something in class, or you want the professor to repeat something, you can raise your hand and ask a question

"Professor, could you repeat what you just said?"

< p>"Professor, could you repeat what you just said?"

"Professor, could you explain what X means?"

"Professor, could you explain what X means?" ?"

"Professor, could you give an example of X?"

"Professor, could you give an example of X?"

9. Office hours

All professors or TAs will set a fixed period of office hours every week for teaching homework and solving questions. The general course description (syllabus) will indicate the time and location of office hours.

Add office hours to your schedule.

In many ways, office hours are more important than classroom. In class, professors mainly introduce concepts from textbooks to students. During office hours, you can ask more detailed questions about class materials and assignments.

At the same time, it is very, very important to establish interpersonal relationships with professors and TAs.

10. Academic Paper

If you are studying for a degree in the humanities, a paper is a necessity - you need to write a paper almost every day. Even if you are pursuing a degree in a science subject, you will need to write several papers.

Understanding the topic of the paper is the most important step when starting to write an article. Asking the professor for some sample essays from past students, or at least some topics they have written on, can give you a good idea of ??what the professor is looking for. You don't have to include some new findings in your paper, but the more you write in line with the professor's expectations, the easier it will be for you to get an A.

When you are writing a paper, it will be more helpful for you to list references while writing. If you wait until you are done writing to fill in the references, you may have a hard time remembering which document your ideas came from. Fill it out from the beginning and your references will fall into place naturally.

On the other hand, don’t hesitate when you want to change your essay topic. It is much better to use a better argument than to use a weak argument and an awkward thesis for the sake of argument. Go to the teacher's office hour and ask the teacher if he has any opinions on the thesis topic. The professor actually enjoyed this discussion very much. Through this process, they can see whether your argument meets their requirements.

For thesis, of course, the earlier you start, the better. Writing is a non-linear process. Sometimes paragraphs connect naturally; sometimes a simple sentence is an insurmountable distraction.

A useful way is to write one sentence every day. No matter how late it is or how clumsy the sentence is, write it down. If the sentence is really poorly written, revise it later. Most of the time, such a sentence can be developed into a paragraph, and you will complete your paper a week earlier than anyone else.

However, writing a paper is only half of the project; revising the article is also very important. American high schools emphasize peer evaluation among classmates. When you have completed a draft of your article, ask your friends or classmates if they would help you read and revise it. A review from another person can help you improve your article.

Another tip is to make full use of the writing center on campus. This service, staffed mostly by student volunteers, can help you improve your writing skills and get revisions from experienced writers. Just be happy and accept the process. Sometimes, others can point out basic errors in your argument, or question whether your argument can lead to a conclusion. Patiently digesting these suggestions can almost 100% improve your paper.

11. Group Project

Working on a project with a group may be the most challenging assignment. It requires team members to have excellent communication skills, independent work literacy, and excellent leadership skills at the same time. Students in the United States begin participating in group projects as early as elementary school. As they get older, their group projects become more complex. Precisely because they have such rich experience in small (tuo) groups (yan), they almost never delay starting a project until the last minute. Unless you are very confident in yourself, don't have the same mentality as them. You should start working on things before they do so you don’t end up stressed out at the end.

My advice about taking math and science courses in the first two years is also based on the consideration that you can avoid group projects when you first enter. In math and science classes, there won’t be a lot of group work. Moreover, even if they do, those group projects are easily divided and do not require true cross-collaboration. Each team member can complete their part of the task, and the results are blended at the end.

In humanities courses, group projects are often different. The process of completing the project may include

forming arguments (*** and completion)

collecting arguments (individual completion)

reaching the conclusion*** Knowledge (***to be completed together)

Writing an academic paper (*** to be completed together/individually)

Giving an academic speech (***to be completed together/individually)

Present your research results (*** done together)

If you are lucky, the professor will assign a research topic to each group. If not, unless you have a very decisive leader, reaching consensus on the argument will be a very difficult task. All follow-up work is based on a jointly agreed research topic, so it is best to ensure that you can meet with the group as early as possible to decide on this topic. You can say

"I think it is best to How about we meet and discuss the research topic as soon as possible? Do you all have time?"

"I think it'd be good if we decide on a research topic as soon as possible. How about we meet Tuesday afternoon to discuss it? Is everyone free at that time?"

In your first meeting, encourage everyone to brainstorm and list what they have come up with All topics. If you don't understand a topic, don't hesitate to ask directly what it means. Ask group members if they would like to reach consensus on a topic, or vote on the best one.

When you have your arguments in hand, your powerful teammates will volunteer to take over the most important tasks. This is a good time to clarify what you are good at and what you are not good at. For example, if you are not good at writing, but you are good at making slides, you can spontaneously propose to complete the speech part.

Meet regularly with the team before handing in the project (such as weekly meetings). In the last few meetings, you should do some practice on speaking. Practice in groups is very important. Because of this, group members can become familiar with the order of speakers, the order of presentation topics, and the length of each topic. Lectures are often time-limited, and practicing allows the entire group to adjust to the time. Paying attention to these points can help the group leave a professional impression on the audience. You can also ask each other questions the audience may have.

If the group is not working well (for example, one team member is completely neglecting his responsibilities), the sooner these issues are raised, the better. First, ask if any group member needs help. Don't agree to help him/her with the task, just offer advice. If this doesn't improve the situation, go to office hours and talk to the professor.

Tell the professor about the division of labor in your group, the incompetent performance of this group member, and the helplessness of other group members who have tried their best. This ensures that the professor gives each group member the appropriate score.

12. Don’t cheat

Cheating is a serious matter in American universities. In many undergraduate and graduate programs, if you are caught cheating, you will automatically fail the course. Also, your transcript will show XF instead of F, indicating that you failed the course due to academic fraud rather than ordinary reasons. Future employers, science schools, and other universities will all see XF records on your transcript.