Success Strategies for International Students

Chetan Tiwari, PhDAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Geography

Successfully Navigating Academic Challenges

▪ Communication

▪ Time management

▪ Work/Academic ethics

▪ Interaction with undergraduate/graduate students/faculty

▪ Familiarize yourself with campus resources

▪ Manage you graduation date

▪ Don’t isolate yourself

▪ Be responsible for your own success

Successfully Navigating Academic Challenges: Communication

▪ Don’t hesitate to ask questions – if you don’t ask, people assume you know/understand– E.g. “Where do I find the right datasets for assignment 1?”

▪ Be direct – E.g. “On assignment 1, do you care if I use publicly available data

that may not be 100% accurate, but it more up-to-date?”

▪ Salutation– Dr., Prof., Madam, Sir, Chetan, “Boss”– Ask if you don’t know!

▪ Eye contact

▪ if u hv time tmr mrn cn I meet u in ur off?

Successfully Navigating Academic Challenges: Time Management

▪ Please don’t be late!– If you’re taking a bus, don’t take the last one!– Use a “loud” alarm!

▪ Time spent on research versus TA versus having fun– Need to balance the three– If you are consistently being asked to do more than 20

hours/week on your TA/RA/GA, let the professor know– Take time off – spend a weekend camping at a state park– Use campus resources▪ http://learningcenter.unt.edu/time-management-online

Successfully Navigating Academic Challenges: Work/Academic Ethics

▪ Plagiarism– Be careful

▪ “Sharing” homework assignments– Don’t assume it is OK– Ask your professor if you can do that as a group and what her/his

expectations are?– Don’t try to “fake it”

▪ Understand class, departmental, and university policies – Decisions are not arbitrary– Don’t hesitate to ask

▪ Writing Assistance – Get help if you need it (Graduate School, Library)

Successfully Navigating Academic Challenges: Interaction with Students/Faculty

▪ If you are a TA, document interactions with undergraduate students– Communicate by email – Set clear expectations– In case of exceptions, let your professor know immediately

▪ Your fellow graduate students are your colleagues

▪ Interact with graduate students/faculty members in your department– Friday seminars– “Happy Hour”– Don’t isolate yourself

Successfully Navigating Academic Challenges: Campus Resources

▪ Use campus resources– Be familiar with them– Use them!

▪ Stress Management– Being away from family – Minimal social support – “Culture Shock”– Too much work, too fast

▪ Time Management

▪ ODA Resources

Successfully Navigating Academic Challenges: Other Thoughts

▪ Manage your graduation date– Implications of CPT/OPT/H1B, etc.

▪ Getting a Drivers License (and a car!)!– Get one ASAP!– Find a friend who knows about these things!

▪ Understand how healthcare works– ASK, ASK, ASK!– “How much will this cost me? Can I get this done

cheaper?”

▪ Don’t isolate yourself– Find a housing co-op– Socialize!