Al Jamiat Magazine

US College & University Fair to the Middle East – Spring 2012

aljamiat — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:38:05 +0000

US Educational Group is heading to the following countries in MARCH 2012 with a number of US Colleges, Universities, and English Language Centers. We encourage you to register and attend the events where you will meet with international student admissions officials and speak to them about your interest in studying in the USA.

Learn about the American higher education application process, I-20 issues, university costs, housing, and more. Speak with representatives about admissions tests and test preparation including TOEFL®, SAT®, GRE®, and GMAT®. A face to face meeting is the best time to explore opportunities for higher education in the United States and ask questions about scholarship opportunities. The Al Jamiat / US Educational Group Tour is free of charge and open to the public.

Spring 2012 US College Fair Schedule

Almaty, Kazakhstan March 14th, 2012
Rahat Palace Hotel
Fair Time: 5 p.m.–8 p.m.
List of Universities Attending (English)

Karaganda, Kazakhstan March 16th, 2012
Karaganda State University
Fair Time: 3pm – 6pm
List of Universities Attending (English)

Dubai, UAE March 19th, 2012
Movenpick Hotel
Fair Time: 6 p.m.– 9 p.m.
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (English)
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (Arabic)

Muscat, Oman March 21st, 2012
City Seasons Hotel (Next to TGIF)
Fair Time: 6pm – 9pm
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (English)
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (Arabic)

Doha, Qatar March 24th, 2012
The Diplomatic Club
(near the Ritz Carlton)
Fair Time: 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (English)
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (Arabic)

Amman, Jordan March 26th, 2012
Sheraton Amman Hotel
Fair Time: 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (English)
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (Arabic)

See you then!

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Best Tips for Eating on Campus

aljamiat — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:30:39 +0000

Starting college can be a very exciting as well as an intimidating experience for most students. Most will tell you that at first they are completely overwhelmed and out of it, that is until they fully settle down. Maintaining healthy eating habits on campus can be extremely difficult as most of your time will be geared towards studies and not so much your health. Most persons after leaving college would have gained weight and fall into unhealthy eating patterns.

You maybe wondering, what are the best tips for eating healthy on campus?

Avoid lunch breaks

When on campus try skipping lunch, coffee, desserts and dinner a few days per week, food time for most is used to meet and chat with friends. A recent study has shown that during these occasions most persons will consume more food than average and with the supersized portions offered by restaurants you will begin to feel and see your waist size increasing and your wallet shrinking. When eating alone, you tend to consume your food and leave instead of lingering over dessert or another soda.

Choose healthier snacks

Many companies are now seeing the benefits of producing healthy snacks companies such as Nabisco have even created snacks that only contain 100 calories. In addition to being healthier than their evil calorie packed hydrogenated oil infused twins they are the perfect mate to grab with a pack of nature valley granola bars for when you are feeling the munchies. Another great option is to eat fruits and vegetables as a snack. After all the old saying goes “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”.

Food as fuel

Most students often experience severe bouts of tiredness. Long nights studying have a way of draining all your energy. The first impulse of most will be to grab a drink infused with high levels of caffeine, this is the wrong approach. It’s always best to choose lean meats, fresh fruits, vegetables, milk and yogurt as fuel and not an energy drink which only burns you out later.

Choose a routine that is right for you

If you new to college the first two weeks are other the most difficult, your first order of business is to master your class schedule once you have done this choose the times that are most convenient for you to eat.

Fitness is the key

This article would not be complete unless the rule of remaining fit was mentioned. Include in your classes physical ED. This is a great way of remaining fit even in college.

Stay Balanced. Finally remain balanced even if you are at the mall with friends you can choose to eat healthier snacks. Most fast food giants do offer healthy choices such as grilled chicken you can also choose to use mustard in stead of mayo which is packed with fat, how about eating a green salad with some grilled chicken and low fat dressing.

Just remember, a fit body will help you concentrate on your studies instead of feeling run down or experiencing sugar and caffeine crashes!

[Photo Credit to The State News]

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Parson’s – The New School

aljamiat — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:33:17 +0000

Are you Parson’s material? Register below for more information from recruiters at the university who are interested in hearing from YOU!

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From the Middle East to USA: Your College Journey Starts March 3rd

aljamiat — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:43:45 +0000

There are nearly 65,000 Middle Eastern students pursuing a college degree in the United States right now. Do you want to join them?

The United States is the MOST popular overseas education destination for students from the Middle East because of the quality and flexibility of its educational system. The country offers 4,000 high education institutions, hundreds of fields of study, world-renowned faculty, and high-tech learning facilities. In short, it has everything you need to build the successful career you’re dreaming of.

But the very size of the U.S. educational system can make it hard to pinpoint the right college for you. You’ll need to do some research to narrow down your options.

Your best chance to meet with U.S. college reps and current students is coming up on Saturday, March 3, 2012, and it’s coming right to your home: The Hobsons Virtual Student Fair (VSF). The VSF is a free online event for students interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree or a graduate degree at a U.S. university. Much like a traditional student fair, the VSF features booths staffed by university representatives. But because the fair takes place online, it is much easier to attend; all you need is an Internet connection.

In the virtual fair environment, you will be able to view photos and videos from dozens of U.S. universities, download materials, and chat live with admissions officers, professors, and current students. The booths at the fair will be segmented by level—undergraduate and graduate—so you can easily find schools that offer the degree(s) you’re looking for.

Parents and counselors are also encouraged to attend this free event to learn about the participating U.S. universities.

Knowledge isn’t the only think you can gain by attending the VSF. All students who register for and attend the fair will be entered into a drawing for one of three USD$1,000 scholarships awarded the day of the fair.

The VSF will be open from 1:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. March 3, and you should plan on spending 1–2 hours visiting the virtual booths and chatting with university staff members. As a bonus, the exhibit hall will remain open for repeat visits for the rest of the year; university staff will not be available for chat after March 3, but all of the videos, photos, and text documents will still be there to review and download. This will give you the flexibility to go back for another look at a school you liked, or even to visit for the first time if you weren’t able to make it to the live event.

Registration for the March 3 fair is now open, and you can sign up quickly at www.hobsonsevents.com. The registration page also features a list of participating universities with links to each school’s website and key information, so you can start your college research today!

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US College & University Fair to the Middle East – Fall 2011

aljamiat — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:35:50 +0000

US Educational Group is heading to the following countries in OCTOBER 2011 with a number of US Colleges, Universities, and English Language Centers. We encourage you to register and attend the events where you will meet with international student admissions officials and speak to them about your interest in studying in the USA.

Fall 2011 US College Fair Schedule

Beirut, Lebanon October 4th, 2011
Movenpick Hotel & Resort – Raouche
Fair Time: 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (English)
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (Arabic)

Amman, Jordan October 6th, 2011
Sheraton Amman Hotel
Fair Time: 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (English)
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (Arabic)

DAMMAM FAIR HAS BEEN CANCELED
Dammam, Saudi Arabia October 8th & 9th, 2011

~~King Abdullah National~~
~~Ceremonial Hall~~
Dharan & Jubail Highway
Fair Time: 6 p.m.– 10 p.m. (2 days)

Salmiyah, Kuwait October 11th, 2011
Marina Hotel
Fair Time: 6 p.m.– 9 p.m.
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (English)
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (Arabic)

Doha, Qatar October 13th, 2011
The Diplomatic Club
(near the Ritz Carlton)
Fair Time: 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (English)
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (Arabic)

Muscat, Oman October 15th, 2011
Grand Hyatt Hotel
Tour Time: 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (English)
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (Arabic)

Dubai, UAE October 17th, 2011
Movenpick Hotel
Fair Time: 7 p.m.– 10 p.m.
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (English)
Event Details & List of Universities Attending (Arabic)

See you then!

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Spending the Holidays Away From Home

aljamiat — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:59:17 +0000

I know exactly what it feels like to be an international student many thousands of miles from home. At first I found the whole experience intimidating and scary. But I soon settled into my new college life I worked extremely hard and studied well. I even made friends with many other students on campus and really enjoyed hanging around with them. During term time, I loved spending time abroad.

The holidays though were a completely different story. Most of my friends returned home to spend the holidays with their families. But because I was so far away from home I couldn’t go back for a few weeks at a time. It was just far too expensive. This meant that I was stuck in a foreign country, not knowing exactly what to do.

Asking your College or University

It’s actually worth asking your college or university whether or not they have anything planned for foreign students during the holidays. Quite often they will run day trips or holidays for students to various places. These are a great way to see more of the country and gain some new experiences. It should also be possible to meet some new friends and have a great time.

Meeting Locals

Another option is to meet local people. There will probably be some students in your university or college who do not board but instead travel from home every day. These students will stay in the area during the holidays and could be a real life line. It may even be possible to spend some of the holidays with them so that you can experience the customs and traditions first hand.

Taking Control

Although it may seem like you are alone and isolated you aren’t. Actually there will still be many other foreign students who are still at the university or college. These people will normally be just as bored as you and also looking for something to do. You could take control and actually start organizing activities for you all to do.

Even if your college doesn’t plan anything, there’s nothing stopping you arranging things yourself. This is actually something really beneficial and it can even be put on your CV to help you get a job when you graduate.

Getting a Job

Of course if you don’t mind missing out on the holidays and feel like working then you could even get a job. You will be allowed to work a limited number of hours on a student visa, so it’s worth checking exactly how long you are entitled to work. A job will keep you occupied until school starts again. It will also give you some extra money which can be used to pay for your living expenses or just to have some fun.

Just because you are a long way from home, you shouldn’t feel upset that you are by yourself for the holidays. You need to do something about it rather than sitting in your room by yourself. And anyway, you will always be able to call your parents up on the phone to have a chat if you miss them too much.

Image by atlanticcape

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Budgeting Your Money Your Freshman Year

aljamiat — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:56:06 +0000

Your time as a foreign student should be very rewarding. It’s full of lots of new experiences and your time in the foreign country will be both interesting and confusing. One of the first things that you will have to deal with, even before your course starts is the foreign currency. In the US this is dollars and this is one of the most famous currencies in the world. It is important to budget your money so you don’t find yourself being caught short.

If this is your first time away from home, then it’s probably the first time that you have ever had to take care of yourself. This means much more than just cooking though. It’s also essential that you budget and ensure you don’t run out of money.

Working out your Expenses

The first thing you should do is sit down by yourself and come up with a plan. You should know how much money you have each month to spend. Hopefully your parents or another family member will send you money to start off with.

Later on in your course you may get a job which will give you a certain amount of regular income.

Then you can work out how much money you need to spend each month. There are websites which will show you how much food costs, and you should already know your monthly rent. You will also need to allow some money for textbooks, stationary and other equipment you need for your course.

Spending Carefully

When you go shopping you will probably see several things that you would like to buy. However, you should only buy what you actually need where possible. Of course, there will be times where you want to treat yourself and this is fine. However, make sure that your budget can allow you to spend the extra money.

A good way to ensure that you don’t spend more than you have is to take cash with you. If you take a debit card then it’s very easy to spend more than you intended. However, if you only have a certain amount of cash then you are physically restricted to the amount of money that you can actually spend.

Revising your Budget

Your budget isn’t set in stone. There will always be some unexpected expenses that cause you to go over your budget in some months. This is why you should continually revise your budget when you are surer about your monthly outgoings. You will probably find that at the start of your course you will need to spend more to buy textbooks and various other supplies.

Once you have settled into college life though, you should find it much easier to budget what you need to spend. If you don’t spend your entire budget then you can save the extra until you have some unexpected expenses which need your attention.

Being a student in America should be a great experience and one that can change your life for the better. It will also give you the understanding of how to budget your money correctly which is a very important and useful life skill.

Image used by:RambergMediaImages

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Universities on the Fall 2011 Fair

aljamiat — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:21:00 +0000

Universities and Colleges on the USEG Tour/Al Jamiat Fair this Fall are:

Albion College – Albion, Michigan
Diablo Valley College and the International Education Center – Pleasant Hill , California
IE University – Segovia, Spain
Mass Pharmacy – Boston , Massachusetts
Miami University of Ohio – Oxford, Ohio
Murray State University – Murray , Kentucky
North Carolina State University – Raleigh, North Carolina
Northwestern University in Qatar – Doha, Qatar
Oglethorpe University – Atlanta, Georgia
Old Dominion University – Norfolk, Virginia
Purdue University – West Lafayette , Indiana
Rochester Institute of Technology – Rochester, New York
Roger Williams University – Providence, Rhode Island
Rutgers University – New Brunswick, New Jersey
Salve Regina University – Newport, Rhode Island
San Jose State University – San Jose, California
Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah, Georgia
Southern New Hampshire University – Manchester, New Hampshire
State University of New York- Brockport – Brockport, New York
Suffolk University – Boston , Massachusetts
Sweet Briar College – Sweet Briar, Virginia
Syracuse University – Syracuse, New York
The American University in Cairo – Cairo, Egypt
The University of Iowa – Iowa City, Iowa
The University of Toledo – Toledo, Ohio
University at Buffalo – Buffalo, New York
University of California – Irvine – Irvine, California
University of California – Riverside – Riverside, California
University of Evansville – Evansville, Indiana
University of Kansas – Lawrence, Kansas
University of Miami – Miami, Florida
University of Michigan – Flint – Flint, Michigan
Willamette University MBA – Willamette, Oregon
Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Worcester, Massachusetts

Check back in a few weeks for more information on each university

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Getting Along with Your Roommate

aljamiat — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 02:31:12 +0000

One of the most difficult challenges for a freshman in college is having to live in the same room as someone else, particularly someone with whom you are not related in the slightest. This is more difficult for single children, but even if you have lived together with a sibling in the same bedroom, it can still be a trying experience. In addition to the brand new stresses of living on your own, being separated from the support of your family and high school friends, college-level academics, and everything else, you have to figure out how to deal with someone who may have a completely different schedule and completely different priorities than you.

The most important thing to remember in interacting with your roommate is communication. It is inevitable that you and your roommate will clash. He/she may get up earlier than you, he/she may enjoy blasting loud music while you are trying to study, or he/she may make your room a mess. You could be doing things to annoy him/her at the same time. No interaction between two people is a one-way street, so if you two start to argue, you probably both did something that upset the other. But such conflicts can be avoided if you are just honest with your roommate about your grievances. If your roommate does something that bothers you, do not feel embarrassed to tell him/her. If he/she is a reasonable person, and you explain your position without sounding accusatory, he/she will understand and do his/her best to adjust her behavior to accommodate.

At the same time, you have to be willing to accommodate your roommate’s needs. Do not expect your roommate to completely change his/her sleep schedule just for you and that you will not have to do anything in return. For the sake of positive interaction, you should think about your personal habits and consider how many of them are necessary and how many of them are not. Only you can decide what is necessary, but if you say that all of your habits are equally crucial, you are not being honest. You need to prioritize your habits so that you are capable of making an adjustment for your roommate. You should think about this before you actually get to college and talk with your roommate near the beginning of the year so you can try to iron out any differences in schedules and habits before a conflict occurs. That will not prevent you from ever having a disagreement, but if you are both calm, considerate, and honest about your needs, you will be able to deal with any new problems if/when they arise.

One of the biggest issues with a room is cleaning. Depending on the type of room you have or how inherently messy you are, you and your roommate may not have to do anything. But if cleaning needs to get done, divvy up the responsibilities. One of you can vacuum, and the other can dust. If that is not possible, you can clean one time, and he/she can clean up the next time. This also applies to the bathroom. You may be sharing a bathroom with many other people, but you should clean up your own messes for your roommate and hallmates’ consideration. If the bathroom just gets so dirty that you need to have a heavy-duty cleaning session, again, just divide up the responsibilities.

Every so often, you might get unlucky and get a truly unreasonable roommate. Such a person will be totally inconsiderate about your needs, and no matter what you do, you cannot see eye to eye. Such things can either be because of your roommate’s personal problems or because of completely conflicting personalities. In such circumstances, you should talk with your residential advisor for help. He/she will try to give you advice on what to do and will mediate if you cannot handle things on your own. If you are still at an impasse, you can always talk with your resident advisor about getting a new roommate. If you are that frustrated, chances are that your roommate is too and will be happy to move. Yes, you will have to figure out who gets to stay in your room and who has to leave. Still, it will still be a better situation than staying and continuing to argue. This is, as they say, the exception that proves the rule, so you should be able to handle most situations by being reasonable and sincere. But do not feel uncomfortable to ask for help if compromise is just impossible.

Photo credit: Tulane University PR: CC

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Outside Activities and Social Opportunities

aljamiat — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 06:53:02 +0000

While college is largely about academics, it is also about creating your own social life away from the constraints of your family and your home town. Everyone has a certain amount of emotional baggage, and college provides a fresh start, a chance to make new friends who do not think of you in terms of how you used to be. So while it is commendable to devote your time to your studies, you should not do so to the detriment of making friends and having new experiences. Contrary to popular belief, that does not mean getting completely drunk on a weekly (at minimum) basis with your buddies. There is much more to college life than just alcohol.

Sure, you will meet new people both in your classes and in your dorm. A dorm can be a particularly good place to make friends, though just how much this is true varies wildly depending on the way the dorm is set up and which people happen to be in your hall. If you are lucky, you could end up living right near a bunch of really cool people. But the best way to make new friends is to join some kind of club or organization on campus in which you are interested. If you like to sing, join the college choir or glee club. If you like sports, join intramural teams. If you like popular culture, join the college anime or video game clubs. Depending on the size of your college, there can be a wide variety of clubs and organizations for you to join. The larger the college, the more people should be in each of these clubs as well. That is not to say that if you go to a small college, you will have greater difficulty finding friends in clubs. You may just have a bit less variety.

By joining a club or organization, you will be able to participate in group activities with people that you know share at least some of your interests. And you are far more likely to make friends with people who enjoy doing the same things you do than with people with whom you have nothing in common. Even at small schools there will be such a variety of clubs and groups to join that you should be able to find at least one that you want to join. Once you join, you may feel nervous because you are just a freshman, and the leaders are big, scary upper-classmen who are probably way cooler than you. Well, put those fears aside. They were freshmen once too, and age does not equal coolness. Besides, if they are actually good club leaders, they will be happy to become friends with new blood that likes the same things they do.

Once you join the club, be sure to actually join in the activities. Just because you are a member does not mean that everyone will suddenly like you. You have to show some investment in the club and actually show up so that people can get to know you. That does not mean you have to go to every meeting and every event. Everyone has their own lives, even the club leaders, so it is to be expected that work or what have you will get in the way sometimes. But you will only get as much out of these groups as you put into them. The more time you spend and the more energy you put forth, the more you will get in return.

Some people get so excited about clubs that they end up joining a ton of clubs and find out quickly that they have way too much to do. While it is good if you want to become really active, do not so overschedule yourself that you have no time to sleep or relax. Everything in moderation. For major organizations like a sports team or a music group, you should probably just stick to one, unless there are two that are closely related and coordinate schedules. Clubwise, you can join multiple clubs, but you should stick to the ones about which you are really passionate. Then you can give more to the clubs and get more out of them. Also, every so often, you may run into a bad club run by lazy people. So at the very least, it cannot hurt to join a couple of clubs at the beginning of the year, then trim down which ones you actually attend based on their quality.

Photo Credit: Ed Yourdon (CC Flickr)

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