Learn more and read short profiles on the schools attending in our guide (coming soon!).

Associates in Cultural Exchange – Seattle, Washington
Albion College - Albion, Michigan
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Daytona Beach, Florida /Prescott, Arizona
Fairleigh Dickinson University – Teaneck, New Jersey
Foothill-DeAnza Colleges – Cupertino / Los Altos Hills, California
George Mason University – Fairfax, Virginia
Iowa State University – Ames, Iowa
Marquette University – Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences – Wooster, Massachusetts
Old Dominion University – Norfolk, Virginia
Rochester Institute of Technology – Rochester, New York / Dubai, UAE
Roger Williams University – Bristol, Rhode Island
Savannah College of Art and Design – Savannah, Georgia
Troy University – Montgomery, Alabama (& other locations)
University at Buffalo – Buffalo, New York
University of California-San Diego – San Diego, California
University of California Irvine – Irvine, California
University of Colorado – Boulder – Boulder, Colorado
University of Kentucky – Lexington, Kentucky
University of North Carolina – Wilmington – Wilmington, North Carolina

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Reasons to drive

There is poor public transportation at your university
You can be reliable on yourself
Having the leisure of going places on your own time and schedule
You plan on traveling to nearby attractions (road trips!)
You just love driving

Reasons NOT to drive

It will take time to study and take all tests
Paying for the actual license
Paying for a vehicle
Paying for gas
Paying for school parking
Basically, a whole lot of paying for things
The public transportation at your university is reliable and efficient
It is environmentally better to be car-less

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When students decide on their major, a lot of the time they disregard thinking about a minor. Majors are required to be declared when you are studying for your bachelors at a university but minors are often not a requirement to obtain. For those of you who don’t know the difference between a major and a minor, here is a simple breakdown according to University Language Services (ULS):

“Your college major is the primary subject you want to study and the field in which you want to find a job after graduation.

While your college major is your primary field of study, your college minor is a secondary field that is often (but not always!) related to your major.”

Choosing a minor related to your major

The first option you having when deciding on a minor, is picking one that compliments your major.  Often time, courses that are required to be taken for your major intertwine with classes required for a related minor.  This makes achieving your choice of major and minor simpler because classes will double credit for both.  When the two are related, it shows that you are specialized in your field of study and it adds more on top of the experience you receive while studying. An example of having related major and minor would be a student studying communications with a minor in journalism.

Choosing an unrelated minor

Via cc: Melyviz

The next option would be to select a minor that isn’t related to your major at all.  Students usually do this for a personal balance or to fulfill other needs. There can be great benefits when your minor is far from similar to your major.  It can show future employers that you are well rounded and it is a great way to show your passion.  For example, a student could be majoring in engineering because they are talented with numbers and would like to hold a career in that field.  But because they have a passion for painting, they can minor in  art history.

Overall, students should seize the opportunity to receive a minor because it could possibly be the key factor to differentiate you between another person trying to get the same job post graduation. Check with your university to see what minors are available for you today!

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Hi! My name is Zhandos Orazalin. Today, I’m going to tell you about my first experience with skateboarding. I’m from Kazakhstan, which is a fascinating country located between Europe and Asia.  It’s a size of whole of the Western Europe, it has stable government and it’s becoming a very attractive place for investments.

[Watch Zhandos Orazalin talk about his experience at ASU & learning to skateboard]

The President of our country has established a scholarship named “Bolashak” which allows the best students from Kazakhstan to study in any country of the world with the objective to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to build a democratic and prosperous society.

Currently, I have a great honor to study at AECP, American English and Culture Program, in Arizona State University. AECP is the best place to learn English and it has a great deal of what to do in order to become a successful student in any university of the United States of America.

I came to Arizona this year, 2009, on March. It’s my first time here in the United States. I came here from the overseas, and, as it happens, I’ve had a cultural shock. The first thought that came to my mind was that I’m in American college movie. It was something absolutely new to me – being in American University’s campus. Thanks to the AECP that helped me a lot to adjust to the new environment.

Khazakh student Zhandos Orazalin learning to skateboard & learning english at Arizona State University

I was placed to live in real American College dormitory, and I had classes in different buildings around the biggest university campus at ASU. However, I had a big problem with transportation; I didn’t know how to get from my one class to another because of the big distances.

I’ve seen that a great number of American students are using skateboards in purpose of transportation. For that time, for me, it was just a piece of wood with wheels. I had absolutely no idea how they are doing this – skateboarding.

I’ve never used skateboard in my country, maybe because I’m now a graduate student, and, as I thought, I was too old for that. By the way, I’m going to study Civil Engineering in the graduate school next year. Currently, I’m studying English at AECP and preparing for the standardized tests and application for the top notch graduate schools. Time is absolutely crucial for me, and I don’t want to waste my precious time on transportation.

In addition, I didn’t want to use car or bicycle, because these types of transportation were all about maintenance and parking issues. These types of transportation weren’t mobile and easy to carry everywhere with me. Thus, I decided to buy a skateboard and use it as my super mobile “car”.

One of my friends from Kazakhstan said that it wasn’t a good idea for me to waste my money on skateboard because as he said, “You will never learn skateboarding! It is only for American Students who use skateboards since their childhood! Observing American students on skateboards you may think that it is just a piece of cake, but skateboarding is very-very difficult. You should give up with an idea that you will use skateboard someday…” Then I said to myself – “Well, I’ve got to learn this!”

I bought a board and went to the campus. The first day on skateboard was just horrible! I couldn’t even stand on this tiny piece of wood. I’ve been falling every 10 seconds for the first days. I thought that maybe my friend was right, and I won’t learn skateboarding in my life… However, I didn’t give up. I just got my skateboard and said to myself, “Well, man, your next class in different building, you should be on the other side of the campus in the next 5 minutes. There is no way to do it by walking.” In other words, I was just forced to use skateboard in order to achieve my goals. It was my great motivation for the success.

To sum up, as you see – I’ve learned to skateboard, and I’m doing it everyday. It helps me to save my time on transportation, gives me an opportunity to get to know more American culture, and it is good for my health.

I’m very grateful for the AECP program at ASU, and I encourage every student who wants to be successful in American College environment to attend American English and Culture Program at Arizona State University.

For more information on the ASU American English and Culture Program contact

ASU American English and Culture Program
Ph: (480) 965-2376 • Fax: (480) 965-8529
Email: aecp@asu.edu
Web: www.asu.edu/aecp

ASU International Undergraduate Admissions
Ph: (480) 965-2688
Email: asuinternational@asu.edu
Web: www.students.asu.edu/international-admission

ASU Graduate College
Ph: (480) 965-6113
Web: www.graduate.asu.edu/

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A friend of mine recently started going to a large four-year university, after having attended our local community college. While at the community college, she refused to join Facebook. It only took three weeks to go by at the university and suddenly she was an active Facebook user, like so many others I know.

Social networking sites, specifically Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace are now a part of the culture at American Universities. Their names have become verbs. You can now “facebook” someone, as easily as you can call someone. Their impact on a student’s social life can be helpful, but also devastating. Fights can start over a message posted online or an argument can become inflamed and continue through these mediums.

College users often are so wrapped up in their own Facebook worlds that they forget about the bigger picture. An occasional photo of you and your friends having a beer at the local bar shouldn’t devastate your bright and shining future. Picture after picture of standing next to a beer keg and all your drunk buddies, just might. With the downturn of the world economy, the job market has become even more competitive.

So how do you keep that embarrassing picture from being viewed by potential employers? Simple, don’t post it. Don’t put things on Facebook that you aren’t willing to share with a complete stranger. Security measures are nice, but they aren’t fool proof, and people aren’t perfect. If you want to share the picture of you and your friends drinking a whole keg, then email them the pictures. Don’t post them to a website millions of people can access.

cc license, abbyladybug

Also, remember to self-check your online image. Go to your favorite search engine, type your name in and see what comes up. I assure you, that any computer savvy employer will do the same. Make sure that a simple internet search doesn’t turn up that picture you had forgotten about with your friends goofing off. Knowing your online reputation is comparable to knowing what your former employers will say about you.

Lastly, and perhaps the easiest thing to do is not do stupid things in the first place. In college, my favorite thing to do Monday morning was to pick up a copy of the school newspaper and read the police blotter. This is a log of select police incidents, which happened over the weekend. I was told by my boss on the first day of my job that if I was ever in the blotter, I would no longer have a job. School officials do check things like this and it isn’t hard for a company to find the newspaper of your school and search for your name.

These warnings are not meant to make you paranoid. I enjoy using social media and the web as much as anyone. I love spending time on Facebook and posting pictures of my friends. The internet can be an amazing social tool, but remember to keep your future in mind when sharing information. What you post on the net can be seen by anyone including that potential future employer.

Elissa Yonkers is a recent graduate from Bowling Green State University, with a Bachelors of Science of Journalism with a focus on Public Relations, and a very strong minor in German. With several internship experiences under her belt, she is looking to widen her experience and knowledge with a job in corporate communications, public affairs, or work in a public relations agency. Connect with her here: http://sites.google.com/site/elissay/

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Orientation

As a first year student you are most probably going to be required to come earlier than the upperclassmen for orientation. This is may be one of the most entertaining times of your university life and you should take full advantage of it. The couple of days of orientation are going to be a busy time and there will be little time for you sit down and think about your family and friends back home. I would advise you to meet as many people as possible. You may not be able to remember all of their names, but once school starts you will at least remember their faces.

Culture Shock

Moving into a new and vastly different culture than yours can be very daunting. The transition will vary from person to person; some people adjust to changes easier than others. Try to be open and understanding of the “new” culture that you are experiencing. You will find many things that are considered “normal” in the U.S. are unacceptable in your culture. Try not to be judging of the American culture because that could distance you and make it more difficult for you to make friends. Part of your university experience is about learning about the culture.

Academics

cc license, Colin Purrington

The U.S. universities are very unique and different than any other university system in the world. Usually, your professors will require you to complete any reading assignment before the lecture. This way you will stay on top of your material and be able to get better grades during the exams. In most cases your grade will not depend only upon a single final exam. Usually it will involve classroom participation, homework assignments, mid-terms and final exams. University level work is very intense and demanding. If you have already developed good study skills during high school you should be fine.

Extracurricular Activities

There are numerous organizations that exist on university campuses throughout the U.S. If you find that there are not enough clubs on your campus, then you can start your own club. Learning in U.S. colleges is not focused only in the classroom; rather you will learn much more about yourself and grow as a person outside of the classroom. The skills and experiences that you gain as a club member will help your future in the job place and the community where you live. It is very important that you stay involved on campus and do activities outside of the classroom. These will increase your chances of securing an internships and jobs. Being involved will demonstrate to the employer that you are able to handle multiple tasks efficiently. In addition to that, through your involvement on campus your can show off your variety of your skills and talents.

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Money and Documents

Once you come in the U.S. you will most probably open a bank account. I would strongly advise you that you check your online bank status regularly. Identity theft can be very dangerous, so make sure that once you obtain your Social Security number you keep it in a safe and secure location. Also, make sure you make copies of your passport and visa and other important documents that you receive prior to coming. Without identification at the airport or in a foreign country, things can be very complicated.

Coming to the U.S. is a new experience for you. Make sure that you take full advantage of all resources that are available on campus. Be happy and proud of your success. Also, be sure to enjoy the rest of the summer with your family and friends before you leave!

Stefan Ivanovski was born in Belgrade, Serbia but spent most of his life in Macedonia. He studied at an international school from 8^th – 10^th grades in the Netherlands. After graduating from high school in Macedonia with an International Baccalaureate Bilingual Diploma he applied to study in the United States. Currently he is studying at Bucknell University, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania majoring in International Relations and Spanish.

To read the complete article, please see our current issue of Al Jamiat Magazine.

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Tuesday November 10th, 2009
11 am – 3 pm
Location: Auditorium of Higher Colleges of Technology Men’s College – Ras Al Khaimah
Fair Flyer and More information
Register

And don’t forget, if you can’t make it on Tuesday in Ras Al Khaimah, be sure to catch us in Dubai on

Wednesday November 11th, 2009
6pm – 9pm
Movenpick Bur Dubai
Fair Flyer and More information
Register

Want to see learn more about the Universities and Colleges at this fair? Be sure to review the AlJamiat- US Educational Group Fair Guide & become a fan on Facebook to keep up on all the best information on applying to US Colleges & Universities!

See you at the fair!

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Here are a few questions to ask yourself BEFORE you start your search:

What do I want to study?

Do I want a college or a university?

What do you intend to study?

What is an Associate’s Degree?

Starting the search for the “right” university for you!

Remember….the more time and thought that you invest in this process, the better you will feel about your choice and the more likely you will make the “right” decision.  To learn more, watch for the next article “Using your resources to help you find the Right school for you!  We will tell you about the “resources” you have and how you can use them in your search.

Jim Crawley is a Director of University Partner Relations for ELS Educational Services.  Mr. Crawley has nearly 20 years in university admissions and was responsible for starting the international recruitment efforts at Central Michigan University and Grand Valley State University, also in Michigan.  Mr. Crawley has previously traveled throughout Asia and Latin/South America recruiting students and more recently has spent considerable time visiting campuses throughout the U.S. and making presentations at conferences to discuss international student recruitment.

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Let’s look at the reasons for choosing universities that you would like to apply to.  Each person has their own reasons for picking universities to apply to and eventually the more difficult decision of which one to attend, but the first reason below should be the same for everyone:

1. They offer the academic program (for Bachelors programs, this would be your “major”) that you are looking for.  This is #1 on this list, because if they do not offer your selected area of study, then the rest of these items do not matter.  Keep in mind that sometimes we name our “majors” slightly differently than you would be familiar with.  For example…You might be looking for a Bachelor’s in Economics, and some schools will offer it by this name, while other schools might call it Business Economics.   Another good example is Engineering….some schools will offer a Bachelors of Engineering, but then you will need to look at their web site to see what specific areas of Engineering they actually offer.

2. Everyone wants their university to have a “Good Reputation”, and they want it to have a “Good Ranking”.   This is both understandable and also very interesting.  Understandable because yes, it is important that you look at a college or university that offers academic quality and very good student services.  HOWEVER…in regard to “ranking”, it is very important to realize that THERE IS NO NATIONAL RANKING of universities in the U.S.  There are magazines that list and rank some of the many colleges and universities, but these are private rankings.  They are a good resource, however it is also important to realize that 1) Not all colleges and universities choose to participate in the surveys, and 2) some universities choose to be listed in the “national” listing, while others choose to be in the “regional” listing.  If you are going to use these private magazines, it is recommended that you look at various magazines that offer different types of rankings or lists and compare what criteria they use to come up with their rankings to try and see which of these factors is really important to you.

3. Location can be very important to some of you while to others it is not so important.  A few things I can recommend to you:

- The U.S. is a very large country, so please realize that it might not be possible to live in one town and go to university in another town.  It just depends on how close they are and what transportation options you have.

- The weather can change throughout the year, depending on where you live, so location might be part of your decision.  Many parts of the U.S. offer you four Seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer.  In the Southern half of the U.S, the weather does not change as much, but in the northern half, the weather and temperature changes throughout the year.  On campuses all across the Northern United States, you can enjoy the Winter months from November to February.  Many international students living in the Northern U.S. are able to try things like snow skiing and ice skating for the first time.   There are fantastic schools in every one of the 50 states, so you have many choices.

4. University education in the U.S. is EXPENSIVE.  I wish I could tell you something different, but that is the truth.  This is, again, why it is very important that you make the best decision for you.   It doesn’t matter where your friends went or if you have heard of the sports teams at a certain school.  What really matter is whether they offer what you need AND that you, or your family, or your sponsor can afford to pay for it!   You need to look at the school’s TOTAL expenses for a year.  They will usually give you that amount on their website or international student application.

5. International Student Services is not something you might think of right away as being important, but I can tell you that an international student office with well-trained and professional staff members can help your experience at the school be very good, or it can be the cause of a lot of frustration.  When researching universities, look on their web site and search for the international office…see what they have to say and what programs and services they offer.  E-mail them a question or request for information and see if they reply.  It might not be immediate, but schools that are staffed appropriately and value having an international student population on campus should reply.  A few important services that you will probably be using:

International Student Orientation, Immigration Advising, International Club, and Information Sessions on qualifying for internships and Practical Training work experiences.

Learn more tips on finding a university here.

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