It’s possible to experience international cultures without even leaving the square mile that is Colorado State University’s campus.
CSU welcomed nearly 2,000 new and returning international students to campus for the fall 2015 semester. They come from a variety of countries and from all corners of the world. The highest numbers come from China, India, Saudi Arabia and Oman.
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These students did not come here just for the scenery, but it was a factor – as were academics for Hao Lu, a graduate student from China studying resource management.
“One day, my professor gave a lecture and showed us some photos, so I decided to think about going abroad,” Lu said. “Fort Collins is also very beautiful, and CSU was good for my major.”
According to Mark Hallett, the senior director at the Office for International Programs, more and more international students are coming to CSU for the academic programs the University offers, as well as after talking to friends who had either studied or traveled to Colorado and Fort Collins.
“I think word of mouth is a big reason why students chose to come here,” Hallett said.
Most of the international students at CSU are studying in areas like science and math, but other areas are also represented.
“I was able to to combine teaching English as a foreign language and English as a second language,” said Mohamed Almadhi, an English master’s degree student. “It is a good program, and that’s why I came to CSU.”
The top countries represented are China with 624 students, India with 313 and Saudi Arabia with 141. These numbers do not include family members who have traveled with students, said Hallett. CSU welcomes international students throughout the year, so the numbers for 2015 are not yet final.
“We are still welcoming students to campus, but we are expecting more than 100 more students to come,” Hallett said.
Hallett said that international students’ presence on campus is not only beneficial for the students who are coming from around the world for academics, but also for domestic students because they can have interactions with international students right on campus.
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“It is too easy to have an impersonal perspective about other people around the world, but if you have a personal experience, a student can have a better sense of the variety and the similarity that exists,” Hallett said.
Collegian Reporter Megan Fischer can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @MegFischer04.
Lance • Aug 28, 2015 at 2:53 pm
Congrats to all who have come from afar, because being an
international student isn’t easy, given our complex culture and language.
Assistance must come from numerous sources to aid these young people embarking
on life’s journey. A new award-winning worldwide book/ebook that aids anyone
coming to the US is “What Foreigners
Need To Know About America From A To Z: How to Understand Crazy American
Culture, People, Government, Business, Language and More.” It is used in
foreign Fulbright student programs and endorsed worldwide by ambassadors,
educators, and editors. It also identifies “foreigners” who became successful
in the US and how they contributed to our society, including students.
A chapter on education explains how to be
accepted to an American university and cope with a confusing new culture,
friendship process and daunting classroom differences. Some stay after
graduation. It has chapters that explain how US businesses operate and how to
get a job (which differs from most countries), a must for those who want to
work for an American firm here or overseas.
It also has chapters that identify the most
common English grammar and speech problems foreigners have and tips for easily
overcoming them, the number one stumbling block they say they have to
succeeding here.
Most struggle in
their efforts and need guidance from schools’ international departments,
immigration protection, host families, concerned neighbors and fellow
students, and informative books like this to extend a cultural helping hand so
we all have a win-win situation. Good luck to all wherever you study!