Top 5 Must-Use Resources on Campus That Every International Student Should Know About
And a Bonus Tip
International students pay so much for college but are they getting the most out of it? I've put together a list of must-use resources on campus that many international students tend to forget about.
Academic Advising Centre
If you have questions on course requirements, course combinations and declaring your major, this is your point of contact. Academic advisers are hired to give guidance on how to plan your degree so that you can graduate. Make it a habit to check in every semester in case there has been any changes in your degree plan (which is likely). You don't want to be that student who can't graduate this year because you've missed a set of required courses for your degree.
Career Centre
According to studies, the career centre is one of the most underused resources on campus. Whether you know your career aspirations or not, it's always good to check in here. They also provide tonnes of support on job seeking, networking tips and career options. Depending on your college, some career services even offer to proof read your resumes. After all, the point of getting a degree is to start our future careers, isn’t it?
Financial Aid/ Bursary Office
Financial aid covers a lot of things. Colleges have various scholarships (merit-based or need-based) and sometimes grants that can help cover a fraction or the whole tuition. There are also research grants or awards available for students to use. We all know that college tuition fees are costly so why not find out what the financial aid office on your campus is doing about it - you'd be surprised.
Health and Counselling Services
Your well-being is important. There are tonnes of resources here on how to deal with anxiety and mental health issues. Studying abroad can take a toll on your well-being as you transition into a new environment. Having access to expert help and support on creating a healthy, positive well- being is undoubtedly important for all students.
International Students Centre
This is one of the most obvious places you can check out on campus. Why? well, THEY exist because YOU exist. If you have questions on immigration policies, study abroad, student transition and support, this centre should be your first point of contact. International students are a unique group on campus and colleges understand that. Walk in and hear about their available tools of support for you.
Bonus Tip: Learning and Writing Centre
One of the biggest challenges about college is time management. You're given free will (almost) to do what you want whenever you please. The Learning Centre is there to guide students on how to plan their time effectively to achieve academic success. Their resources include academic writing support, time management skills and research support.
Learning is differentiated, and no one enters college at the same level, especially international students who’ve come from different education systems.
For example, international students may not be acquainted with the academic framework of north American colleges or they may need support improving their writing skills (especially if English is not their first language). The Learning Centre provides one on one tutoring or group workshops on how to improve writing, speaking and listening skills.
Bonus Fact
The Learning Centre at my university has an online tool called the Assignment Calculator which helps students to organise their time and plans mini-tasks to complete to meet the assignment deadline.
P.S. When compiling this list, I was thinking of the resources available at my university. These resources should be accessible in every college/university but may be referred to using other interchangeable terms.
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Linda Mayaba
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