According to the Institute of International Education’s 2019 Open Doors report, there are over one million international students in the U.S., forming 5.5 percent of its higher-education population. Globalization, cultural diversity in the U.S. classroom, academic achievements, and international students’ contributions to the economy are some of the critical reasons students attend these schools, and the schools accept them. The International Students Office and Admission Office in U.S. schools try to provide a safe and welcoming space for students. Still, cultural differences, language barriers, and an unfamiliar education system generate challenges. I studied until 10th grade in Ladakh, India. But I spent my junior and senior years of high school in Congers, New York. The transition from an Indian education to the U.S. system was immensely challenging. Initially, I was only concerned about the language barrier. I knew my teacher would speak English as fast as the subtitled Hollywood movies I had watched. But I wasn’t aware of differences in academic expectations, for example, critical thinking, office hours, and participating in class discussion.
Leave a Comment