The secrets behind the success of international students

Mon, 29 Jul 2013 10:28:06 -0400

You did it. You’ve passed the qualifying exams and got admitted to that university abroad. You have your paper work all sorted out. You know how it works.

Now you’re in a strange land. You’re conversational with the country’s language but you’re not yet that fluent. With all the adjustments you’ll have to make, what are the things you can do to ensure success? Here are some of the secrets of successful international students.

Make the Most out of Lectures

When attending lectures, it’s tempting to try to take note of everything the lecturer is saying. Listen carefully to the lecturer and take note only of the most important points. Don’t try to write down everything.

Find a study partner. We’re only human after all and we tend to forget a good part of a lecture. You can review the lecture with a partner or two and compare your notes over coffee. You can schedule this regularly after lectures to help your retention.

Use shorthand. Ideas are better understood when they are visualized. You can use mind maps or flow charts to better understand the lecture. This also facilitates better recall. Rewriting the lecture using your own words or summarizing it will also help you remember the important points of the lecture.

Listen for cues. Lecturers will use signpost words such as “we’ll begin with”, “next . . .”, “to summarize”, and others. Those are cues that an important point is coming up. That’s your cue to take note.

Talk with your instructors. It’s okay to ask the instructor to slow down a bit if you can’t keep up. Just remember to always be polite. Alternatively, you can record the lecture and review later with your study partner or group.

Don’t hesitate to talk to your instructors after class if there are some points that you don’t understand. Obviously, they are there to help you. They will also be extra helpful to international students like you.

Keep Your Goals in Mind

You went through all the trouble of getting admitted in a university or college in another country because you have goals. Perhaps you want a more rewarding career. Or maybe you want to learn skills that you can take back with you to your home country. Whatever your goals are, always keep them in mind.

It is particularly challenging if you have to juggle study and work. Stephen Covey has an excellent guideline on time management that everyone could benefit from. Basically, it tells you to make a list of all the things that must be done, rank them, and prioritize them according to your goals. Particularly useful is the The Quadrant Four model that categorizes tasks. A task can be 1) urgent and important, 2) not urgent but important, 3) urgent but not important, and 4) not urgent and not important. Covey advised to concentrate on the second quadrant and ignore quadrants 3 and 4.

Reward Your Self

Studying abroad is hard work. To keep on going, you need to recharge form time to time. Reward yourself and celebrate your small successes. They don’t have to be expensive rewards. Set clear study goals and reward yourself once you accomplish those goals.

By following these tips, you greatly increase your chances of success as an international student.

Author Bio

Stephanie Casidy is the managing director at Chambers Institute, an ESL school in Sydney, Australia. She studied Juris Doctor at Monash University and holds an MA degree in Biblical Studies.