Nanjing University is offering 30 grants (up to $1,000 per award) are now available to participants in CIEE’s Intensive Chinese Language + Culture Spring 2014 program from the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC). These awards can be combined with any of the other generous scholarship programs offered by CIEE. Deadline for application is October 10, 2013, UMBC's Study Abroad application deadline. 

IES Office OPT and CPT Workshop Schedule, Fall 2013

All workshops take place in Admin 218

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.

Do you want to study abroad this summer?  Here is a list of summer study abroad programs that might be of some interest to you.  If you plan to apply, you  must apply through the UMBC Study Abroad Office and also submit a UMBC Affiliate Application.  We will have walk in hours from 1-4 each day this week to help you with any questions you have.

Summer 2013 Study Abroad Programs

Austria: Salzburg Academy on Media and Global Change

JOUR434/734 and 435/735 (6 credits), 21 July-10 August 2013, http://ter.ps/sumaustria

Brazil: Brazilian Amazon: Environmental Conservation and Indigenous Peoples

ANTH498C/698C (6 credits), 20 July-10 August 2013, http://ter.ps/sumbrazil

Brazil: Ecology and Natural Resources Management (ENST)

ENST499P/689P (3 credits), 29 July-16 August 2013, http://ter.ps/subrasilenst

China: Exploring Confucius' China

CHIN269A (3 credits), 26 July-18 August 2013, http://ter.ps/sumchinaconf

Europe: Landscapes of Influence: Conservation, Resilience and Innovation in Northern Europe

LARC489F (3 credits), 21 May-9 June 2013, http://ter.ps/sueuropelarc

France: French Language and Culture on the Mediterranean

FREN399X (3 credits), 25 May-15 June 2013, http://ter.ps/sumfrancelan

Greece: The Living Legacy

CLAS308L (3 credits), 3-22 June 2013, http://ter.ps/sumgreece

India: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Health

FMSC498I (3 credits), 23 May-21 June 2013, http://ter.ps/sumindia

Ireland: International Approaches to Drama in Education

TLPL688L (4 credits), 14-27 July 2013, http://ter.ps/suirdramaedu

Italy: Methods and Issues in Film Preservation

FILM369 (3 credits), 19 June-11 July 2013, http://ter.ps/suitalyfilm

Italy: The Business of Italian Design and Culture (BMGT)

BMGT458G (3 credits), 22 May-4 June 2013, http://ter.ps/suitdesign

Norway: Adventure Leadership

EDCP318X (3 credits), 17 July-3 August 2013, http://ter.ps/sumnorway

Spain: Salamanca and Barcelona

SPAN333 and 304 or 408X (6 credits), 30 May-17 July 2013, http://ter.ps/sumspainsala

United Kingdom: Documentary Experience in Britain

COMM369B and 369D (6 credits), 30 May-25 June 2013, http://ter.ps/sudocbritain

United Kingdom: Follow the Fringe: Documentation and Preservation of Cultural Movements in Media

INST729 (3 credits), 26 July-16 August 2013, http://ter.ps/sufringeinst

United Kingdom: Literature, Art and Architecture in London

ENGL369M (3 credits), 1-22 June 2013, http://ter.ps/99

United Kingdom: Sport, Commerce and Culture in the Global Marketplace

KNES357/689J (3 credits), 6-20 July 2013, http://ter.ps/sumuksport

Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan

The Institute for Study Abroad, Butler University (IFSA-Butler) has scholarships available for the fall semester First Generation Scholars Program. This achievement-based program offers first generation college students significant financial, academic and pre-professional assistance for enrollment in an IFSA-Butler semester or year program. The application deadline for fall semester 2013 is Friday, March 1.

The scholarship is worth up to $2,500 and covers $500 in housing and meals, flight costs (approximately $,1500 value), student visa fees where applicable, and passport fees. Recipients also participate in a blogging program and a resume building workshop, and they receive specialized first generation college student information.

The scholarship requires a minimum GPA of 2.7. The scholarship is not based on financial need, but applicants do need to complete a Financial Footprint. Applicants must submit a CV or resume and a 500-word essay related to the first generation college student experience.

For more information on this great opportunity, please visit the website:http://www.ifsa-butler.org/first-generation-scholar-program.html

IES offers informative workshops on Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and Optional Practical Training (OPT) on a bi-weekly basis throughout the Spring 2013 Semester. 

These workshops will take place in the Administration Building, Second Floor, Room 218

Schedule of Workshops:

CPT: 2/5, 3-4

  2/18 11-12

 3/5 12-1

 3/13 3-4

 3/28 12-1

 4/10 11-12

 4/25 2-3

 5/6 11-12

OPT: 2/5, 12-1

 2/18 2-3

  3/5 3-4

 3/13 12-1

  3/28 11-12

 4/10 12-1

 4/25 10-11

 5/6 3-4  

Curricular Practical Training (CPT) gives international students (F-1 status) the opportunity to work in paid internships off campus.  The CPT must be an established part of the curriculum, and almost always requires that students enroll in academic credit or PRAC notation.

 OPT is the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in your field of study at an off-campus location after (and occasionally before) you complete your studies. OPT is authorized by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and requires support from the IES office via a new I-20 with an OPT recommendation on the third page.  OPT is NOT required for all F-1 students, but is a benefit of F-1 status available to graduating students if you would like to pursue it. 

For international students planning onstudying in the United States, the I-20 formestimates basic mandatory expenses, such as tuition and fees, meal plans, health insurance (if required), and textbooks. But having funds to cover these expenses doesn't help with budgeting for personal expenses, such as clothing, school activities, and entertainment.

Current international students should follow these three tips to budget for and slash the costs of personal expenses—and prospective students should take note, too.

[See how international students can start saving for college.]

1. Reduce academic expenses to boost personal funds:Smart textbook shopping and saving leftover change from purchases add extra money for international students to distribute to other areas of their budgets. With textbooks, often the money used to estimate costs on your I-20 is based on purchasing new books, says Michelle Larson-Krieg, director of international student and scholar services at the University of Colorado—Denver.

However, professors are becoming more cognizant of textbook costs and will often wait to change to a newer edition to increase availability of used books for students, says Pat Kirby, international student coordinator for Missouri's Westminster College.

Students can save hundreds of dollars by a combination of renting textbooks, shopping on websites such as Half.com and Amazon.com, using electronic textbooks, and checking out available textbooks from public libraries, Iowa State UniversityInternational Recruiter Timothy Tesar says.

[Find out how to get cheap college textbooks.]

In addition, save the change in your pocket at the end of each day, says Dottie Durband, director of the Red to Black student money management office at Texas Tech University. Fifty cents stashed for personal expenses five times per week adds up to $40 in a 16-week semester.

2. Budget and shop wisely for clothing: To develop a clothing budget, a student must first consider the amount and type of clothing needed and then subtract already owned items. Durband recommends students shop for new items based on what they don't have from this list: casual clothing for classes; some business casual outfits if seeking a part-time job; and one nice suit or a couple of business professional separates that can be mixed for a university function, religious service, or even a party.

For campus-specific recommendations, Durband recommends E-mailing the student money management center because staff members "can answer questions about clothing needs related to details such as climate, region, prices, places to shop, and local events." To save money on clothing, she suggests "shopping for gently worn clothing or accessories at thrift stores, consignment stores, and local garage sales."

Renuka Raja Rao, India country coordinator for the United States-India Educational Foundation and a former graduate school student at Syracuse University, similarly suggests students shop at discount stores such as Target and Walmart. Off-season sales also provide savings.

[Learn more about cutting U.S. college costs.]

3. Plan social activities carefully: To find out about expenses for social activities on your campus, E-mailing "the student government president or country-specific international student organization is a great way to make a connection and to inquire about costs of living abroad," Durband says.

Students can get advice on strategies for reducing transportation, dining, and entertainment expenses. For instance, Nikita Sacheva, a student from India in her second year at University of Chicago, has managed to never take a cab. She plans most of her off-campus outings based on when the free shuttle her campus offers runs to downtown Chicago.

Other times, she takes public transportation for $2 each way. She also attends a lot of on-campus events within walking distance. "I've been to theatre shows, ballet shows, and dance classes on the weekend and they're a lot of fun," she says. "Some shows have a minimal fee, like a dollar or two." When she dines out with friends, they choose a restaurant they can all afford. Students can view menus online beforehand to check prices.

Budgeting can begin even earlier: Before leaving your home country Rao suggests visiting your local EducationUSA advising center. They keep track of everything from the cost of hamburgers to movie prices near U.S. universities, she says. Pre-departure orientations are also offered to prepare students—and their budgets—for studying and living in the Unites States.

Reyna Gobel, frequently quoted as an expert on student loans and college costs, is the author of "Graduation Debt: How To Manage Student Loans And Live Your Life" and "How Smart Students Pay for School: The Best Way to Save for College, Get the Right Loans, and Repay Debt." She has appeared on PBS's Nightly Business Report and speaks regularly at CollegeWeekLive.

Exciting news about H1-B and STEM degree seeking students:

Geithner’s India Visit Sparks Hopes For More High-Tech Visas

October 22, 2012

U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner recently met in New Delhi with Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, for the third meeting of the India-U.S. Economic and Financial Partnership. [See Joint Statement of Secretary Geithner and Indian Finance Minister Chidambaram at the 2012 U.S.-India Economic and Financial Partnership, 09.Oct.2012, U.S. Department of the Treasury.] U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Reserve Bank of India Governor Subbarao also participated in these discussions, meant to strengthen economic and financial ties between the United States and India.

According to InformationWeek, Secretary Geithner told his Indian counterpart that, "I think it's very likely that over time you will see a significant expansion of the role played by Indians and Indian companies in the American recovery," noting that "I think we're at the early stage, even acknowledging and recognizing the huge benefits to the American economy already of the scale of Indian investment and Indian talent in the United States." [See More Visas for Indian Tech Workers? by Paul McDougall, InformationWeek, 12.Oct.2012.] In India, all this talk of increasing economic integration - and especially of Indian talent - was seen as a signal that U.S. immigration authorities might make more visas available to Indian high-tech workers, InformationWeek reports.

For now, this is little more than wishful thinking, since the USCIS has not announced any intention to expand the H1B program. Moreover, as InformationWeek pointed out, such an expansion is unlikely to come in the heat of a presidential campaign, given the sensitivity of the outsourcing issue.

That said, even wishful thinking can lead to action if enough people want it, and it's not just Indians who want more H1B slots to be made available. American tech companies are pressing Congress to provide more H1B visas, so they can hire more STEM graduates from overseas. Congress, to its credit, is starting to pay attention; there is bipartisan support for some kind of STEM visa reform, but no agreement yet on how to do it. As sports fans say when their team falls short of a playoff berth: maybe next year.

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