Direct Advisors Role towards International Students - Case Study Example

Direct Advisors’ Role towards International of Introduction Studying abroad is seen as an exciting and a challenging experience that an international student has to undergo during his/her college years. For many students, this is the first time when they have to live in an environment different from their own homes. They travel through international borders and learn a foreign language to adjust in the foreign country. It is by studying abroad that a student builds his/her perception of a different educational, professional, and social life. In cases where students have problems in deciding the kind of career to pursue in future, studying abroad helps them in clarifying on what career to pursue by providing them with a new outlook of academic work, as well as by strengthening their social, academic, and professional skills that are of great help to them when they start looking for jobs. The thesis statement for this paper is that ‘the universities should assign direct advisors to international students because they can help the students in understanding and following the Federal guidelines, as well as in receiving quality education by adjusting properly in the American college life’. Challenges Faced By the International Students Many international students find it hard to adjust properly in the foreign culture due to the challenges they face once they get into the United States. Some of them have to deal with the cultural shock while others find the language as a difficult barrier between their native and new educational settings (Calabrese 4). Language is one of the key issues that international students face when trying to adjust properly in American colleges. Students need some time and proper training to cope with the difference of academic language. Similarly, cultural differences also play a reasonable role in making adjustment difficult for international students. Students need time and a variety of personal experiences to understand the norms, values, and limitations of any foreign culture. These challenges need to be overcome by the international students in order to adjust and study properly in the foreign colleges. This is where the role of direct advisors comes into play. Direct advisors not only help students in understanding the cultural differences and Federal guidelines, which consequently help students in undergoing a smooth learning experience. Given below are the roles of direct advisors towards international students. Roles of the Direct Advisors Help in Understanding Federal Guidelines Direct advisors help international students to understand and follow the Federal guidelines. According to the U.S constitution, the international students studying within the United States should enjoy the legal benefits just like all other U.S citizens and permanent residents (Marginson 34). These benefits include freedom of speech, association, and seizures. However, due to the increased need of alertness and surveillance in place for the purpose of Federal and local security, situations are expected to rise where international students may lose these rights (Marginson 36). In such cases, international students depend on their director’s advice for further guidelines to help them in understanding and following the Federal guidelines. This helps the international students to abide by all Federal and immigration regulations that are put in place by the American Federal government. If the students fail to abide by the regulations, it may result in a severe sanction for them. These sanctions include deportation and being barred from returning to the American soil for several years, and this is likely to hinder the students’ dream of attaining American education. While international students often enjoy similar benefits and rights as their American peers, some of them do not understand the Federal regulations. In order to provide awareness to these students regarding these laws, it is important for the direct advisors to know the Federal regulations so as to ensure that the international students, who heavily rely on them for guidance, should follow the America’s laws especially in places where they are restricted and where increased supervision is required. Help in Receiving Quality Education Direct advisors to international students ensure that students receive quality and comprehensive education while taking part in an enjoyable introduction into the American culture and society. The international students within the higher learning organizations are likely to come across other local students in libraries, dorms, classes, and in social events. When they come into contact, they exchange knowledge about the countries where they come from and of their cultures. In such situations, the direct advisors encourage international students to interact with American students so that they can learn more about the American culture and lifestyle (Andrade and Evans 72). This also serves for them as a good opportunity to make lifelong friends that will help them in joining the newly acquired knowledge and cultures. This is also of much help to many of those who face cultural shock. By having new friends, they start understanding the dressing style and eating habits of the Americans. Facilitate in College Affairs The direct advisors also inform international students of their rights and responsibilities. They also provide them with further advice regarding transfers to other schools, work permission, and extensions of their stay and practical training experiences to ensure that the international students are well aware of the rules, laws, and regulations governing their stay in the United States (Andrade and Evans 77). Help in Improving Cultural Awareness Direct advisors play a very important role in improving the day-to-day life of the international students. They also organize the community and cultural outreach programs (Kinnucan 293) that allow the international students to freely interact with other students and the local community. This helps the international students in the process of transitioning to the new culture. To achieve this, the advisors are tasked with the role of collaborating with other college partners to encourage such opportunities that are aimed towards cultural training and community engagement. This is achieved through creation of a cultural speaker’s section or classes that allow international students to teach others. These sections are found in campuses or local community, they teach about their cultural, political and spiritual traditions practiced at their home countries. These sections are important as they allow the local students as well as communities to cross barriers that may have been making it difficult for them to connect with the international students. On the other hand, it also helps the international students to overcome any shyness as well as barriers that might have made it impossible for them to share information with other students. Therefore, it is through such programs that the direct advisor helps in ensuring the international students get the chance to link with other students and the local communities for them to feel welcome in the United States. Help in Adjusting to College Settings Direct advisors also assist international students to adjust to the life in American colleges. This is accomplished when they play their role as a direct student contact, whose function enables the international students to improve their opportunities to retain their success, to develop a relationship with other students in the college that is long- term, and engagement. As a direct contact, it becomes the responsibility of the direct advisor to help the international students in relationship building efforts at the learning institutions they are in. The direct advisors play an important role in the undergraduate careers of the international students. They work hand in hand with all those international students who may be experiencing difficulties in their personal and academic lives. They act as a direct link to solving these problems through managing effective collaboration with other colleagues, professional colleagues, and parents of the students’ family members living abroad. Solutions to the Challenges Given the direct relationship that the direct advisors have with the international students, it is their responsibility to maintain a friendly environment for them throughout the time they are admitted to the learning institutions. So as to make this possible, the direct advisors work together with the institutions’ offices to help in the creation and maintenance of a positive environment where international students can receive quality education. All of this is done to ensure the creation of an environment where international students feel happy and welcomed into the American learning institutions (Curtin). This can be done by the help of integration programs, such as, Facebook fan page, web presence, and display boards. This program helps international students share their feelings openly about the experiences and challenges they face in the institutions. It is through such programs that the direct advisors become able to help the international students in facing different challenges. In other cases, the direct advisors inform the institutions’ administration about these difficulties so that the administration could devise the best ways through which these issues can be resolved. Conclusion Summing it up, students from other countries view American higher education as the ladder to a successful future career. However, these students need directions on the ways to adjust into the American way of life while ensuring that they follow the Federal, state, and local laws. This can be made possible by the direct advisors whose responsibility is to ensure that the students enjoy a smooth transition from their native cultures to the American culture. It is the work of the direct advisors to make sure that the students follow the laws while living in America. They also assist them in learning within the American learning institutions. Read More