Succeeding in the American University

1. Succeeding in the American University A workshop for International Graduate Students

2. Presenters • Dr. Beth Boehm, Professor of English, & Interim Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies • Amber Carrier, Doctoral candidate, Biology, Arts and Science, & President of Graduate Student Council • NurcanDurak, Doctoral candidate, CECS, Speed School, & Information chair of Graduate Student Council • Shyam Bansal, Doctoral candidate, Pharmacology & Toxicology • Shyam Sharma, Doctoral candidate in English, & Research Assistant, SIGS

3. O U T L I N E Transition: Learning New Things Interaction Transfer: Building on Past Knowledge/Skills Interaction Beyond the workshop

4. Discussion 1 • Introduce Yourself and Share an Experience • Introduce yourself to one person sitting next to you: name, country, interest, etc. • Talk about an experience or idea regarding academic culture at UofL which you found interesting, confusing, or simply different.

5. Part 1 TRANSITION

6. Education as a Cultural Concept • Knowledge, education, and learning are conceptualized differently by different cultures. • For example, students read and often do assignments before coming to class in American universities, but they usually do so after class in many other countries.

7. Warning! • Cultures overlap: differences are not always clear. • Globalizationof higher education has blurred cultural/national distinctions in concepts. • Different disciplines within American university may have very different academic practices. • Academic concepts/practices in different cultures are not better or worse: they’re just unique.

8. -Shyam Sharma SOME FEATURES OF AMERICAN ACADEMIC CULTURE

9. Learning is creating new knowledge • Students are not just considered as learners but also as producers of new knowledge. • Students need not wait until they become experts, or reach a certain age or position, before their ideas and opinions begin to be considered “knowledge.” • That perspective is seen in classroom practices and student-teacher communication.

10. Learning is student-centered • Graduate classes involve seminars or discussions facilitated by the teacher. • Teachers may only ask Socratic questions—seeming to not know the answer—in order to allow students to be better involved in their learning.

11. Learning involves critical thinking • Students must becritical thinkers. • They are expected to contribute to existing body of knowledge by challenging and complicating it—not just expected to learn what is out there. • They can offer personal response, criticism and analysis of texts written by experts. • It is also okay for students to intellectually disagree with teachers or colleagues.

12. Students must be self-directed • Especially at the graduate level, students are expected to be self-directed scholars. • You decide what courses you take and how you relate them to your professional goal • You normally choose your own topic for papers/projects • Normally, institutional requirements don’t affect your choice of interest/specialization very much.

13. Writing is considered a process of learning • Writing is considered both a tool of expression and a process of learning. • Conventions are different in different departments. • But it’s good to learn about general issues. • thesis statement, topic sentence • organization, transition, flow • Use Writing Center services: http://louisville.edu/writingcenter

14. Research is a crucial part of education • Research is at the heart of learning in most disciplines. • Research doesn’t mean merely finding and reporting what the experts have said/found. • It means exploring an issue of your interest and contributing to it, often challenging or updating the existing body of knowledge on the subject.

15. Responsibility is essential in research • Because ideas are owned like property, students must always acknowledge who they belong to. • Using ideas without proper acknowledgment is called plagiarism. • It doesn’t matter whether a person plagiarizes intentionally or unintentionally, it’s still plagiarism.

16. New languages, skills, technologies • Learn the language of the discipline. • Learn new learning styles/skills. • Learn new technologies

17. Students meet with their professors • Students visit professors to seek individual help. • If you don’t understand an assignment, or anything, make an appointment and meet with your professor. • Emailing is a good way to ask for a time.

18. CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

19. Formality • Teachers and students generally have a less formal relationship in the US. • Some professors may prefer to be addressed by their first name. • Do not generalize. Formality and distance depends on the personality/preference of individual teachers.

20. Professionalism LEARN ABOUT • Body language • Privacy and personal space • Gender relationships • Collaboration with colleagues • Time management (skills) • How to socialize with colleagues and teachers • What people don’t talk about, etc

22. -Amber Carrier-Shyam S. Bansal Departmental Differences and Their Influence on the Graduate Experience

24. Departmental Culture Differences • Influence attitudes of graduate students towards other graduate students, towards research and to some extent influences their goals • Major determinant of work related stress: Higher expectations result in more stress • Each department has its own climate and culture

25. Experience is discipline-specific • Laboratory experience • Support (financial and social) • Degree Requirements • Relationships • Teaching load

26. Difference in Financial Support • Teaching assistantships • Common in humanities and social sciences, also seen in Science and Math departments • Teaching load/responsibilities differ among departments

27. Difference in Nature of Work • Research assistantships common in social and hard sciences • Research assistantships may require more time on mentor’s project than on students’ • Fellowships • Usually do not involve research or teaching responsibilities, so students can focus on their own projects

28. Difference in Nature of work… • No teaching is required in Health Sciences Departments • Graduate Research Fellowships are provided through the IPIBS program • Extensive involvement in lab research work is expected

29. Difference in Social Support • Lab setting often has more of a detached, employee-employer type relationship • Relationships with advisors and faculty vary in humanities and social science departments • Lab setting also encourages more intra-lab interaction rather than inter-lab or interdepartmental. • Humanities and social science graduate students perform research more independently

30. Difference in Social Support… • In health sciences departments: • Both personal and professional relationship with mentors • Lab provides a platform to share your thoughts, views with other lab members • Provides a much broader view of your field of interest • Lab members play an important role in learning and trouble shooting your experiments • Participation in weekly seminars encourages interaction

31. Difference in Degree Requirements • STEM disciplines are often more regimented in their program • Move students through as cohorts • Humanities and Social Sciences are more open ended • Longer average length of degree • Some differences based on sub-discipline

32. Difference in Degree Requirements… • Average time for a PhD in health sciences is 4-5 years including MS earned along the way • Departments like Microbiology & Immunology don’t need a thesis for the MS but others like Pharmacology & Toxicology require one • 2-3 research publications in peer reviewed journals is expected

34. -NurcanDurak Everybody has a different JOURNEY!!!

35. Why did I come to the US? • To be a great researcher, • I am on my way • To collaborate with researchers from different backgrounds, • To attend more conferences, • The travel budget was tight in my country. • To have life experience abroad, • To meet people from all over the world, • To travel in the US. Why did YOU come to the US?

36. FROM DIFFERENT CITIES in the US SAN DIEGO NEW YORK CITY BOSTON PITTSBURGH

37. What is Success? • Is it GPA? • Is it the number of papers you published? • Is it the experience you are gaining at this school? • Is it extra-curricular activities? • Is it the job you are craving for after graduation? • Is it the money? • Is it the fun? Is it the number of girlfriends/boyfriends or number of beers you drank ? SET YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS AND STRIVE TO ACHIEVE IT!!!

38. What do you want to be when you grow up? DECIDE NOW!!! • A Researcher??? • A Teaching Position??? • Other jobs (at industry)???? ACT ACCORDING TO YOUR DESIRE!!!

39. You are not a SLAVE here! • Don’t study 20 hours per day!!! • You are HUMAN BEINGS under STRESS, LONELY and HOMESICK. • Make some GOOD friends • EAT WELL • EXERCISE • ENJOY LOUISVILLEhttp://louisville.edu/rso/gsc/faq.html

40. Don’t be a stranger. This is your school too!!! • Graduate Student Council • https://louisville.edu/rso/gsc/home.html/ • Student Activity Board • http://louisville.edu/studentnews/calendar/month • Recreation is FREE in this campus • Game Room at SAC  BILLIARD, TABLE TENNIS, etc.. • GYM, SWIMMING POOL, TENNIS COURTS • DVDs at library • Music School  Free Concerts • http://louisville.edu/music/ • Floyd theater  Almost free movies

41. Relax through your hobbies

42. My Experiences with the Courses

43. If you are a regular student, you will succeed!!! Don’t worry!!! • Took three courses each semester. • Even though courses were not so difficult for me, there were lots of • Assignments , • Quizzes , • Projects, Project Reports • Exams • If it is a group project, share the load, prepare time schedule, communicate your team members.

44. 24 hours was not enough!!! • Last month of each semester was like hell!! • BUY AN AGENDA or PALM PILOT to manage your time! • STICK to your agenda! • CONCENTRATE on the task and complete it in time. • DON’T PROCRASTINATE too much. • DON’T SPEND too much time ON FACEBOOK or MSN.

45. Some more tips • Before taking any course, do some research about the professor and the course. • Attend all the classes. • Don’t be late. • Print lecture notes, take notes during the class. • Present your results effectively. • 75 minutes of a class require some chocolates, coffee, candies.

47. Part 2 TRANSFER

48. “Cream of the crop…” • “Most international graduate students accepted into U.S. universities…are the cream of the crop from their home countries.” (Virginia Gongalez) • The question is how you can transfer your past knowledge, skills, and perspectives and build upon those resources to achieve your academic goals here in the US.

49. Capitalize on your strengths • Recognize what knowledge, skills, and perspectives from your academic backgrounds you can best draw upon. • Then consider what new areas and what learning styles you will need to focus on. • Build upon your strengths.

50. Share your ideas • Let your teachers and colleagues know about your strengths. • Do not be frustrated when you occasionally encounter misunderstanding. • Consider this: “the only solution to learning how to function in a Western classroom is for these students to change their educational philosophy” -Kris Torkelson, a researcher specializing in international students)