Eight Points for Attention in Studying in America
1, watch your distance.
When talking to Americans, keep your body distance from each other. A distance of half a meter is more suitable. When you chat with an American, if he goes straight ahead, you may be a little far away from him; If he keeps backing away, you may be too close to him, so keep a proper distance.
2. Don't say hello loudly.
According to experts studying in the United States, people in China greet acquaintances loudly to show their enthusiasm, while public places in the United States are relatively quiet and people talk quietly. They don't usually shout unless there is an emergency. See acquaintances also approached to say hello.
3. Keep eye contact while talking.
Keep eye contact when talking to Americans. Cold eyes or looking at other places will leave Americans with the impression of distrust and arrogance. Therefore, it is very important to keep smiling eye contact when dealing with Americans. If a stranger walks up to you and smiles at you, he will say "hello". It's just a courtesy, but it doesn't mean that he will stop talking to you.
You can't play jokes on them.
Some students in China sometimes tell a white lie or joke, which is considered normal. However, in the United States, if you lie to him or joke that he is dishonest, these words will make Americans unhappy, because the United States is a nation that stresses credibility, and their economic and social status is based on personal credibility. They can't stand the lack of credibility of others.
5. Same-sex behavior should not be too intimate.
In the United States, same-sex people can't dance together, which is one of the recognized social etiquette. Similarly, people of the same sex will be considered gay when walking in the street, so the important physical contact between friends of the same sex should also be kept within a moderate range.
6. Don't touch the children casually.
People in China like to touch their faces or hold their hands to show their love for their children, but Americans think it is very impolite. According to experts studying in the United States, even their dogs don't like what others touch or feed casually, which will cause dissatisfaction among Americans.
7. The "ceremony" of visiting
When visiting Americans, you must take off your hat and coat and sunglasses when you enter the door. When you enter the door, you should greet the hostess first, and then the host. When there are many guests, just shake hands with the host and acquaintances, and just nod to others. When you are a guest, don't rummage through the owner's things, fiddle with the furnishings, or inquire about the price of the furnishings.
8. Women should not make up in public.
Americans have certain views on women wearing heavy makeup in public or wearing makeup in public. They will think that such women are uneducated and suspicious. Moreover, in the United States, women had better not wear black series clothes, because Americans think that black is a symbol of solemnity and the color of funeral, so it is taboo.
How to integrate into American study life faster?
How to treat classes
American teachers often ask students to participate in class discussions, ask questions or express their personal opinions. In fact, class participation is often part of the semester grade. The professor thinks that class discussion can evaluate what you have learned and see if you have the ability to have an intellectual dialogue with professors and classmates.
Part of western education emphasizes teaching students to think independently and express themselves in various ways. Many factual information can be found in books, so the teacher focuses on how to help students interpret the course content in a more meaningful way. Just like the Greek philosopher Socrates, American teachers and classmates keep asking questions, forcing you to state your opinions and share them openly with others.
Based on these differences, it will have a great influence for China students to come to the United States for the first time. Seeing American students constantly asking or answering questions or even challenging professors, they will feel uncomfortable. They think that these students are so arrogant and rude that they should absolutely obey the authority of the professor. Besides, my English is so poor, why should I make a fool of myself in public?
Reminder: How to deal with these problems? If your English communication skills and confidence in using English are not enough, you'd better take ESL elective courses first. Many people think that taking English classes will hinder undergraduate courses. In fact, ESL course is helpful for undergraduate understanding, oral expression and research skills. However, it is not enough to take English classes. You should also know how to use English in real life and use it constantly. It's best not to mix with students or friends from your own country, so as not to waste English.
How to communicate
In order to truly gain the special experience of studying in the United States, it is best to make friends with Americans and students from other countries. Join school clubs, sports organizations, student unions, etc. Can promote social life. In the local society, you can join some service organizations, volunteer organizations and host families. Although there is academic pressure, taking part in extracurricular activities has many benefits and is also a way to relieve the pressure.
Whether you take English classes or general classes, you can still find help when you encounter problems in your life or study. American professors generally understand and are willing to help you through personal office consultation. They are also willing to give advice on improving your study habits and how to get other information. You can also ask for help from foreign student consultants, campus counseling centers or similar institutions, but you must take the initiative to contact.
Through all these exchanges inside and outside the campus, you will find the differences between Chinese and American students' values. Americans are usually more individualistic, and most of them are not dependent on their parents. Students also rely on summer jobs or * * * jobs to make their own important decisions.
Reminder: In interpersonal relationships, American students are extroverted, and they also require others to respect their personal space and privacy. Although there are many ideological differences, regardless of cultural background, students' goal of seeking the best education remains the same.
Some suggestions for American students.
1, about college classes
Unlike the classroom in China, which is dominated by one textbook and one teacher, the classroom in American universities is not limited by one textbook, and most of the time depends entirely on the teacher's handouts and homework. Professors attach great importance to students' classroom experience, so they should fully participate in classroom activities. For China students who have just entered American universities, they often encounter difficulties in class participation and reading after class. How to overcome it? First of all, you must not be afraid of "losing face" or being shy in class. It is normal for an international student who has just arrived in the United States to answer wrong in class. Try more and practice more to improve. Second, the amount of reading. You can use this summer vacation to increase your reading and speed up your reading before going to America. So you won't feel uncomfortable when you first enter the United States.
2. About English learning
English learning can be said to be an eternal topic in the whole university. No matter how high the previous TOEFL score is, continuous learning, especially the provision of oral and writing skills, runs through. Generally speaking, there are some writing centers in universities that provide students with services such as paper revision for free. Everyone must make good use of this welfare! In addition, taking part in outdoor activities will also increase the chances of practicing oral English.
3. About new classmates
When students arrive in the United States, they will worry about whether it is not easy to integrate into American culture. In particular, I have seen many reports that after China students arrive in the United States, they only stay with their compatriots in class or after class. In fact, when we ask some American students what they think of international students, most of them express their willingness to be friends with international students, but many of them don't know how to start. Another important suggestion is that cultural integration is mutual. When we expect to be accepted by another culture, we should actually sit down and study hard and accept the new culture. For example, baseball is a very popular sport among American students. Students in China may not know how to play baseball, but knowing more about this sport will greatly increase the topics of communication with American students.
4. About new living habits
For new living habits, we must first learn to respect them and then adapt to them. Of course, don't give up your habits completely because of this. What is needed is to get along with everyone. If the two sides really find it difficult to get along, we can completely separate in a peaceful way. What students need to remember is that an accidental unhappiness does not represent all the experiences in the future.
5. About homework
The homework of American universities pays more attention to students' practical application and the expansion of knowledge. Many assignments are in the form of papers. As for the paper, before handing in the homework, we must first determine whether it meets the format requirements of general paper writing and whether the rules about citation are applied correctly. You can ask the professor to check it in advance. Under normal circumstances, professors are willing to help international students meet this requirement. Another point is that the professor has very high requirements for the originality of the paper.
6. About the arrangement of spare time
Because they are unfamiliar with the surrounding environment or have few friends. Many students in China like to spend their spare time in dormitories and libraries. There's nothing wrong with that! However, we need to pay attention to that compared with the super-high GPA, students' comprehensive ability, especially those majoring in business, is very important for their future career development. So everyone must spend some time to enrich their after-school life. For example, take part in some projects initiated by some students spontaneously. This is also a good opportunity for exercise and study.
7. About off-campus internship opportunities
For American college students, they have been paying attention to various internship opportunities since their freshman summer vacation. There will also be special training for students to apply for internships, such as how to prepare resumes and how to show themselves well in interviews. Some internship positions will also be published regularly, so be sure to pay attention to this information at all times.
8. About the opportunity to participate in research at school.
For entering the laboratory, many students, especially those from some comprehensive universities, may find it difficult for freshmen and sophomores to participate in scientific research projects. Here we share a true story with you.
The hero of the story is a China student, who is a freshman majoring in chemistry in an American university. She began to apply for admission to the laboratory in her freshman year, but the professor refused all the time. It was not until her sophomore year that she was allowed to clean the test utensils in the laboratory. Due to the heavy burden of schoolwork at ordinary times, she can only finish the work in the laboratory after 9 pm. So every night from 9: 00 to 12: 00, there is always an international student from China who tries his best to tidy up the experimental instruments in the laboratory. One day, the professor went to the laboratory to get something, and saw that China student, whose name he could hardly remember, was carefully sorting out the experimental instruments. Maybe he was moved by her perseverance and serious spirit. Later, the professor gradually let her participate in some experimental projects and began to guide her to do some substantive work. This experience in the laboratory played a great role in her future application for a doctorate.