International students in America take a great percentage of the American student population. In addition to this, statistics indicate that they are over half a million. They have created a peaceful and positive relationship between America and their mother countries and in relation to this positive relationship, the noteworthy issue here is that this has led to the budding reimbursement that is derivative from the presence of international students on American college campuses, it is actually astounding that numerous studies have investigated the factors that add to international students’ constructive contribution to American university life. This is optimally a clear reflection that the students have brought in good and constructive relations which leads to them achieving positive results from their studies.
This illustrates that the various international students come from various ethnic and racial backgrounds. They come from far and wide, from Asia, South America, Africa and the rest of the globe. This is quite well shown by the richness of the very many cultures when they come together when participating in co curricular activities in the campuses. The figures and the percentages show that the involvement just like their resident partners, the American students brings a richness of cultures which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. This factor contributes to both feeling at ease with each other.
There is data with regards to engagement and participation of students in campus activities based on race and ethnicity, which illustrates that the number of students with the Indian nationality, are on the lead by 58% followed by African- American students with 57%, then Asians by 47% and other minority groups follow in that order such as the Hispanic internationals. This is with regards to the engagement to the various activities in the campuses related to their race/ethnicity. This means that all of these groups relate well not only at the classroom level but also in other areas of life.
In many cases also, anyone cannot separate an American student and an international student by just looking at their ethnicity. America is a boiling pot in regard to people from different ethnic groups living together in harmony in such a way that one cannot tell an American from a non American. When international students and American students are looked at from this perspective, the way in which they mingle and make friendships indicates that their backgrounds do not matter at all as all of them can make friendships regardless of where they come from. This shows that the students have embraced the spirit oneness by engaging in mutual relationships notwithstanding their backgrounds.
In regard to class participation, both American and international students have made a tremendous effort in ensuring that they at least contribute and participate in the learning process. All of them may be having a problem but the statistics indicate that both of them find themselves having challenges which all of them have a way of going about them. International students on their part, as shown by the statistics to a large extent participate in class just like their American counter parts. The way in which both handle issues may be quite different but the bottom is that the try to take part in classroom activities just like their American counter parts.
The issue of student satisfaction by race/ethnicity, illustrates the concept in which the various students get different levels of satisfaction according to the services offered in the institutions of learning. The Hispanic is leading with 50% followed by followed by the Indians by 48%, followed by American- African students and international students close the table by 40% level of satisfaction. This reveals that the different students have different levels of satisfaction depending on the services offered in the learning institutions of the US. This does not mean that when international students come in last then they are not satisfied. The issue of settling in has to be factored in because they come from other systems of education which they have to reconcile with the American one for them to fit in well.
The international student populace is not at all the same group; its members come from different parts of the world. They therefore face academic and societal challenges when commencing their academic experience. These setbacks are made worse for international students; because they depart from the environments they are used to in their mother countries as well as acquaintances and have got to become accustomed to both a new civilization and academic world. Nevertheless, apart from the academic challenges, international students possibly will come across social adjustments intimidating. The various confrontations they definitely face may shoot in part from communication tribulations, principally experienced by non-native English speakers.
In the UC Berkeley there has been a tremendous increase in the number of the international students. Also in the case of University of Washington and university of Florida, they have witnessed the increase in the numbers by over 20% yearly. This is a clear indication that people from all over the world still hold American education in very high esteem which has seen the influx of students raise each single year. Another factor that can be looked at from this perspective is the efficiency of settling in by these students into the American education system as well as the quality of education offered. American students tend to play a huge role in this case because they are accommodating which helps the international students settle in so fast. This encourages the rise and could be, this plays a role in the increase of international students’ year in, year out.
They also join hands with the American students to; bring information and skills in a lot of fields, particularly within sciences, engineering, and technology. They also help in the increasing the intellectual capital of the U.S. This is because the activities that they do partake in the country helps elevate and those that return home the majority often do so with good will and positive fellow feeling for their subsequent home. Furthermore, in the area of foreign policy the U.S. and other urbanized nations’ institutions teach lots of persons who take control positions in other nations, which in due course possibly will benefit kindred between countries.
The ratio of the international students to the American students and citizens is quite rising as compared to the past years. The percentage is 17% to 83% respectively. This is as a result of the various research studies conducted in relation to the things that make students from all over the world to prefer American education. The bottom line is that there are many opportunities which open a platform for interaction between the students from many countries around the globe such as scholarships which are awarded to them. As a result, they come and mingle with each other and make education an exciting adventure for both international and America students.
The table shows the major three state university tuition changes for American students for the last 5 years.
Major three universities international student tuition change over 5 years.
The tables effectively illustrates that the comparison between the figures of students from the United States and international students. The figures are on the rise despite the fact that the figures of the students in the United States are higher. This increase is directed to the various factors that have been considered to ensure that the academic environment is made favorable so as to accommodate everyone. American students pay more than their international counterparts due to some factors. But this does not affect the quality of education offered because both go through the same education system and the environment and opportunities offered to them are the same.
Despite this, the inter-group dynamics in between the cultures has heightened sensitivity in some areas. This means that some negative aspects do arise in the context of shared common norms in the dynamics of the educational setup as well as outside the learning environment. But this has not hindered the learning process at all. Istead, it has offered an environment where all of them learn each other’s experiences therefore diversifying their knowledge about each other.
The interaction between international students and the people in US is of great essence especially for those who are aspiring to go there for their studies. This research has tried as much as possible to elaborate how international students relate with others and the community in general. The research has taken into consideration the friendship patterns, functional roles and social support roles. The contact of the students with other students and community in general is of great essence. During the interactions, the inter-cultural interaction was still low and international students were not very free to interact with the domestic students.
In the context of the classroom in regard to class work and other things, the international students tend to be very aggressive in class so that they can catch up with the rest because many of them encounter challenges originating from the difference in the education system of the US and their native countries. Many of them form friendship patterns that go beyond just cultural exchange but into educational sharing. Outside class, both try as much as possible to share each other’s experiences which in many cases end up helping the international students to adjust to the life out of class.
The international students may end up in relationships that lead to eruption of their original cultures and others that will help cement their beliefs. Some students end up in engaging in activities that are not acceptable back at their homes. Some of these activities are same sex relationships which are against norms and beliefs of some communities where the students come from. Others end up indulging in the abuse of drugs and lose their goals and may not accomplish their mission of studies. Immorality is on the increase because these students especially ladies want to get a sense of belonging to the new ways of life all thanks to peer pressure and even what they observe in the places where they live in.
In conclusion, the relationship between the international students and the people in the US especially fellow students is of essence. This acts as a wakeup call to other countries to do what the US is doing right because at the end of the day, American higher education is proving to attract students from all over the world (Linda, 1995). The richness of diverse cultures notwithstanding, all students both Americans or otherwise, get nothing but the best in terms of broadening relationships which make them learn a lot both in class and outside. This way academic success is achieved not only for American student but international students too. Despite the challenges faced, for instance high tuition fee and many more, international students tend to achieve the same goals in regard to satisfaction from the teaching and learning process just like their American counterparts.
Appendix
Figure 1 international student ration in United States
References
Bevis, Teresa Brawner, and Christopher J. Lucas. International Students in American Colleges and Universities: A History. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
Greenaway, David, and L. Alan Winters. Surveys in International Trade. Oxford, UK: B. Blackwell, 1994.
Gonzalez, Virginia. Second Language Learning: Cultural Adaptation Processes in International Graduate Students in U.S. Universities. Lanham, Md: University Press of America, 2004.
International Society for Technology in Education. National Educational Technology Standards for Students: Connecting Curriculum and Technology. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 2000.
Darling-Hammond, Linda, Jacqueline Ancess, and Beverly Falk. Authentic Assessment in Action: Studies of Schools and Students at Work. New York: Teachers College Press, 1995.
Wikipedia. “Higher education in US”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_education_in_the_United_States (accessed 4/3/2013)
UC Berkeley international office
http://internationaloffice.berkeley.edu/ (accessed 4/2/2013)
http://iss.washington.edu/ (accessed 4/1/2013)
Fact book
(http://www.ir.ufl.edu/factbook/vi-04_hist.pdf)
http://www.ufic.ufl.edu/ (accessed 4/2/2013)
NSSE (National survey of student engagement) report builder
http://nsse.iub.edu/html/report_builder.cfm (accessed 4/3/2013)
