It’s time for our Friday round up of online webinars and virtual fairs happening in the next week.  This week features the semi-regular International Day virtual college fair over at CollegeWeekLive for prospective undergraduates.

As always, if you attend any of these events, report back and let us know what you learned! (Use the comments, the Facebook page or just email me – jstahl@voanews.com). And please share any online events you’ve found that we haven’t.

Coming up this week:

February 19

mbaMission: MBA Interview Workshop
9pm US eastern time
More details: http://www.manhattangmat.com/EventShow.cfm?EID=3&eventID=11584 

February 20

CollegeWeekLive: International Day Virtual College Fair
More details: http://collegeweeklive.com/en_CA/Guest/CollegeWeekLive_INTERNATIONAL_DAY 

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Thanks to everyone who joined our State of the Union watch party last night.  We had an amazing group that included some of our Student Union bloggers and other international students from around the world who got together right after Obama’s speech to discuss what he talked about … and what he left out.  If you missed it, we’ve got the replay for you right here.  Check it out!

Around this time last year, Nicholas regaled us with tales of spending his first Lunar New Year in the U.S. – the reunion dinner his Asian friends cooked together, the traditions he taught his American friends, and why it wasn’t so bad to be away from home during the holiday. But Facebook fan Nhat had to disagree. There’s one important thing missing from new year celebrations in America, he wrote:

I would say the old tradition is essentially important. The new way is not so bad at all, but to me it can never replace the feeling of the old one.

Even though we can manage to have an old traditional way to celebrate new year in a foreign country with friends, it’s still not original. We still miss our family. The meaning of this Lunar New Year is family and friend reunion. I’ve been away from home, Vietnam, where most of my family live, and I dearly miss this moment of the year.

They do celebrate Lunar New Year here in the US, but something is still missing, family…

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Maybe it’s the Lunar New Year that’s got the internet in a giving mood, or the loving glow of Valentine’s Day.  Either way, this week is jam-packed with webinars for anyone thinking of applying to a U.S. school.

As always, if you attend any of these events, report back and let us know what you learned! (Use the comments, the Facebook page or just email me – jstahl@voanews.com). And please share any online events you’ve found that we haven’t.

Coming up this week:

February 11

Kaplan: LSAT Personal Statement Workshop
9pm US eastern time
More details: http://www.kaptest.com/enroll/LSAT/online/events 

February 13

CollegeWeekLive: All Access Zone Virtual Fair
More details: http://www.collegeweeklive.com/en_CA/Guest/College-Events-February 

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In need of some advice about how to apply for your student visa? You’re in luck! Not only are there some great ones available on YouTube, but there’s one to match just about any mood.

There’s a video…

For when you need a bit of excitement in your life

For when you don’t

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This addition to the Glossary of Confusing Words has been a long time coming, but at long last, here it is:  Your guide to the mess of letters and numbers that describe the standardized tests you might have to take when applying to a university in the U.S.

Not all universities require these exams – some colleges, for example, are test-optional – and highly specialized programs may require different or additional exams.  But these ones are the most common that you will encounter.

Tests of English
 Most schools require international students to prove their English proficiency by taking one of these exams.  Some undergraduate programs may accept SAT subject tests instead, and some programs may waive this requirement if you’ve already completed a part of your education in the U.S.

TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language
or
IELTS - International English Language Testing System

Tests for undergraduate admission
Most schools that require standardized tests accept either the ACT or SAT exam.

ACT
or
SAT

SAT II – Subject-specific exams

Tests for graduate admission
Many graduate applicants will have to take the GRE, but certain graduate subjects require a different, specialized exam instead.   Older students can sometimes substitute work experience for exam scores.

GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test (business school)
or
GRE – Graduate Record Examination
or
LSAT – Law School Admission Test (law school)
or
MCAT – Medical College Admission Test (medical school)

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It’s a very quiet week coming up in internet land, at least when it comes to virtual events and fairs. But the one event that is happening is a big one: it’s the Economist’s Which MBA? virtual business school fair.

As always, if you attend any of these events, report back and let us know what you learned! (Use the comments, the Facebook page or just email me – jstahl@voanews.com). And please share any online events you’ve found that we haven’t.

February 6,7 and 9

The Economist: Which MBA? Online Fair
More details: http://registermbafair.whichmba.com/wmbaad 

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“I wish I had known that this would be such a huge adjustment,” wrote Reddit user forthelulzac about moving from America’s northeast to the southern state of South Carolina.

North v. south in terms of election results, scaled based on number of electoral votes (Creative commons image by Mark Newman, University of Michigan)

The comment sparked a flurry of agreement from both sides of the Mason-Dixon line.  Americans from the north and the south might be citizens of the same country, but, at least according to those who responded to forthelulzac’s lamentation, they’re from two totally different cultures.

“[Meeting someone from New York] was the first time I had literally no clue what anything a person said or did meant.  I couldn’t tell how he felt about anything,” wrote southerner multirachael by way of explanation.  “For Southerners, everything, everything is in the subtext.”

Southerners have a complex system of rituals and social cues, she explained, contrasting this with the more upfront north.  “[I]f you come right out and say what you’re thinking, it’s considered aggressive, confrontational … If a Southerner labels you ‘rude,’ it’s pretty much the worst thing they can call you …”

“It’s about softening things.  It’s about having a ‘nice’ society. It’s about making things ‘pleasant.’”

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Once again we’ve scoured the internet to find upcoming free webinars and other events of interest to anyone who wants to study in the U.S.  A relatively light week this week, but still worth checking out.

As always, if you attend any of these events, report back and let us know what you learned! (Use the comments, the Facebook page or just email me – jstahl@voanews.com). And please share any online events you’ve found that we haven’t.

January 29

mbaMission: MBA Interview Workshop
9pm US eastern time
More details: http://www.manhattangmat.com/EventShow.cfm?EID=3&eventID=11579 

January 30

IIE: Improving Your Writing on the TOEFL iBT
More details: http://toeflibtmexico.blogspot.com/2012/12/toefl-ibt-webinars-for-january-2013.html 

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Is coming to this the same as rejecting your home?

“If you love your country so much, why are you leaving?”

That’s the provocative question South African student Nicola Soekoe asked in a blog post about her decision to study abroad at Yale University. She wrote:

I would ask myself, “If I am as dedicated to uplifting South Africa and Africa as I say I am, why did I choose to come abroad? If I am so quick to boast about the beautiful South African people to the my American peers, why didn’t I stay there and live with them, surely that would leave me better equipped to one day play a part in uplifting my country?”

Certainly some people back home may see the decision to study abroad as a desertion.  Anna wrote yesterday that her Russian friends and family see her differently now that she’s spend time getting an education in the U.S. “I can’t even remember how many times I have been called ‘brain-washed,’” she lamented.

But when we asked Nicola’s question on Facebook, the response was overwhelming: you didn’t see studying abroad as a rejection at all.

“Leaving is simply a quest to get a better education to make one more equipped to develop their country,” wrote Angel on our Facebook page.

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Once again we’ve scoured the internet to find upcoming free webinars and other events of interest to anyone who wants to study in the U.S.  This week: plenty of events for future TOEFL-takers, grad students, and MBA hopefuls.

As always, if you attend any of these events, report back and let us know what you learned! (Use the comments, the Facebook page or just email me – jstahl@voanews.com). And please share any online events you’ve found that we haven’t.

January 20

Kaplan: Business School Why and Where to Go
9pm US eastern time
More details: http://www.kaptest.com/enroll/GMAT/online/events 

January 21

Kaplan: Application Metrics, Your MBA Scorecard
9pm US eastern time
More details: http://www.kaptest.com/enroll/GMAT/online/events 

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Sadly, I can’t remember who suggested we add “honor code” to our ever-growing Glossary of Confusing Words (if it was you, let me know so I can give you credit!), but it’s a good one.

If you’re not familiar with our Glossary of Confusing Words, it’s our attempt to clarify and define all the words about American education that can be confusing to international students. The words are entirely submitted by YOU, and there’s a form at the bottom of this article to submit any words you want us to add.

What’s an Honor Code?

Not every university has an honor code, but for those that do, the honor code is a set of principles that all students pledge to uphold.  Honor codes usually deal with academic integrity, but some extend to personal values as well, like respect and proper behavior.

Georgetown University students, for example, agree to the following pledge when they enroll at the university:

In pursuit of the high ideals and rigorous standards of academic life I commit myself to respect and to uphold the Georgetown University honor system:
To be honest in every academic endeavor, and
To conduct myself honorably, as a responsible member of the Georgetown community as we live and work together.

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Not so free bird?

If you go to enough concerts in the U.S., eventually you will hear it.  It will probably be towards the end of the night, as the band is winding up, maybe trying to decide what to play for their final song.  And then someone will yell out,  ”Play Freebird!”

The response from the other concert-goers will vary.  Some may join in, others may snicker, and still others may sigh at hearing the overused trope.  But what does “Play Freebird!” mean?

“Freebird” is a 1973 song by southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, who are probably best-known for their anthem “Sweet Home Alabama.”  ”Freebird” hit the top 40, and has been voted as having one of the best guitar solos of all time.

The phrase’s first use, understandably, was to request the song.  On a 1976 Lynyrd Skynyrd live recording, the lead singer asks the audience what song they want to hear, and they shout back, “Freebird!” (the band obliges).

Today, however, “Play Freebird!” is yelled at bands who almost certainly don’t have “Freebird” in their repertoire, with no intention that the band treat the exclamation as a request.

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After a long break for the holidays, online events are back! As usual, we’ve scoured the internet to find upcoming free webinars and other events of interest to anyone who wants to study in the U.S.  This week: two events for TOEFL-takers, plus events for undergraduate and graduate applicants.

If you attend any of these events, report back and let us know what you learned! (Use the comments, the Facebook page or just email me – jstahl@voanews.com). And please share any online events you’ve found that we haven’t.

January 14

IIE: Getting Acquainted with the TOEFL iBT
More details: http://toeflibtmexico.blogspot.com/2012/12/toefl-ibt-webinars-for-january-2013.html 

Kaplan: Graduate School Personal Statement Workshop
9pm US eastern time
More details: http://www.kaptest.com/enroll/GRE/online/events 

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