Happy New Year everyone!  Hope you  had a wonderful 2010.  We’re looking forward to a 2011 with more stories from our bloggers about their experiences studying in the U.S., meeting more of you and hearing about your experiences, and answering more of your questions about coming to the U.S. or living in the U.S.

Until then, we leave you with these tweets.  #2010was…

What was 2010 for you?  What are your hopes for 2011?

Read the rest of this entry »

Sick of the 2010 recap lists yet? I am. But here’s one final one for you before you ring in the new year…the news stories that have most caught our attention since this blog started 3 months ago.

The top 5 stories we’ve been following:

#5) College rankings start to generate controversy:

We started the year by sharing results of some university rankings – World University Rankings, US News and World Reports, National Research Council, Global Higher Education Rankings - and there are many more out there. But the validity of using such rankings to compare schools is coming under increasing scrutiny, including an official audit by the International Ranking Expert Group, and students have been reminded by various sources to dig deeper than a school’s ranking when deciding where to apply.

#4) Suicide and violence on college campuses:

Tyler Clementi, a student at Rutgers University in New Jersey, committed suicide in September after his roommate allegedly broadcast a video of Clementi’s sexual encounter with another man. The incident shocked students at universities around the country and forced both students and officials to take a look at how they treat gay students and how they deal with bullying and suicide prevention.

The start of the school year also saw a couple of campus shooting incidents, and our bloggers responded by saying they feel campus violence is more of a problem in America than in their home countries, but that their universities take measures to keep them protected.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not as scientific a measure as most viewed or most commented, but here my top 5 favorite posts our bloggers wrote in 2010.  Although, let’s be clear, all the bloggers are amazing, and picking out just 5 feels really unfair.  As a bonus, I’m also including my top 5 favorite “Question of the Week”-style posts.

My top 5 favorite blogger posts:

# 5) On Colours of American Armour, or Why I Refuse to AmericaniSe my Spelling, by Nareg

I shall definitely “graduate” in May, and not “pass out”, as I would have in India. Although, the exhausting way we work here at St. John’s College, it may end up being a little of both.

# 4) Rethinking Democracy, by Sebastian

But something I found interesting is the fact that voting day here in Kansas is just like any other week day, and if someone doesn’t vote, there is no penalty for that.

# 3) A Personal Take on “Americanization,” by Nick

On my plate was a sizable cheese burger, sitting on top of a bunch of curly fries, accompanied by plenty of ketchup and pickle slices to round up the over-packed plate.

Read the rest of this entry »

Continuing our look back at 2010, here’s a list of the posts that spurred on the most discussions.

The top 5 most commented-on posts:

# 5) A Personal Take on “Americanization,” by Nick

I found what I had to do was to reconcile within myself what elements from the American way of life I want to adopt, and at the same time, what am I willing to sacrifice of my own culture for it.

# 4) First Impressions: Arriving, Getting Settled and Meeting My New Country, by Jamal

During this short while I was away from Kyrgyzstan for the first time, I felt I had learned one first very important thing for myself. That is: always ask questions, otherwise you don’t get what you want …

Read the rest of this entry »

As the new year approaches, we’ll be looking back at some of the best posts from the past year (well, the past 3 months, but who’s counting), using scientific criteria, like the number of views, and less scientific criteria, like my personal preferences.  So, here we go!

The top 5 most viewed posts of 2010:

# 5) Reality Show of International Students’ Life in America, by Tara

And before he knew what was happening, he found himself being secured by two policemen, hands behind his back.

# 4) Trick or Turkey: Getting into American Holidays, by Nareg

I come from a close-knit family, and perhaps especially because I am currently away from them, I’ve found real beauty in the togetherness and fellowship that forms a big part of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Read the rest of this entry »

Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas! Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, it’s a festive time of year here in the U.S., what with all the sparkling lights and pretty trees.

Many of you have said that one of the best ways to practice your English is to watch American movies.  So as a Christmas present, here are 5 classic movies you can watch to practice your English and get into the holiday spirit.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

Read the rest of this entry »

Our friend Kumar at RedBus2US talks about some of the differences he’s found between life in India, where he grew up, and in the U.S., where he lives now.

He points out in particular that the view of personal privacy and individuality is different in India than the U.S., and says that he feels people in the U.S. are less judged for the choices they make – even if those choices are weird.

After seven months of exploring, enjoying, adapting, torturing…. in the U.S., I finally went back to my home country, China! What was waiting for me there was the incredibly great city of Beijing, yummy Chinese food, old friends who I missed so much, my college, which is my favorite place in the world…and some CULTURE SHOCKS. Yes, I experienced the so-called reverse culture shock in the place where I lived for 20 years.

Renmin University in Beijing, by Flickr user chenyingphoto

Over-friendly

The first culture shock I got after landing in Beijing was about saying hi. In China, people seldom say hi to strangers like the airport clerk, waiters in restaurants or sale associates in shopping malls. That is very different from what it is like in the U.S.

I definitely forgot this tradition after I got out of the plane and said hello to the customs officer in the airport. What made things worse was that I said “hi” rather than “Ni Hao 你好” in Chinese. He stared at me weirdly for a few seconds until I suddenly knew what was going wrong. I just pretended nothing had happened and did not say anything later.

Read the rest of this entry »

BBC correspondent Kevin Connolly, leaving his post in America after 3 years, writes a poignant look at what has intrigued, surprised, and charmed him about the U.S.

These things too are familiar enough, but a country so large, so restless and so energetic is necessarily full of surprises and contradictory impulses too.

This is after all, the land that gave us prohibition and then invented organised crime to get around it.

We do this thing where he teaches me his prayers in Arabic, and I share with him the prayers I say as a Catholic

The Washington Post reports on Muslim international students who enroll at Catholic colleges, saying that they find familiarity in the focus on religion. The story also looks at the varying extents to which Catholic universities accommodate their Muslim students.

It’s holiday time everyone!  Question of the Week will go on a 2 week break while our bloggers enjoy their winter vacations and I enjoy…well…a slightly less crowded commute?

Don’t worry, we’ve still got plenty of great blog posts coming up in the next few weeks, and Question of the Week will be back and raring to go in 2011!

Meanwhile, here’s a question for you: How are you finding the blog so far?  We’ve been around just over 3 months now, so it’s time to check in with you all.  What do you like? What doesn’t work?  What do you want us to cover more (or less)?  Any feedback or suggestions are more than welcome.

My old college roommate jetted into town last weekend for a conference with his New York law firm.  He’s the kind of guy who at 26 already has the key pieces of his life put together.  He graduated from NYU law school in May, proposed to his longtime girlfriend in August while vacationing in Europe, moved into a spacious Manhattan apartment in October, and started working at a multinational firm in November.  Basically, he’s one of those people who I always feel like I’m playing catch-up with.

How competitive is graduate school?

Seeing my roommate got me thinking about competition and rivalry in graduate school.  To what extent do grad students compare themselves to one another and worry about getting ahead?  The stereotype for me has always been that school gets really competitive as you move up the ladder.  I’ve heard horror stories about graduate students at elite universities hiding books from one another and stealing notes to make sure they get the best grade in the class.  Everyone wants so badly to succeed, and there’s only so much room at the top.

Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s Question of the Week was about how you choose where to apply, and where to ultimately go. What factors are important? How do you research different colleges to make a decision?

The question dovetailed with this week’s CollegeWeekLive International Day, a virtual college fair for international students, put on in partnership with EducationUSA. Students who attended could get information from over 200 colleges in the U.S., chat live with admissions representatives, and attend live lectures with EducationUSA representatives on topics like choosing a college and finding financial aid.

What is a virtual fair?
Here are some screencaps of the event, to give you an idea of what it’s like:

Read the rest of this entry »

I feel like there’s something really poignant about this tweet:

Senzeni was similarly indecisive earlier this week.