studying mathematics).
Before you enroll, find out which parts of your major are required, which have pre-requisites, and which parts you can choose.
Student support services
Most institutions have support services to help students find somewhere to live, handle problems (with health, finances, etc.), difficulty with studies, and so on. Some institutions will have services specifically for international students.
How your classes are taught
The types of classes students attend abroad may be quite different from the classes you attended at home. Most international students are used to sitting in rows and listening while their professor/lecturer speaks. In English-speaking countries, these are called “lectures.” You’ll also be attending other types of classes where both the professor/lecturer and the students speak. You should be able to find out what sort of classes your major will be running from your college or university website or from the information they have sent you.
Below is a list of common types of classes.
Lectures: In lectures, the professor/lecturer speaks and students listen quietly and take notes. Your professor/lecturer may put up a podcast and/or PowerPoint slides online for students afterward. You may sometimes be given the slides or a reading list beforehand to prepare for the lecture.
Discussion groups, Tutorials, or Seminars: These are classes for small groups of students. Students are expected to ask questions and discuss things with the professor/lecturer and other students.
Workshops: These are also classes for smaller groups. Workshops focus on practical activities, sometimes as a follow-up to a lecture.
Online classes: The professor/lecturer provides materials to read and links to websites and videos. There may also be an online “board” where students discuss things with the professor/lecturer and other students.
College/University culture
Every university and college has a different flavor. Before you leave, find out as much as you can about the institution where you’ll be studying and the town or city where it is. How does it compare to your hometown and the schools you’ve attended there? Here are some questions to think about.
Location: Is it a big city or a small town? Inland or on the coast? Close to home or a long flight away?
Classmates: How many students per class? Will other students be mostly locals, or from other states, or other international students from other countries?
Activities: What activities do you enjoy? Can you buy food you like, practice your religion, play favorite sports, and do other things you like?
Where to stay
There are many kinds of places where you can stay while you’re studying. The main types of accommodation are explained below.
Campus accommodation:
Many institutions have accommodation for students on campus. This is usually a bedroom with shared bathroom and possibly a kitchen. Sometimes the bedrooms have their own bathrooms so you don’t have to share. Sometimes you may have to share the bedroom with another person. You will not be expected to share a bedroom with a person of the opposite sex but you will find men and women living in the same campus accommodation.
Sometimes a building with lots of bedrooms (for one or two students) and a shared bathroom is called a dormitory or in the UK, a hall of residence. Meals can sometimes be provided too in which case there may not be kitchen facilities. Living in campus accommodation is convenient, and can be a great place to make friends.
Private student residences:
In some cities there may be privately run dormitory accommodation for students. These residences often offer many of the services and advantages of campus-run accommodation, though they tend to be further from campus and more expensive.
Host families:
Some students arrange to stay with a local family, who provides a bedroom and meals. If you decide to do this, make sure you talk to the family about their rules and expectations. Find out whether they expect you to eat most meals with them as a family, how flexible they are about when you come home, what tasks they expect you to do around the house, and so on.
Private rental:
Many international students rent a house or apartment/flat to live in. This is usually done through a real estate or rental agency. You’ll usually be asked to complete a rental application form. This form will ask you to prove you can pay the rent and provide the contact details of people who will confirm that you’ll take care of their place (called referees). Remember that you’ll be paying for utilities (electricity, water, gas, etc.) if you rent a place. You may also need to pay for the Internet and arrange this through an Internet Service Provider (ISP). If you’re studying in the UK and want to watch television, you may also have to pay for a TV licence. In some countries, like the US, you’ll be required to pay one month’s rent as a deposit as well.
Real estate agencies near your institution list houses and apartments for lease every week. Visit them or their website for details.
Most towns have at least one online search engine for finding places to lease. For the US, try www.collegestudentapartments.com. In Australia, you might like to try www.realestate.com.au or www.domain.com.au.
Your institution may have an accommodation board or website where people with student-type housing advertise. Check with them.
Check newspapers, public noticeboards, and kiosks: some people still advertise places for rent in these places.
If you want to rent, you need to look at what sort of places are available and how much they cost. You also need to decide where you want to live. Close to campus? Close to the center of town? How long are you prepared to spend traveling to get to classes? Do you want to be able to walk to classes? Is there convenient public transportation? If you plan to drive, is parking available and free or cheap?
How much can you afford to spend on rent? Remember that you’ll also need to pay for other things like utilities and the Internet. You may also need to pay to have these connected when you move in.
How close to campus do you want to live? Don’t assume you’ll be able to find and afford somewhere within walking distance of your classes. Think about how much money and time you are happy to spend on travel.
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