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About uStudy.us
Director Introduction
To enhance the uStudy.us experience for all participants, uStudy.us Online Courses, developed by The Center for Global Education at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), offers this online curriculum to help any international student from any country to choose an appropriate U.S. university and then prepare for making the transition to study in the U.S., with resources for practical support (emphasizing health and safety) and intellectual support (emphasizing a greater understanding of your home and U.S. culture). The goal of this course is to guide you, the international student coming to study in the U.S., to utilize resources about colleges & universities, finances, health & safety, culture and world affairs to build your own study-in-the-U.S. plan. Your plan will be built as you go through each module. The plan can be exported to show parents, friends, teachers, and other students. Each module will contain several tasks with actions. Each action will have instructions and resources (like a selection of supporting articles, web links, and text to choose from) for you to create a product like a Profile, List, Essay, etc. Or, the action will have instructions and resources to help you formulate a thought on a concept such as cultural distinctions, and express that thought in a short essay or through interaction with others. Occasionally, material will be presented with a standard multiple choice/true-false quizzes to assess understanding. You will be given tasks throughout the course which may include articles to read, quizzes, or questions for reflection. For a detailed description of the tasks and resources, please see the Syllabus. If you've traveled before, you'll have opportunities throughout the course to contribute your ideas through Interaction so that other students may benefit from your experience. View the Course Information page to read more about: International Student Advisors and Faculty can download and print the User Guide. This thorough guide of the courses provides a step-by-step navigation and overview of the each course section. We encourage you to utilize this as another easy-to-use reference guide to help you and your students complete the courses and study abroad successfully. Information for all uStudy.us users can be viewed on the User Guide page. Students who study in the U.S. for academic credit and complete the first two courses, including the Info Log assignments and U.S. outreach presentations can earn a uStudy.us Certificate. Student who also complete outreach presentations and info log assignments required in the third course will earn another uStudy.us Re-entry Certificate. Remember: At the bottom of the page in each step that you read or completed the activity, check the box and click the "Completed" Button in order to receive your certificate at the end! Following completion of their uStudy.us program, PLUS will guide students through post-study re-entry and re-integration to their home country. Furthermore, PLUS will provide a mechanism for them to reflect on their experience, consider avenues for incorporating an international component into their curriculum, and train for the outreach portion of PLUS. Earning the uStudy.us Certificate will recognize achievement and knowledge gained through their uStudy.us and completion of all PLUS components. Support from the U.S. Department of Education�FIPSE PLUS is supported through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) Comprehensive Program. The Department of Education promotes excellence in education for all Americans through educational support programs. The Comprehensive Program is FIPSE’s central grant competition. The competition is designed to support innovative reform projects that hold promise as models for the resolution of important issues and problems in postsecondary education. Our Sources Along with content developed by the Center, we have shared some of the best material in the field, including resources from What’s Up With Culture?, School of International Studies, University of the Pacific, Bruce La Brack, ed. (2003), funded by FIPSE, U.S. Department of Education; Maximizing Study Abroad: A Students' Guide to Strategies for Language and Culture Learning and Use by Paige, R. M., Cohen, A. D., Lassegard, J., Chi, J. C., &l; Kappler, B. (2002) with permission from the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota; Survival Kit for Overseas Living, Kohls, R. (1979) , chapter 18 Culture Shock: Occupational Hazard of Overseas Living. Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, MN Pp. 91-100; Preparing for re-entry: A program for the sojourning student, Westwood, M. J., Lawrence, W. S., & Paul, D. (1986). International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 9, P. 224; and Reverse Culture Shock: A guide for international students in their final semester, Weaver, G., Aspire Newsletter, 1991, Washington, and Transitions, 1997, International Student Services, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD. Additional International Student Resources Please also visit the Center for Global Education’s Study U.S. where you will find more information about the benefits of studying in the U.S. and why students should participate! |