By Ken Stewart
Classes
 Dorm life
 Food
 Social life
 Extra activities and clubs
 Part-time work


Kinds of classes

Lecture

Recitation
Seminar
 Lab

Workload
 Homework
 Tests

Largest class, from 30-200 students
 Teacher talks for entire time, very little student
interaction
 If you want to ask a question, sit in the front
 Grades are usually a few tests and/or papers

A small group class for reviewing and
supplementing large lectures
 Made to compensate for one-sided learning
during lecture
 Usually taught by graduate students
 Also called ‘Group Session’

Smaller class of around 10-20 students
 Emphasis on class discussion and student
dialogue
 Usually for advanced level classes
 More homework, smaller tests
 Participation grade

Hands on classes for science or engineering
majors
 Complete an experiment and write a report
 Often experiments take several hours to
complete
 Longest class

Students usually take 15-18 credits a semesters
 Every university’s credit system is a little
different
 Students are expected to do a lot of
reading/studying in their free time

Amount varies from class to class, though
usually consists mainly of reading and reviewing
 Some subjects like science or math have a lot of
written homework
 For large classes, homework usually a small part
of grade; for small classes, more important

Most classes have a midterm and final exam
 Other, slightly smaller tests are common as well
 Some classes will have even smaller tests called
quizzes. These may occur on a weekly basis
 In the US, cheating and forgery is NOT
tolerated and is punished very harshly.


Types of Dorm rooms:
Standard (double)
 Suites
 Single

A normal dorm room in the US is the “double
room”
 Usually two beds, two desks, and two dressers
 Internet connection available, as well as a cable
jack for a TV
 Need to use a communal bathroom and shower
 Small, but efficient and cheap

Larger dorm rooms, often with multiple rooms
connected by living room
 Usually has one or two bathrooms and showers
 Sometimes have more freedom (ie. cooking,
guests)

Sometimes larger universities will offer “single
rooms.”
 Very small and minimalist
 Offers more privacy, though more expensive
than a double
 Sometimes floors will be more social

On-Campus
 Off-campus
 Eating in the Dorm
 Student health


School Cafeterias
Fast, convenient, but not always cheap
 Food usually low quality and unhealthy
 School meal plans – prepaid option for students

Usually designed for students living in dorms
 Several kind of plans offered, from everyday meals to
occasional snacks

Nearby restaurants and eateries.
 Prices range from cheap to moderate


Typically cheaper than other restaurants in the city
Larger variety than cafeterias, food generally
(slightly) higher quality
 Restaurants (especially pizzerias) will have
special for students.

Students living in dorms are sometimes
required to pay for meal plans.
 Usually electric cooking appliances such as
stoves or ovens are not allowed, microwaves are
usually ok
 Many restaurants offer carry-out, few offer
deliver

“The freshman five”
 College can be stressful, and the food offered is
usually not very healthy
 Healthy food is expensive in America, and most
students can’t afford to eat healthy
 Regular exercise is highly recommended for all
students

Meeting new people
 University events
 Student parties
 Greek life

Most people make friends from events, parties,
or clubs
 In smaller universities, classmates will also often
be friends, but in larger universities, this is less
common

The university will have official events, like
concerts or lectures.
 Universities in larger cities will have more
cultural events to attend (ie. theater, ballet,
opera)
 There are also events for freshman at the
beginning of their semester

University students that live in apartments or
houses will sometimes throw parties.
 These can range from a few friends hanging out,
to a loud, crowded dance party
 Alcohol is very common, and will often be
consumed in large amounts

The drinking age in the US is 21 years
 Almost all university students drink illegally
 Many students do not know how to control
their drinking, and are pressured to drink large
amounts
 In general, drinking is done for the purpose of
getting drunk, not for socializing


Clubs:
Sports clubs
 Special Interest Clubs
 Major-related Clubs
 Ethnic clubs


Intramural sports


Club sports


Competitive sports within the university
Competitive sports between universities
Larger schools will have some special sports
clubs (ie. martial arts, bowling, fencing)
People who have a special interest or hobby
form clubs
 Great place to meet interesting people and
become more well-rounded
 For example: horror movie club, juggling club,
Medieval reenactment club

Clubs for people of the same major to get
together and enhance their learning
 Great to meet people who have similar interests
to you
 For example: French Club, Engineering Club,
Math Club

People of the same background ethnicity come
together to spread their culture
 Schools require official clubs be open to all
students, though exclusive ethnic clubs exist
 Often arrange activities for traditional holidays
 For example: Chinese Club, Indian Club,
Korean Club

Finding a job
 Kinds of jobs for students

On-campus jobs
 Off-campus jobs


Availability for foreign students
Use the internet! Most universities have listing
for school jobs on their website. Craigslist is a
great place to look for off-campus jobs
 You can find small, part-time jobs in the
newspaper or on bulletin boards in the school
 Word of mouth is the easiest way to get a job.
Find a friend who has a job and ask if he/she
can help you

Schools have low-paying jobs available for fulltime students
 Students can receive work-study financial aid
which allows them to easily get a job on-campus
 Generally very safe and easy work

University students very often will work in
restaurants and shops. There is nothing
shameful for students working in these jobs
 Usually pay very low and hours long
 Employers are less flexible

Some visas cannot legally hold jobs in the US,
sometimes can only work in the university
 Be sure you understand what kinds of jobs you
can legally hold
 ‘Under the counter’ jobs are not as common in
the US, but sometimes you can find tax-free
work through friends

College students in America are very
independent and open-minded
 Though there are many similarities to Chinese
university life, there are also many small but
important differences
 Despite the high cost, going to school in
America is worth it!
