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 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 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 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  Competitive sports within the university  Club sports  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 full- time 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!