*formerly posted on "Welcome, International Students!" blog
Hello everyone! How are you? I opened my Facebook inbox a few minutes ago and saw an article that Souvik had forwarded me from USNews.com. The article, "6 Tips for International Graduate Students Enrolling This Fall", lists some general tips for helping new international students prepare for graduate school. This article immediately grabbed my attention because I remember Souvik and some of my other international graduate classmates discussing these matters throughout our MBA program--for themselves, for their peers, and for new incoming students.
Obviously, moving to another country to attend school is a life-changing experience; the opportunity should not be taken lightly. By going to the campus community earlier, you are able to meet people sooner, learn about important resources and locations sooner, and start developing your daily & weekly routines before classes even begin. My international classmates were definitely good examples of this--even the shy ones. Whether shy or outgoing, introverted or extroverted, having focus and discipline applies to everyone.
That said, in my experience as a domestic graduate student, I ended up going to graduate school earlier than planned. While I had researched dozens of schools and learned a lot about my new school, I did not get the chance to plan ahead as much as desired. However, I did manage to visit campus multiple times in the month leading up to the start of the program. Likewise, exchanging several emails and phone calls with the helpful people of the graduate business office and the graduate admissions office definitely helped me adjust quickly and get up to speed for the upcoming challenges of the MBA program. I could not imagine trying to move to another city--let alone another country--without help finding a place to live and making other necessary adjustments.
Also, like the article says, a good attitude and a good spirit go a long way towards graduate school success. While my classmates and I all had our share of struggles and imperfections, we were very excited about the opportunities and challenges of the graduate program. Our enthusiasm helped us embrace the graduate program--both the highs and the lows. Misunderstandings hurt, but they did not stop us from growing and graduating. Looking back, I will never forget my graduate school experience--it has helped make me the person and professional who I am today. I wish you all the best in your upcoming opportunities!
Hello everyone! How are you? I opened my Facebook inbox a few minutes ago and saw an article that Souvik had forwarded me from USNews.com. The article, "6 Tips for International Graduate Students Enrolling This Fall", lists some general tips for helping new international students prepare for graduate school. This article immediately grabbed my attention because I remember Souvik and some of my other international graduate classmates discussing these matters throughout our MBA program--for themselves, for their peers, and for new incoming students.
Obviously, moving to another country to attend school is a life-changing experience; the opportunity should not be taken lightly. By going to the campus community earlier, you are able to meet people sooner, learn about important resources and locations sooner, and start developing your daily & weekly routines before classes even begin. My international classmates were definitely good examples of this--even the shy ones. Whether shy or outgoing, introverted or extroverted, having focus and discipline applies to everyone.
That said, in my experience as a domestic graduate student, I ended up going to graduate school earlier than planned. While I had researched dozens of schools and learned a lot about my new school, I did not get the chance to plan ahead as much as desired. However, I did manage to visit campus multiple times in the month leading up to the start of the program. Likewise, exchanging several emails and phone calls with the helpful people of the graduate business office and the graduate admissions office definitely helped me adjust quickly and get up to speed for the upcoming challenges of the MBA program. I could not imagine trying to move to another city--let alone another country--without help finding a place to live and making other necessary adjustments.
Also, like the article says, a good attitude and a good spirit go a long way towards graduate school success. While my classmates and I all had our share of struggles and imperfections, we were very excited about the opportunities and challenges of the graduate program. Our enthusiasm helped us embrace the graduate program--both the highs and the lows. Misunderstandings hurt, but they did not stop us from growing and graduating. Looking back, I will never forget my graduate school experience--it has helped make me the person and professional who I am today. I wish you all the best in your upcoming opportunities!