How to Achieve Academic Success in College for International Students: Essay – Free Essay Example

As it is shown in the OECD statistics, the UK attracts a large number of international students from all over the world, especially Chinese students, which were the largest group of international students studying in the UK from 2012-2013 (HESA, 2014). Hence, with the increasing number of international students, more and more avenues to academic success are being explored. The definition of academic success could be specifically concluded as an acquisition of skills and spiritual satisfaction (Travis T. York, 2015), where it can be generally concluded as two areas: absorption of knowledge and students’ life satisfaction. Grunert (2014) states that students learn more when they participate in the process of learning. Therefore, it is my contention that active participation obviously plays an essential role in contributing to academic success in the field of the understanding of knowledge and psychology satisfaction. This essay will separately evaluate two manners of active participation – cooperating with lectures and going along with domestic students.

Active participation in traditional lectures can promote the understanding of knowledge. One research (Guardian, 2009) shows that almost 60% of students find at least half their lectures boring, with about 30% claiming to find most or all their lectures boring. It has been argued that numerous international students believe that studying individually can make learning more flexible and save time. To explain, as for international students, it is an extraordinary challenge for them to interact with a lecturer actively in a college where English is the primary language. Besides, lectures have a preference to discuss with students who perform more actively in the lecture. However, it could lead to international students who are very few participating in lectures becoming less and less active, which could result in a failing understanding of new knowledge. Active participation may actually assist the understanding of knowledge. For example, regard to the active learning research, after the new method that promotes attuite to the lecture and impels students’ participation, students understood the new concept three times as well as the instruction before (Laws et al., 1999). The result illustrates that active participation causes an improved attitude toward learning and a better understanding of knowledge. In brief, even though active participation in a traditional lecture could be extremely difficult for most international students, it can improve students’ mastering degree of knowledge and contribute to academic success.

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Active participation in extra curriculum life with domestic students will be of great benefit to life satisfaction. The research funded by the Monash Institute (Sawir, 2008) surveyed 200 international students from more than 30 different nations and asked them whether they feel loneliness or isolation. A total of 130 students (65%) answered ‘Yes’ to this question. Furthermore, half of the interviewees found it difficult for them to express themselves to Americans. To explain, for international students, a mental health problem is a primary issue that they should face. Sawir (2008) points out that more than half of international students have a psychological problem, where much is made about lacking interaction with native students known as culture shock. Essentially, active participation with a native classmate is necessary for international students’ mental health, which is a vital feature of academic success. As Gang Li (2010) states, academic culture shock is associated with the learning environment such as the relationship with local students. In short, building an interpersonal relationship with native people can help international students have a basic understanding of local culture and address the issue of academic culture shock to achieve a satisfied psychological situation.

In conclusion, although some students claim that studying independently or staying in a stable environment where keep away from unfamiliar things could make them feel free and flexible, active participation in college plays a crucial role both in acquiring knowledge and health psychology. Hence, it is beneficial for college students to cooperate with lecturers and get along with native students to achieve academic success. Moreover, college life is the epitome of society. It lays the basics of future careers and success. It is vital for students to cherish college life and plan to go every step of their own in order to achieve academic success.

Bibliography

1. American College Health Association (2010). American College Health Association – National College Assessment 2010 NYU Data. Hanover, MD: Author.
2. International Student Experience Journal (2014). The Chinese International Students Experience in a Time of Increased Enrolment at the University of California. [online] Available at: http://issuu.com/chrislima90/docs/isej_vol2_issue2_full_0cccdde2924682 [Accessed 2014].
3. Lin, J.C.J., & Yi, J.K. (1997). Asian International Student Adjustment: Issue and Program Suggestion. College Students Journal, 31, pp. 473-479.
4. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation (2015). Defining and Measuring Academic Success. [online]. Available at: https://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=20%26n=5 [Accessed Volume 20, Number 5, March 2015].
5. The Guardian, 2009. Why Do 60% of Students Find Their Lectures Boring? [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/may/12/university-teaching [Accessed Mon-Tue 12 May 2009 00.01 BST].