The International Student Blog

I have yet to meet someone who does not carry a cell phone with them – I am sure they exist, but it seems to be that cell phones are now like your wallet or purse. They are everywhere! If you were like me as a student, my mobile phone never left my side to check messages, make calls and keep in touch with everyone – it was an essential part of my life. However, one of the greatest drawbacks was that whenever I went abroad was my phone would ooze money – it could still make calls and send messages, and even access the internet, but doing so would only give me a heart attack when I received my bill at the end of the month.

Back then, phones were locked and sim cards were not readily available. So we would resort to using phone cards, internet calling services like skype or just the plain old landline phone. However as technology advances at lightning fast pace, most mobile phones are now available unlocked (or they can be unlocked very easily) and sim cards are now readily available. It makes it so much easier to swap out the little sim card in your phone, and immediately you can make low cost calls and text message, some even allow you to have internet access and include low rates to call internationally.

For frequent travelers or students, it now allows you to be mobile without the high cost! But how is this done and what does it all involve?

What exactly is a sim card?

Most mobile phones work on the GSM protocol, and that is used in most countries around the world to transmit mobile phone signals. GSM phones are identified by a SIM card or subscriber identity module. This little card, with a microchip on it allows the phone to work on the network to make and receive calls. Sim cards are removable, which means when you travel you can remove the sim card from your phone and replace it with a local sim card from the country you are visiting.

What are the benefits of getting an international sim card?

Rather than roaming under your contract from your home country, getting an international sim card will help you not only save money but also make your life much easier. Benefits include:

1. Accesible coverage, no need to find a wifi hotspot like when using Skype
2. No more roaming charges
3. Local number in country for people to call you on
4. Low cost local calls
5. Cheap international calls (on most sim cards)

Now, on any extended travel period it should be the communication of choice as sim cards now only cost $30 for a card, and most of the time that includes some calling credit. For more information on international communication options please check out our international sim card page which has further information and advice.

Also – let us know what you use when you travel abroad? Do you use international sim cards or other calling solutions?

As we recently reported here on our blog, the number of international students coming into the USA is continuing to rise year on year, with China showing the fastest rate of growth. This is excellent news for the international education sector, which saw a decline in numbers and interest over the last few years as a result of the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York City. But as students are looking to come into the USA, it seems the number of US students looking to study abroad, and fully enroll themselves in a foreign university are increasing.

The UK is one of the main destinations that US students are looking to, and this has been recently highlighted in a Washington Post article. The population of U.S. undergraduates at United Kingdom schools has spiked 30 percent in five years, to 3,560 in the 2008-09 academic year, the most recent figure available from Britain’s Higher Education Statistics Agency.

One of the driving factors in this new trend to fully enroll yourself in a foreign university is cost. To give you an example as highlighted in the recently article, St. Andrews University costs $19,670 for tuition each year, which when compared to schools in the USA which cost $40,000, $50,000 or even higher, its clear why students are choosing the lower cost option. Funding for US students outside the USA is also available and there are foreign enrolled private students loans that students can take out to cover the cost of their education also.

Another driving factor is the growth in social media such as facebook and twitter. Schools can now quickly and easily reach out to students like they could never do before. This coupled with a drive by many UK schools to attend and be present at many high school college recruitment events has meant students can now find and receive information about schools in the UK like never before.

It seems clear there is a strong desire for US students to look elsewhere, and with all the prestige and age that many UK schools have to offer, it is an attractive package schools such as St Andrews, Oxford and Glasgow University can provide.

For more information on studying in the UK, please visit UK InternationalStudent.com where there is a large amount of information, help and advice for students looking to study in the UK.

One of the most frequent questions we receive here at InternationalStudent.com, is regarding how students can support themselves and pay for their studies as they go. Unfortunately working in the USA as a student, with the way the visa system is setup, is not that easy and not really a viable option to pay for school. The F1 visa (which is the most common visa category for students coming into the USA to study) does not allow you to work whilst you are studying to pay for your education – you will need to show proof that you can pay your way through school before you visa will even be issued.

It is very important that you make sure you are aware of your visa requirements when it comes to work, failure to adhere properly to these guidelines could see your visa status being revoked and you could be asked to leave the country. So there is a lot riding on that fact that you know what to do and how things work.

REMEMBER – if you have any questions about your working status, or need further clarification, get it from your school or from an immigration lawyer who will be best placed to help you get the right information. You can find more information about this on our “Visa and Immigration Center”

The F1 visa does allow you to work under the following categories:

1. On Campus Employment
2. OPT and CPT
3. Economic Hardship
4. International Institutions

On of the most common forms of employment is through on campus jobs, where F1 students are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week on your schools campus, directly for your school. You do have to be in school to take advantage of this, and during holidays you can work full time (as long as you plan to come back to school in the next semester). It can offer international students a great way to earn some extra money, but in our experience on campus jobs are often very hard to find, especially if your school has a large contingent of international students all looking to do the same thing.

OPT and CPT are great ways to get training in the working environment while you are still in school, and be paid for it. For OPT (which is the more common version) students can work both during school and up to 29 months after school for an employer where the job is related to your degree. OPT is not that easy to organize, you need to wait 9 months from the start of your degree before you can begin working, and you have to file a work authorization with the USCIS for them to approve the job. When still in school, OPT only allows you to work 20 hours per week, while after completion of your program you can work full time.

If you do suffer economic hardship, you can also file with the USCIS to work off campus for up to 20 hours a week to make ends meet. This should only really be used as a last resort and in the cases where something has happened which has resulted in the loss of income you were traditionally receiving.

The final way students can work, is through the often overlooked International Institutions category. Where students can apply for employment at one of the listed international institutions that are listed with the US State Department. This list includes organizations such as the red cross, world health organization and the world trade organization. One of the major benefits of this type of employment is that it does not need to be related to your degree – so you can apply for any post, regardless of its relevance.

There is much more detailed information about these types of employment for students who are studying in the USA on our “Working in the USA” section of our Study in the USA Center.

Let us also know about your experiences as an international student and what you did to make ends meet? Were you able to work on campus? Did OPT work out for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Most students who study internationally will experience some form of culture shock at some point in time during their time abroad. The new surroundings, new cultures, new people, new food, and most probably a new language are all things you will need to adjust to. While some students will not have any problems, or will only experience mild cases of culture shock, a vast majority will go through a whole range of emotions that if left untreated, or if you do not talk to others about it could become an even bigger problem for you.

So what exactly is culture shock? Essentially culture shock is your adjustment to your new surroundings and new way of doing things. For example, you may find that things are done a certain way back in your home country – however in your adopted host country that same thing is done totally different. While not that bad just in itself, when you couple all the changes you are experiencing, they can add up and lead to things like depression, sadness, etc…

Most people agree there are a few phases of culture shock that people go through. The first phase is “Excitement” as you arrive in your new country, you are excited about all the new things you are going to experience. This elation keeps you going for a week or maybe longer as you are still learning all about your new surroundings. The next stage is “Frustration” as you slowly learn about your new surroundings, you start to find how things differ to your home country and in some cases how things are not done as well. This stage is probably one of the most important stages, as you need to talk to your friends, your school and your family about how you are feeling and what you are experiencing. Talking is vital as it will help you understand more about how things are done and operate. It is also a really good idea to try and make friends with students who are native to your host country – they will help you understand and adjust much quicker than grouping together with fellow international students.

Once you have begun to understand your host country and new surroundings, you can begin the process of acclimatizing. There is no hard and fast rule about how long this will take, for some it can happen right away – for others it can taken weeks or even months to fully acclimatize to your new world around you.

With any new experience, it is very important that you talk to your friends and family on a more regular basis – and be open an honest about things to your school. They will help guide you and provide assistance to the best of their abilities. Do not be worried about the transition periods, we have all been there and all at some point experienced culture shock in one way or another.

We have some excellent videos online, and further information about culture shock which will help you if you need more information. If you can spend 10 minutes to watch the videos, they are highly recommended!

http://www.internationalstudent.com/study_usa/way-of-life/culture-shock.shtml

Also – let us know if you experienced culture shock and how you dealt with it…..

As an international student, whether you are planning to just do some traveling, or you are going to be studying abroad outside of your home country, it is often recommended that you carry and purchase an international student ID card. When searching for the best card, there are a number of different cards you can purchase – however it is always best to follow these few simple guidelines when looking to purchase one:

1. Most international ID cards are not actual forms of identification, you will still need to carry your passport with you for “actual” identification. Saying that, the better and more well know ID cards are so widespread that most places will allow you to use them as proof of student status. So its always best to look out for the places that will accept your card.
2. A lot of the newer ID cards now provide a lot of medical coverage, which can be good thing. However, you should be careful about having too much insurance. If you have a medical/ health insurance policy through your parents, that will most likely provide some coverage when abroad, and you may even be purchasing separate travel health insurance – which is always advisable. If your student ID card is then loaded up with medical and travel insurance benefits that means you have coverage in 3 places. This might sound nice on the outset, but if you come to the point where you need to use your medical/ health insurance coverage and need to file a claim, each insurer could look at your other coverage and say you need to file with them first (as most travel health insurance is what is called “secondary insurance” which basically means, it will pay out before any other insurance you have). The end result is you can have a nasty spiral of claims going from one insurer to the next. If you have good travel insurance coverage, having the extra and enhanced benefits on your student ID card may not always be the best thing.
3. Some international student ID Cards come as part of a bundled offer or package from your travel supplier. While a nice thing, that packaged student ID card may not be the best one for you – so check it out, find out the benefits and compare them to others in the marketplace.
4. Most of the time, student ID cards can be purchased from local offices that are near to you. This is a great way to go in and talk with the local representative and find out why the card is the best one for you. It is also good to see if you can purchase your card online – as sometimes you can find offers and discounts that are run throughout the year that will give you free shipping or a percentage off with a coupon code – all saving you money!
5. One of the biggest things you should look for in an international student ID card is the discounts and offers you can get with the card. Go onto their website and do a search to the countries/ cities you are traveling to and find out what discounts and offers they have available there. One card may have benefits that are more applicable to you over another card, or may have better or more offers in one city you plan to travel at.

If are looking for an international student ID card, InternationalStudent.com offers the ISE card which offers excellent discounts around the world and some great added features such as airline bankruptcy protection, a worldwide assistance center and much more. For further details please visit our website to learn more about the product.

One of the most common enquiries we receive here at InternationalStudent.com revolves around the following questions:

1. “What schools are available if I want to study in Florida?” or any other location
2. “What financial aid is available to me if I study at XYZ School?”
3. “Can you suggest any schools for me to study in the USA?”

As you can see, the questions are all based on students wanting to find and locate schools in the USA, and then get information about those schools so they can narrow down their choice. Up until recently, most of our responses to these enquiries were to give students a list of resources they could look up online to help them.

However, in 2010, InternationalStudent.com launched their very own Study in the USA School Search. The idea behind the project was to give international students a way to find, locate, research and then finally contact schools directly that they were interested in. The new school search has so far been used by thousands of students from around the world, and based on your feedback we will be making many more changes in the future to make the tool better and further refined.

If you are a student looking for information from schools in the USA, register for your free account today and check the school search out!

http://www.internationalstudent.com/school-search/usa

School Administrators

If you run a school in the USA, you can add your school or claim your listing in our directory at no cost to you. Simply visit:

http://www.internationalstudent.com/school-search/school-admin/new

The latest edition of the International Student News has just been sent and should be with most of our subscribers by now. This month we feature our winning video from the Travel Video Contest – plus lots to prepare for the upcoming year!

1. Travel Video Winners Announced
2. Study in the USA School Search
3. Jacksonville State University, English Language Institute
4. Student News
5. From the Mailbag
6. Fun Site of the Month
7. Student Insurance Plans

If you do not get the newsletter, then please sign up today for your free copy!

http://www.internationalstudent.com/newsletter/

On November 15, the Institute of International Education released its annual Open Doors Report on international students in the US, showing the total number of international students in the US at 690,923, an all-time high and 3% more than last year.  However the most dramatic figure was the 30% growth in the number of Chinese students in the US, to a total of almost 128,000, leapfrogging India to claim the top spot.  China has recently been second to India in the number of international students studying in the US, but no longer, as the number of Indian students grew modestly to about 105,000.

According to the report, the economy held back overall growth to a lower rate than in recent years, notwithstanding the growth in Chinese students as well as a surge in students from Saudi Arabia.  However, the number of students declined from about half of the top 25 sending countries.

Here’s the top 10 sending countries with number of students this year and percent growth from last year:

1    China               127,628      29.9%
2    India                104,897        1.6%
3    South Korea   72,153        -3.9%
4    Canada            28,145        -5.2%
5    Taiwan             26,685        -4.9%
6    Japan               24,842      -15.1%
7    Saudi Arabia  15,810        24.9%
8    Mexico             13,450         -9.4%
9    Vietnam           13,112          2.3%
10    Turkey           12,397          2.0%

The University of Southern California again hosted the most international students, with 7,987 international students on campus.  Next in line are the University of Illinois – Urbana – Champaign (7,287), New York University (7,276), Purdue University (6,903) and Columbia University (6,833).

Read the press release from the Institute of International Education for more information, and you can review the data tables for complete details and for this original blog post please see our International Financial Aid Blog for all your financial aid needs.