Study Abroad program flourishes at UA

By: Maiko Michishita

Posted: 9/5/08

Why do international students decide to study in America? Why in Arkansas? Why at the UA?

This fall, more than 200 international students participated in international student orientation, said Matthew Sokoloski, a program coordinator for International Students and Scholars. This year's international student orientation was the biggest the ISS officials eve had with a large number of international students, he said.

International students' total enrollment for Fall 2007 was 958, which accounts for about 5 percent of all UA students, according to the UA Institutional Research Web site.

More than 900 international students from about 100 countries are studying at the UA, according to the International Admission Web site. The UA admission has a large population from India and China, and the number of students from the Caribbean has recently grown, Sokoloski said.

Orientation for international students, which started two weeks before the first day of the Fall semester, offered many activities to help them settle in, feel comfortable and make connections with each other, with American students and with different departments and resources, Sokoloski said.

Yusuke Hirono, a sophomore physics major from Japan, attended the UA in the fall of 2007 and worked this year to help organize an orientation for new international students. He said he wanted new international students to enjoy American life and make many American friends.

In fall 2007, he met the best American friend in his life and enjoyed studying and chatting with him. He didn't expect to have the best friend who was born in a different country and speaks a different language, Hirono said.

Hui Yun Jien Chang, a freshman elementary education major from Bolivia, who arrived in August, said she wants to get a better education in America than she would get in her country. She used to go to an American school in Bolivia, but she sought the first-hand education.

Web sites that contain information about study abroad programs in the U.S. also give ideas for students who are interested in coming to the UA. Long Thanh Bui, a freshman finance major from Vietnam, who also arrived in August, said the he chose UA after he did research on the Internet to look for a university which has a good business program.

The U.S. Education Guides Web site describes the UA as having "a strong commitment to diversity and a traditional legacy of international studies." The U.S. campus Web site, which also gives information about studying abroad in America, says the UA has "a first-class education at an affordable cost" and "exceptionally low crime rates."

Scholarship opportunity was another reason to decide to come to UA, Chang said.

There are scholarships available for international students.

In addition, the UA Study Abroad and International Exchange has study exchange programs with other universities around the country. International study abroad agencies, like the National Collegiate Network agency for Japanese students, also have connections with the UA. These factors could make students get interested in Arkansas, Sokoloski said.

The goals of international students vary. Some come as freshman or as transfer students to earn a degree, some are graduate students to earn a master's degree, and some are visiting or exchange students.

Visiting and exchange students will stay for a semester or a year. The difference is that exchange students come from countries where UA students have opportunities to study at their universities. The countries are Australia, Austria, China, Denmark, Dominican Republic, England, France, Japan, Korea, Spain and Sweden, according to the Study Abroad and International Exchange Web site.

"This past year, we sent 630 students abroad to study in 38 countries as compared to 620 the year before," said DeDe Long, director of Study Abroad and International Exchange. About 75 percent of those students chose summer or short term programs, and about 25 percent of them chose to study abroad for a full semester or year.

Laura Moix, a coordinator of Study Abroad and International Exchange, said students who study abroad will get "a better sense of themselves and a stronger commitment to reaching beyond their own boundaries, both geographically and personally, to engage in a compassionate way with other people."

Study abroad will educate people about different places and help to understand cultural diversity, Sokoloski said.

"UA has a good learning environment that lets students concentrate on studying because there are not many things to do in Fayetteville," Hirono said.

Bui said he likes small talk when he meets people, like "What's up?" and "How are you?" which he didn't do in Vietnam.

Chang said she likes Wal-Mart because it has everything cheaper and many more choices than markets in her country.

For more information about international students or study abroad programs, go to Iss.uark.edu or studyabroad.uark.edu.