Today is the 30th day since I came to America. So I'm going to tell you what I felt when I got used to this school.

First, American University has a very large amount of reading. There is basically about 20 pages to read in each class, and I write at least two essays per semester. If you take the SIS (School of International Studies) class, it will be harder. Overall, AU focuses on studying. I dreamed of relaxing and the leisure life here, but the reality is that I always read books in a library. Most of the students are busy but passionate.

​Second, a good way to make friends is to participate in the program held by Abroad at the AU program. We can become friends naturally while working together. Everyone is looking for friends because they are all international students. Just go and say hi first! I have been told not to go around with people from the same country when I go abroad. However, do not be afraid of that because it is not true. People from the same country are more likely to feel a bond when they are in a foreign country. In addition, it’s easier to be friends and rely on each other when you are stressed. Most international students become friends first with people of the same culture who speak the same language.

Third, I want to tell you to not be afraid of the language barrier. In class, other students may quickly raise their hand to answer. But I need time to organize and translate my thoughts. Since the professor speaks fast, I only understood 60% of the class the first week. This situation made me feel intimidated. However, now I understand 90% of the class and participate well. If you’re missing something or don’t know the words, just ask the professor or a friend next to you. A good way to prepare is reviewing the material before class. Do not be afraid, just do it!

The last topic is about the extracurriculars. I highly recommend joining the LEP (Language Exchange Program). This program matches students who want to learn languages. I meet with my partner at least once a week. It’s a good opportunity to make friends and develop your language skills. Conversations are easy because your partner is also interested in your culture and language. In addition, AU allows you to enjoy your hobby. There are so many clubs here that you will be able to find one you’re interested in, no matter what hobby you have. The clubs related to Korea are the KSA (Korean Students Association) and K-Pop Dance Club. If you are interested in singing and playing piano, you can use the practice room in Katzen Art Center without a reservation for free.

I wrote some advice based on how I felt while attending American University for a month. It wasn’t easy to adapt when I first came, but don't feel rushed! Time will solve everything. I’m sure I’ll miss these times later.

​Located in uptown Manhattan, a little remote from where all the neon lights shine, Columbia University is a rare paradise, free from the hustle and bustle of a world-renown metropolis, an ideal place to focus on academic performance while keeping pace with whatever is going on around the globe.
 
However, the university’s great expectations of its students are sometimes overwhelming. As a visiting student at Columbia College, I have experienced that pressure and been trying hard to handle it. I would like to be frank and talk about these things - namely the stress, temptation I have felt, and the possible solutions I have come up with to make sure everything could keep on their track. Despite all the frustration and struggle, the efforts I put on trying to manage these things turned out to be rewarding.

Every point I lose on the TOFEL test changes into tears that taste way bitterer - at least for me, this is true. Here at Columbia (or this could apply to many other highly competitive American higher education institutions), international visiting students can’t expect their language skills to take giant leaps in only a short period of time. All the esoteric reading materials, the specific terms on the slides and the responsive in-depth discussion in class place insurmountable tasks on newcomers, resulting in massive workload to compensate for the disadvantage.
 
Still, cultural factors play an important role during the process. Words and phrases may not make sense if foreigners are not familiar with typically American slang, aphorisms or metaphors, even if they successfully catch whatever instructors, TAs and classmates say verbatim.
 
The difference between previous educational backgrounds adds up to the predicament. American students’ K-12 education helps equip local students with common sense, ways of communication and means of assistance, which they take and use for granted without the awareness that foreign students might lack that knowledge. Hence, not only are international students’ academic performance are hindered, but also their social ties are restricted due to the asymmetry of information.

​Difficulties are explicit during the time studying abroad, while pitfalls are more implicit, lurking in the bushes and waiting for a sudden attack. From my point of view, fear of mistakes, rejection, and failure could easily drag people into being wallflowers. The sense of isolation is not merely an objective product shaped by the outside environment; it is, on the contrary, a child of both objective and subjective factors. Whenever the fear grabs one’s heart, it gets harder to step out of the comfort zone, that is, go and talk to professors and TAs and form groups with fellow students.
 
The sheer weight of pressure also subordinates people to the lure of delicacies. In one of the three Columbia’s dining halls, Jony J, desserts, ice cream, drinks, grills, and many other delicious foods fill up the trays, ready to be served. Not only people’s eyes but also their noses couldn’t stand for such plentiful options. Gluttony thus becomes the daily topic of confession. Why couldn’t people just stop? The reason is simple: dining halls serve buffets, meal plans are overbooked, and “desserts is the word ‘stressed’ spelled backward.”

​Facing so many challenges and temptations, how can people still pass through with flying colors? Here are some tips that could be of help.
 
Old Homies and New Buddies
First, if you feel uprooted and couldn’t adapt to the new environment at first, seek help from your family and old homies, but remember, not too much! They can be your loyal listeners during the transition period, but eventually, you should rely on yourself or reach out to someone new who is currently around you. Finding new friends is conducive to both courses and leisure.

On-campus Resources
Browse through the information posted on the university official websites to locate feasible helping hands！Faculty and staff like advisers, tutors, or mentors always welcome students to contact them. Also, peers could be reliable problem solvers too. There are usually student organizations voluntarily taking on your troubles and fighting against them together by your side. Do not miss those friendly buddies!
 
Work Hard, Play Hard
It sounds tough, but it is sometimes true, the best way to fight off negative emotions is to make yourself as occupied as possible! Find more meaningful things to fill in your busy schedule, your options could be a 3-hour-long intensive study in the library or a late night walk on campus (be sure to keep safe). Also, why are you always stuck in school? Go hang out with your besties to explore fancy-schmancy New York City! That’s why you are here for a city campus, right?
 
Enjoy!

The 2019 Study Abroad Symposium IES Abroad-SAF at Dalian Maritime University took place on September 20, 2019. Sponsored by the China Association for International Exchange in Education and co-organized by IES Abroad-SAF and Dalian Maritime University, the symposium explored‘The diversification strategy to enhance the international competitiveness of universities.

​At the opening ceremony, Professor Zhao Youtao, vice president of Dalian Maritime University thanked the organizers and extended a warm welcome to the nearly 150 representatives from local and international universities.

Ms. Shen Xuesong, deputy secretary general of the China Education Association for International Exchange, delivered the opening speech, "Internationalization is an important factor in measuring the level of a university and its international competitiveness," she said.

“Overseas study visits have become a common experience in the internationalization strategy of undergraduate education, providing students with precious opportunities to broaden their international vision, experience different cultures, explore the world, improve their academic ability, enrich their life experience and think independently."

​After thanking everyone for coming, Amber Mercier, vice president of strategy, new business development and analysis at IES Abroad and SAF, explained that "SAF is a mission-driven organization dedicated to providing students from all over the world with the opportunity to study abroad.”Founded nearly 20 years ago, SAF has, since 2017, been affiliated with IES Abroad, one of the world's largest overseas-study institutions. 

In exploring ‘diversification strategy to enhance the international competitiveness of colleges and universities,’ at the SAF event, Chinese and foreign education leaders shared experiences and discussed

• current international cooperation in higher education
• how to share university action strategies to comprehensively enhance international competitiveness
• setting global university rankings standards and international exchange indicators

To build on this experience sharing, Dr. Michael Zhao, SAF China vice president for academic partner development, announced the 2020 SAF overseas education and professional development tour.

From February 2 to 8, 2020, the tour of Milan, Italy,and Barcelona, Spain, will visit SAF headquarters and explore IES Abroad's global operation. Participants will go to world-renowned European universities, including Università Bocconi, Milano Fashion Institute, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Universitat de Barcelona and Institut Jaume Balmes.

The tour will enter classrooms for first-hand contact with overseas students and local teachers, scholars, and business leaders. Participants will learn about European universities’ education models and join international industry-competitiveness workshops.

Beyond the classroom, activities will have a deeply cultural feel: Italian opera, Gaudí’s Sagrada Família and Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, and Spanish cooking classes.

​To close the 2019 SAF overseas visiting symposium, Amber Mercier and Dr. CHANG Xiaoling, deputy editor-in-chief of the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, signed an agreement to formalize their cooperation in promoting overseas education.

As pioneers in the education industry, SAF and IES Abroad focus on developing the next generation of leaders in the belief that an international vision is essential for nurturing talent in further education. SAF hopes the international exchange seminar will promote and deepen cooperation in the global educational elite and build excellent resources to enhance international competitiveness and influence. The 2020 SAF tour, it hopes, will expose national education leaders to overseas resources to inspire a more international environment in their own universities and build prosperity across the education industry. For the 20th anniversary of SAF's establishment, the next Study Abroad Symposium IES Abroad-SAF will be in Xiamen University, one of the "most beautiful campuses in China".

​These are some last minute preparation just before my trip and the great view on my flight. Yeah, I saw the HOLLYWOOD sign on the flight!

Hi everyone, I am Radiyah from Japan. I like traveling around the world and exploring new things. In order to record my experience and share them, I started blogging. I am currently learning German language in Leipzig and trying to see the world through my eyes. I am so excited for what will happen while staying here. I am going to post my life, school and activities in Leipzig, and some nice places in Europe.

Why Do I Study German? 
First, I will explain the reason why I learn German. I have always wanted to learn foreign languages other than English, as I found learning languages is very interesting for me. It is not just learning vocabulary or grammar, but I can learn new ways of seeing things and expressions. It seems that as long as people can speak English, there is no point in learning any other languages because it is common language and we can communicate with foreigners by using it in almost all cases. However, when people want to get to know the country, the locals, the cultures, etc., it is necessary to know the language. 

I took German lessons when I was a freshman in college just because the grammar is similar to English and I think it is easy to learn it, and also I like watching soccer games (soccer is very popular in Germany). It was a little bit hard at first but I was really interested in it, especially when speaking in German with my teacher and classmates.

Why Did I Decide To Study In Germany?
When I was a sophomore, I participated in a one-month language program in Munich during summer vacation. I remember those days well as it was my first time in Germany, everything was new and interesting. As I learned German in class, I started to think about studying abroad. I wanted to improve my German skills so that I could communicate with locals closer and get to know their cultures. Besides that, in Germany, there are many people who came from different countries all over the world and have various backgrounds, I wanted to get to know them and improve communication skills and problem-solving ability. Thanks to my parents, teachers and SAF, I was able to study abroad in Leipzig. 

What I Want To Do In Germany? 
First, I want to improve my German skills and be able to communicate with locals fluently. After I finish language school, I want to study German literature and culture at Leipzig University. Not only language skills, but I also want to grow mentally by creating relationships with people who have various values, ideas and cultures that I have never encountered before. My future dream job is to work for an international company that connects the countries. Therefore, it is necessary to have flexible thinking and an understanding of different cultures, rather than being confined to narrow perspectives by the stereotypes formed in life in Japan. And also I want to share my real experiences both good and bad in Leipzig, and encourage many people to study abroad as the experience will be food for the future!

Unlike most of the other SAF correspondents for Fall 2019, I have been in the United States for nearly two months, long enough for me to embrace the sunshine and ocean breeze in California, ramble around the forests and counties in North Carolina, and gradually tune in to the way of living as a “New Yorker”. I spent the whole summer exploring the country as a student, a tourist and a keen observer, trying to figure out as much as possible about the shared ethos and diversity across America to be better prepared for my upcoming semester at Columbia University.

After the summer session at UC Berkeley ended, I immediately headed toward the eastern coast to wander around the campuses of several renowned higher education institutions in the United States, including Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wake forest University, New York University and of course Columbia University in the city of New York. Except for Columbia where I was going to stay until next year, I spent a limited amount of time on each campus, focusing on their distinctive style of architecture and the overall atmosphere of the people within. To be honest, the journey greatly helped me clarify the different vibes for public and private schools, newly built and historic colleges, and urban and rural campuses.
 
The spirit of the whole community’s well-being prevails in flagship public universities, based on what I have experienced at UNC and UCB. The fall semester begins relatively early, and the students scattering everywhere on campus are largely comprised of in-state population, which could be told from their frequent greetings towards others around them, calling out one another’s names or even nicknames without hesitation since they might have been homies for years.
 
At public universities, the sheer volume of students means a comparatively higher student-faculty ratio. Thus, the scale of classes is larger, and the sports facilities are often crowded with enthusiastic players. However, taking into account the public higher education systems they are in, affordability and mobility are viewed as significant characteristics, which could compensate for their shortcomings. In the classroom, you can always hear someone describing himself or herself as having fought a long way through community colleges to the top universities within the states. There are indeed distinctions among students’ academic or socioeconomic backgrounds, but when everyone is in the same classroom, the distinctions are erased. Students could also enroll in the courses taught by other branches in the systems, meeting with new friends or groups.
 
For private colleges, the decency of their architecture and horticulture always fascinates me. For instance, famous Sarah P. Duke Gardens opens up for visitors from dusk until dawn. Indigenous or exotic herbs are either exuberant in the wilderness or attended carefully by assiduous gardeners working in the gardens all day long. The symbolic buildings for Trinity College at Duke combines solemnity with the particular pastoralism native in North Carolina, leaving an extraordinarily great impression on me.
 
Furthermore, students at private colleges enjoy many advantages brought by abundant funding. They enjoy instruction and tutoring with fewer cohorts, having greater space and equipment for recreational purposes, so on and so forth. In addition, they normally share a more exclusive understanding of their identity with honor.
 
Things I have discussed above are way beneath exhaustive. Based on my personal observation and superficial interpretation, there is still a long way to go before I could draw up a general map of the higher education in the United States, which could help shed some light on the higher education in China.

It is well-acknowledged that the British generally have shown great interests in going to the theatre on a regular basis. From award-winning musicals, cutting-edge plays to classic productions, West End Shows are famous for their amazing and sensational performances. Therefore, several musicals nearby were included in my list of ‘must-sees’ in London.  

The best choice I’d ever made was to watch a Broadway musical comedy, the Book of Mormon, made from South Park creators, which was the winner of four 2014 Olivier awards including Best New Musicals. The Book of Mormon allowed me to completely immerse myself into it, since the musical had well-organized plots, contained profound meanings, and was performed by brilliant performers having a great sense of humor.  

By being exposed to such an environment with well-developed art and literature, I was somehow inspired and was more willing to learn further expertise of musicals. From my perspective, those meaningful intercultural experiences enabled me to enrich my extra-curricular life to leave more vivid and indelible impressions on myself.  

Moreover, what should be equally worth sharing were my unique academic learning experiences gained in class. In the process of doing research, our group were supposed to accomplish a report consisting of several parts, and an essential section of that report was methodology, which implied that there had to be someone who with critical thinking ability can accurately justify and evaluate our overall approach to the research. Though I normally lacked the practice of thinking critically, I was assigned to embark on the methodology part. And then, as expected, I encountered numerous obstacles due to some obscure definitions that I was not familiar with, which made me upset once. However, I strongly dedicated myself to that process and put much effort into addressing important issues of our report, which finally generated my passion in critical thinking practice.  

In my opinion, that challenge I confronted also functioned as a crucial role in improving my professional skills, such as listening, presenting my ideas, persuasion, self-monitoring and team working. As a result, I was able to absorb a whole lot knowledge from the report we accomplished, and reap the maximum benefits. ​

Food connects people; the smell of it, the shape, the taste, the color, and all the ingredients that make up our memory will company us all along no matter where we go. In China there is an old saying, "when you think of a specific food, actually you are thinking of the person you share that food with." The food in Edinburgh will be very different from the food in my hometown. Even though I believe I will love them both, I know that no meal in the world could compare with those I enjoyed with my beloved people: my parents, my granny, and my best friends. ​