International students in the United States of America

Why do international students prefer to acquire their higher education in the United States

While many institutions of higher learning all over the globe over high quality and standard education to students, many students prefer to acquire their higher education in the United States. According to Edwards (60), over the past number of years, the United States universities have been the leading destination in the globe regarding offering competitive and high-quality education in Bachelor, Masters or Doctorate degrees. One of the most plausible reason is the fact that universities in the United States are strongholds of cultural diversity since each institution has had necessary historically aligned policies aimed at accommodating students from all over the world (Edwards, 61). The pillar of cultural diversity starts from enrollment, classes, and all the activities in the institutions coupled with delightful campus life experience.

According to Smith, (71), student’s religion, nationality, race, or ethnicity is not considered, but instead, such constructs serve as the strength because of offering new, exceptional and inspiring experience to other students. Degrees from universities in the United States enjoy excellent international reputation since most of them are maintain top-rank while compared with other universities all over the world. The reason is that these universities are not only well-funded but maintain high academic standards, integrity, excellence, democracy and students are exposed to rigorous academic tasks to instill them with necessary skills that meet the requirements of the job market (Smith, 68). The universities of higher learning not only offer outstanding support to international students regarding facilities, orientations, training workshops and English-language practice courses but invest in improved classroom experiences regarding high technology, innovation, lab resources, research, practical-based learning and other enhanced learning.

Correspondingly, United States has thousands of universities and colleges that offer many courses open to numerous educational opportunities in that there is virtually a suitable course for all students. While some of the universities specialize in arts or technical based course, another offers broad educational principles that accommodate many students (Edwards, 63). The flexibility of the institution of higher learning in the United States is another factor which enables them to tailor the coursework to fit students’ specific academic needs, goals, and interests. Similarly, according to Edwards, (64), higher education in the United States is based on global education goals as well as long-term career prospects. This orientation enables then to provides the full range of knowledge, experience, and adaptability that meets international standards thus making their skills a marketable commodity.

Challenges faced by students

One of the major challenges that students face is the cultural challenges. United States institution of higher learning have many individuals from almost all cultures around the world. A number of international students first encounter what is referred to as cultural shock coupled with intense feeling of irritability and homesickness (Yan, 23). American customs in lecture halls, restaurant and other aspects of life appear strange to many international students. For instance, in United States, people like personal space and rarely want to be touched by strangers which may be different to some students especially those who come from Spain. Students also face social challenges because instructors and students interact differently within United States institutions of higher learning (Yan, 26). For students who have not mastered the art of stepping out of comfort zone and learning interaction skill, they find themselves lonely, stressed or depressed.

Correspondingly, financial challenges in United States is a big challenge given the fact that education in many institutions United States is expensive (Yan, 20). The average cost for an international student in a private college in the United States is $47,831 in a year. Other amplified costs arise from insurance cover because there is no automatic cover or universal healthcare for foreign students in United States. According to Yan (21), the language barrier may also pose a significant challenge to international learners. While many universities and colleges require international students to take a test so as to prove a specific minimal level of English fluency, language barrier still pose a huge problem to many. Individuals with language barrier have numerous misunderstandings and frustration which can be stressing (Yan, 22). Application Hurdles may also prove challenging to many international students out of the fact that the American system of converting credits given abroad is very strict.

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Applying for studying in American university from other foreign country may also not be very easy for foreign students. The reason is that the educational systems differ from one country to the other country and thus credential evaluation must assess the equivalency of the courses that have already been taken abroad before entry into the United States (Yan, 20). To evaluate and convert the students’ grades from their own country to the American 4.0 GPA scale and then to credits often causes challenges. International students who may not be aware of the process experience many hardships especially when there are gaps after conversion.

How Trump’s new policies affect international students

The new move by Trump administration to restrict immigration especially from such countries as Iran, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen negatively affect higher education (Ann, 1). Fundamentally, such a move could turn higher education into an arduous process because of scrutiny and suspicion by the government officials. Some of the international students shy away from making application out of the fact that they have to wait for long before being allowed to study in the United States universities because of stringent immigration policies proposed by Trump administration. According to (Lee), the students may be required to pay $200 dollars by the customs enforcement agency if the policy by the United State immigration is enforced. Many of the students who have the capacity to study in United States, given its high quality of education, resources available and other compelling factors, will have difficult time and may lose great opportunity (Lee).

While the barn may not be appearing for the first time, given that it had already been implemented by Jimmy Carter in 1980, and George W. Bush after 9/11, Trump’s barn, which touches on a number of countries would hinder innocent students from reaping the benefits of quality American education. According to Ann and Redwood (433), stress, hardships and discomfort associated with the barn leads to negative impact on general wellness and academic performance. For instance, it is already known that the United States depend on foreigners and brilliant immigrant scholars to shape its competitive edge. In fact, the American beneficiaries of the 2016 Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry were all immigrants (Lee). Similarly, some of the immigrant students will lose the opportunity to work in the United States. Correspondingly, during the academic year 2015-16 after the proposed barn, foreign students across the country were worried if they will be given the opportunity to return once they leave the country to visit their friends and family (Ann and Redwood, 3). Some universities throughout the nation had to cancel their project for fear that they might not be allowed to return.

Besides, some of the students, including those with valid green card, was reportedly questioned and detained at the airport while coming back from home (According to Ann and Redwood, 3). These collective discomforts, among others, though disconnected, had huge psychological impact to the individuals’ students and long-term damaging effect to the nation since the damage caused might not be healed. Besides, the barn increases racism, xenophobia and religious hatred directed toward international students out of the fact that some may think that such students may be hazardous to their lives (Ann and Redwood, 5). Symbolic violence explicit and implicit discrimination, and microaggression may indirectly instigate more violence and crime (Ann and Redwood, 2).

Effects of Trump’s policies on immigration and its worth financially, socially and career wise

According to (Bendix), a recent survey disclosed that 40% of colleges in the United States experienced the rapid fall in the number of international students who were applying for admission by the beginning of the year 2017. The loss in the number of students causes huge negative financial impact to the United States that may not be recovered if the policies are not changed. This trend leads to the concern regarding future enrolment and thus such a bold political discourse surrounding international visitors and students in the United States may be damaging to the lucrative effort of recruiting international student (Bendix). In the year 2016 alone, 15, 000 students who came from the nations that were affected by the barn reported feeling concerns of the fact that the barn made them look suspicious. Suspicion fuel racism, xenophobia and some form of religious hatred directed toward international students. The social discomforts resulting from stigma made some to consider applying to join other universities in other countries including United Kingdom and Australia. The shifting distribution of international students with valuable foreign talent may be good news for foreign universities but have a massive negative impact to the United States in terms of innovation, social value and financial position (Bendix).

There was also anxiety among other international students that were not faced by the barn like China, India, and Nepal because they thought that the barn may be extended to their countries. Chinese and Indian students pay $11 and $5 billion respectively and thus any interference to their enrolment might have huge financial impact to the country. Correspondingly, according to (Bendix), in the year 2016, international students contributed $32.4 billion to the economy of the United States, a huge financial gain especially because such funds are paid in full. In addition to financial consequences, other universities such as the University of the University of New Haven worry about the loss of diversity that it has achieved for a very long time. According to Ann and Redwood (433), fear, anxiety and suspicion negatively influence the productivity of the students, their general wellness and academic performance.

Besides, some of the students were reportedly questioned and detained at the airport while coming back from home encountered hardships and embarrassments leading to psychological impact (According to Ann and Redwood, 3). Other social consequences include cultural losses, which though not immediate, will have huge impact in the years to come. Trump’s policies on immigration have negative impact on career for students who study in the United States. There are many students from a number of American colleges capable of benefiting from already available technology jobs opportunities, some of them in giant technology companies like Silicon Valley (Lee). Major technology companies hire a number of immigrants because they are known to bring a diverse perspective, culture and skills to the brand.

Bibliography

Ann Cindy and Redwood Rose. Rethinking the Politics of the international student’s Experience in the age of Trump

This resource is a valuable resource in this research since it covers contemporary ideas regarding challenges that international students face in the United States especially with the new barn on immigration from specific countries.  The resource covers a wide range of issues including cultural, economic, social, academic and other relevant consequences of the barn. What makes it more unique is the style in which the writers pose various questions and respond to them in details. Besides, each topic has unique writers who specialize in the area concerned and thus can perfect in such area by comprehensively covering the material expansively. Referencing has been made to the essential statements with most recent sources which further give the resource incredible authority. Among the issues covered include challenges faced by the students after the barn. For instance, the resource extensively covers the impact of the barn to Chinese students studying in the United States, current issues facing international students in general after Trump’s immigration policy and court decision regarding the issues. Moreover, the resource reviews possible reactions by Muslim nations that have been affected by the barn and other anticipated impacts.

Bendix, Aria. “A Pause in International Students? A new survey says U.S. colleges are worried about future enrollment” The Atlantic

This resource forms a formidable pillar of the research argument out of the fact that it captures detailed and one of the latest events regarding Trump’s immigration policy. The assignment extensively analyzes critical issues that are significant to the assignment questions including the actual outcome of a survey conducted regarding the effect of the barn to international students, the real figures of the students affected in 2016 as well as the practical proportion of decline in enrolment. Moreover, the most significant issue is the way in which the writer analyzes the financial effect that the barn has caused and might cause in future. The resource provides the consequences of the barn including the effect of career and social aspects of the students. Consequently, this resource provides essential responses especially to question four and also enriches other areas that have been covered in another assignment. The writer is a regular and reputed contributor to The Atlantic and was a former editor at the CityLab. Likewise, the writer, Bendix Aria, has written many reputable articles and is thus a renowned writer. Her work appeared on The Harvard Crimson and Bustle making her work one of the most credible. Similarly, the Atlantic, a Washington based newspaper, is a trustworthy, dependable and one of the oldest newspapers in the nation.

Edwards, John, Marion Crain G., and Arne Kalleberg L. Ending Poverty in America: How to Restore the American Dream

This resource extensively reviews the nature of poverty, vital definitions as well as the statistics regarding poverty and wealth in America. It reviews the fundamental question regarding whether the wealthiest nation in the globe can do something to combat the progressively increasing numbers of Americans living in poverty as well as & 50 million Americans who are near the poverty line. Senator John Edwards, one of the writers and one of the country’s most distinguished scholars, confront this problem. While community activists and businesspeople say otherwise, Edwards carries out extensive research and found that institution of higher learning not only have the capacity but relevant workforce and skills that can combat poverty in the United States. According to the writers, the fulfillment of the American dream lies in the hands of the University of higher learning and their unique ability to enhance technology, promote global education goals and offer high-quality education. The resource forms significant asset in this research because it offers extensive examples of the nature of progressive education in American institutions of higher learning that leads in almost all perspective especially in the recent past.

Lee, Esther Y. “Trump administration may make it harder for international students to study in the U.S.”

This resource offers the detailed analysis of consequences facing Trump’s immigration policy thus forming the vital element of this research. Some of the issues covered in the above resource include possible consequences of the barn, significant of international students to United States universities, social impact of the barn to students and impact of students’ career if the barn is affected. Similarly, the same information appears on other online reputable newspapers including The Atlantic, VOA News, Fortune and the US edition of the Newsweek. ThinkProgress is a valuable resource in this research out of the fact that it forms a progressive, consistent and dependable news site that is devoted to providing the reader with rigorous analysis and reporting from a liberal perspective. Founded in the year 2005, ThinkProgress constitute an editorially autonomous project founded and funded by Center for American Progress (CAP) Action Fund. For more than one decade, the news site has developed, evolved and from a miniature quick responding blog into a newsroom with editors and reporters. The workforce covers the wide range of issues intersecting across social justice, policies, politics, and culture.

Smith, Daryl G. Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education: Emerging Perspectives on institutional transformation

This resource is one of the most relevant resources in this study since it offers the wide range of exposure regarding the way various universities throughout the world, especially in the United States, have promoted higher education. The recourse cover three main areas namely promotion of equality, diversity fundamental policies that the institutions of higher learning offer. The resources find a lot of application in this research in that it offers, in length, the strategies that have been put in place to not only protect the student’s interest but also provide equal opportunities and ensure quality outcomes for students who are in the institution of higher learning. Moreover, the resource offers a broader approach into the contemporary progressive strategies that universities and colleges in the United States have put in place to ensure quality, research and great framework by including all stakeholders with the aim of making higher education more fruitful and appealing.

Yan, Kun. Chinese International Students’ Stressors and Coping Strategies in the United States

This resource explores how Chinese students studying abroad suffer stress, the way they conceptualize as well as adapt to stress and other challenges in the United States Universities. To achieve this outcome, the resource has adopted a mixed methods and design that sequentially explain the causes of the hardships. The resource employs extensive empirical investigation characterized by the collection as well as analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data. The empirical research, which reviews many contemporary issues facing students not only focused on understanding the stress but proposes many coping strategies and processes for the Chinese students studying in the United States. Correspondingly, the book addresses that gaps and provide the extensive body of literature regarding international students as well as useful adaptation process adopted by foreign countries. The extensive, reliable research makes the resource one of the most useful in this research.