By Orestis, Julia and Hedda
The article by Macdonald and Sundararajan showed how there isn’t a disconnect between the expectations of domestic and international students. The disconnect is not cultural, it is generational. Younger generations are growing up in a more globalized world and are therefore more open to cross-cultural experiences in the classroom.
From an international perspective, it would be helpful if universities incorporated stronger advising in professional English language writing. Also, with the fully online environment, it’s challenging to have connections with professors to ask for additional help — such as stopping by office hours or staying a few minutes after class.
One thing that is different about the international education and American education experience is the emphasis on personal experience. Especially in the MAPC program, students are encouraged to share their personal stories and relate the class material to their personal lives. For instance, in Norway the writing process is more strict — you might be able to add your personal opinion in the conclusion but otherwise it is very fact-based.
A major benefit of having a class full of international and domestic students is the diversity of people and information shared. The sharing of different perspectives makes the education experience more effective. If we stay in our own groups of similar people, it’s hard to open up to other cultures. Multicultural classrooms benefit everyone involved.
Thank you!