After arriving in the United States, many students cannot adapt to various aspects of study and life in the United States, which often causes a lot of trouble or inconvenience. The safest way to address teachers in schools is to use "professor". If you know the teacher's last name, you can also call him Professor XX, but do not call the teacher Sir, especially to female teachers, because they may care. Also don't call the teacher by his or her first name unless the teacher tells the student that it's okay to do so.

The teacher’s teaching methods include:

Lecture---the teacher talks and the students listen.

Seminar: After students read books or do homework on their own, they then discuss with the teacher in class, mostly in groups.

There are a lot of assignments when studying in the United States, almost in every class. Some teachers may tell you the progress and assignments of each class this semester from the beginning, while others may just follow the class. speak. If you know which textbooks you want to use when you choose a course, you can go to the bookstore to buy them first, but keep the receipt and ask the clerk if you can return the books, because the teacher may change the textbooks after class, and if the students feel after the class that they are too easy, too difficult, or If it is too boring, you may withdraw from the selection. At this time, you need to return the book. Used books cannot be returned, so do not write names, underline, or make any marks on the book at the beginning.

Things students should pay attention to in class can be divided into things they should do and things they shouldn’t do:

What should be done

1. Try to get in a few minutes early classroom. If you are late, since most classrooms only have one door, you should enter quietly and find a seat nearby. If the teacher looks at you, you can say "I'm sorry" softly. The principle is not to disturb others, but don't stop going to class just because you are late. It is better to be late than to miss class.

2. Generally speaking, students are free to choose their favorite seats, but it is recommended that foreign students try to sit next to local students and introduce themselves first so that they can start chatting and make friends.

3. When introducing yourself, you should state your name clearly. Most Americans cannot remember Chinese names in pinyin, so choosing a Western name as a middle name in advance can save a lot of trouble. As for your surname, you can pronounce it slowly and spell out the letters to make it easier for others to remember it clearly.

4. Ask more questions to make the teacher feel that you are involved and aware of your existence. Don’t be afraid that your English is not good and don’t ask, and don’t be afraid that your opinions are wrong and don’t ask. It is better to be wrong than to remain wrong without speaking up. When you want to express your opinion, you can ask the teacher for permission in a questioning tone to show politeness.

5. It is best to go to the bathroom before or after class. If you want to go during class, you don't have to raise your hand to ask for permission from the teacher. Just walk quietly and come back quietly.

What not to do

1. Yawn and doze off.

2. Talk to others.

3. Eat (if you want to drink to refresh yourself, it is best to do it only when you see other students doing this).

4. Chew gum.

5. Read other books.

No matter how high the TOEFL listening score is, almost every international student experiences a period of confusion when they first start taking classes. This will affect the reaction in class and the speed of copying notes. In addition to trying to familiarize yourself with the different accents and speaking methods of each professor as soon as possible, recording or taking notes can help you, but you need to pay attention to the following points:

1. Recording

Even during class No matter how carefully you listen and how diligently you take notes, there will still be some oversights. At this time, the tape recorder becomes the greatest helper for reviewing homework and supplementing notes. However, you must seek permission from the professor before recording, because some professors do not welcome students to record because of copyright or other issues. In addition, you must avoid over-reliance on recordings. Don’t think that you can listen to the recordings again and again when you go home, which will affect your ability to concentrate in class.

Teachers usually have fixed office hours at school, about two to three hours a week. Students should try to use this time to talk to teachers and ask questions so that teachers can get to know themselves. Plagiarism is not allowed when writing. When quoting other people's articles or sentences, be sure to add explanations or colons. The format of the report can refer to the general instruction manual. Finally, it would be ideal if you could ask an American friend or someone with good English to read it for you. There are many types of exams. In addition to final exams and mid-term exams, there are also drop quizzes. Question types may include multiple choice, short answer, essay, etc. Examinations Never cheat during class, otherwise you may be expelled from school.

2. Notes

In addition to the notes taken during preview and review, the notes taken during class are often the essence of the course and a guide for reference during exams. Generally speaking, after one or two semesters, international students can develop the ability to take notes in a simple, concise and hierarchical manner. If the professor likes to write on the blackboard, it will certainly be of great help in taking notes; if it is a lecture or discussion class, you need to pay special attention to?There are some important points...?,?This is the key which...?or? I?d like you to remember...? and other similar opening remarks, they are almost the focus of the class.

In addition, you must also learn to filter out the key points of the class. If the professor or classmates say something irrelevant when they speak, of course there is no need to remember it. If you have been unable to copy your notes well, you should try to borrow them from other students for reference, or even report them directly to the professor. Usually professors will assign teaching assistants or specific classmates to assist. With complete notes in class, you will be even more powerful when previewing and reviewing your homework.

3. Speeches

Speeches during class can not only enable multi-directional communication with professors and other students, but also fully demonstrate students’ sense of participation, thus leaving a lasting impression on professors. Good impression. Chinese students are usually relatively silent in class, and many international students are afraid to speak because they are afraid that their English is not good enough and they are afraid of making a fool of themselves. In fact, people have already studied abroad, so why worry too much about making a fool of themselves? If you feel that your English ability is not strong, isn’t speaking in class a good opportunity to train yourself to express yourself in English? Even so, how to break through psychological barriers and actively participate Class discussion is still the most difficult problem for international students to overcome.

American students have been accustomed to expressing their opinions since childhood and can talk freely at any time. But they are also used to accepting other people's opinions. Once foreign students speak, they usually listen patiently. If you really don’t know how to express yourself at the beginning, you might as well ask questions about things you don’t understand or understand in class. For example, you can raise your hand to express to the professor: ?I can?t follow you.? or ?Can you say that again? . Of course, it is best to gradually eliminate fear and then bravely and actively express your opinions in class in order to achieve the purpose of exchange of ideas.

In daily life, shaking hands is a common body language. When shaking hands, you should be generous, natural, and strong. Don't be shy and hide and leave a bad impression on others. When you are invited to an American home for a meal, you can prepare a small gift that is characteristic of your country's culture. It does not need to be too expensive, and it should cost less than six US dollars. If you are attending a party or picnic, you do not need to prepare gifts. Americans usually drink drinks together outside, such as coffee, cola, beer, etc. Although it is not easy to make American friends, you should try your best to improve your English.

Chinese people often don’t know how to answer negative questions commonly used by Americans. They are also not familiar with some common sentences and the way of pronouncing several words together, and the same We should try to understand the different pronunciations of verbs and adjectives, as well as phrases, slang, etc., so if you don’t understand, ask questions to increase the learning effect.

Course selection

Course selection itself can be said to be a required course, and whether the course selection is appropriate or not will be the biggest key to your semester performance. In the first semester of your studies, you should pay special attention not to choose too many classes or too many classes, so as not to bring a heavy homework burden to yourself. Although the school stipulates that only students who have completed twelve credits are recognized as full-time students, if you feel that the burden is too heavy, you can discuss with your instructor to take one less course and ask him to add it to the relevant documents. After signing and reporting to the registration team, you can continue to maintain your full-time student status.

Information about course content should be collected before the start of school. For example, you can refer to the course description (CourseDescription) in the school's department catalog (Catalog), or refer to the course schedule (Course Schedule), etc., to learn about the courses offered by your department.

The two most important points when choosing a course are to understand the course content and the professor. You'd better know in advance whether the course content is useful to you, whether you are interested, what the professor's teaching and research level is, what he is like, what his teaching methods are, etc.

Course Schedule

Since the general course introduction is usually quite brief, if you want to know more detailed course content, you must take the initiative to go to the department office and directly ask the professor or his teaching assistant, secretary. At the same time, obtain the course schedule (Syllabus) for the entire semester, which lists detailed course objectives, progress of each class, grading standards, book lists, etc. It can be said to be the most practical reference when selecting courses.

Professor’s reputation

Students’ comments about professors are another important consideration when choosing courses. Sometimes the name and content of a course are quite attractive, but if you find out that the professor is a "Killer", you may consider giving up the course. The so-called "killer" professors usually have a lot of exams and assignments, and don't give high grades. Generally speaking, they are not popular with students. Of course, students who are interested in making academic achievements can focus on examining the academic abilities and concepts of professors, etc.

After school starts, formally attending classes or auditing can prove how well you have chosen your courses. If you find that the course does not meet your needs or is too difficult during class, or if you become interested in other courses while auditing, you should make an immediate decision and apply for a change of course as soon as possible. Usually, there is no charge for adding or withdrawing from the program within a certain period of time before the start of the semester.

Preparation before class and review after class

After the course selection is ready, the problem of purchasing textbooks is another headache. Textbooks in the United States are very expensive, costing anywhere from thirty to fifty dollars. In order to save money, you can consider buying used books, or even not buying them, and borrow books from the school library to read. In addition, the price of books in general on-campus bookstores is usually higher than the market price. If possible, you may wish to copy the book list and buy textbooks in off-campus bookstores.

Before starting the formal class, pre-class preview is very important preparation work. Before class, take more time to read the necessary textbooks and reference books carefully, and have a good understanding of what the professor is going to say in advance. This is especially important for our Chinese students whose native language is not English. Only in this way can you better understand what the professor is saying in class, and you can more easily join the discussions among your classmates.

Adequate reading preparation before and after class will help to effectively absorb the classroom content. Generally speaking, graduate courses progress very quickly, and summer session courses in particular are often overwhelming. Faced with several textbooks and designated reading materials that need to be read in a short period of time, how to train your reading speed has become a very important issue.

When reading an English book, it is best not to read it word for word. This will not only be slow, but also make it difficult to find the key points in the article. When reading, you should take up a pen at any time to write down the vocabulary and terms in the professional field you are studying. Every time you read a paragraph, you should make summary notes or highlight important keywords.

In addition, it is best to train yourself to explain the main ideas in simple English - firstly, it will facilitate future review, and secondly, you can practice using English expressions to increase your confidence in speaking in class. Whenever I read an English book, I often come across a lot of words, which makes me feel like I don’t know enough words until I use them. What's more, even if you find out the meaning of all the words, you still have a partial understanding of the entire sentence, which is quite frustrating.

In order to improve your reading speed and ability, it is best not to be too rigid in studying the words. Instead, you should strive to master the entire paragraph and the outline of the full text. When previewing and reviewing, sometimes you can use Chinese-related books to assist the reading of English books to master the concepts. However, the assistance of Chinese books is only a temporary measure after all. Only by enriching one's English reading ability in daily life can one absorb more new knowledge in professional fields.

Examinations, exercises and reports

After a semester of intense study, the next step is learning assessment. The main methods for evaluating learning outcomes include large and small examinations, homework exercises, and written and oral reports. Not every professor chooses the same method.

Examinations

There are two major exams, mid-term and final, which account for more than 60% of the entire semester. Therefore, during the exam period, everyone burns midnight oil and does not dare to take it lightly. If the test is in class, it is best to ask clearly about various details, such as test format, content, scope, etc. If the exam takes the form of essay questions, and if you are worried about running out of time, you can try asking the professor to extend the answering time. In addition, you should also ask whether you can bring an English-Chinese or Chinese-English dictionary to answer questions. Another type of exam (Take Home Exam) is a take-home exam. Since there are no strict restrictions on time and other aspects, it is generally not stressful. As long as you follow the class notes and the content of the designated books, and pay attention to the coherence and modification of words and sentences, it should not be difficult to obtain satisfactory results.

Assignment

Different departments have different methods of homework exercises. Generally speaking, assignments in departments such as mathematics, physics, and quotient are more common in the form of calculations and word problems. As long as you listen carefully in class, refer to textbooks and notes, or discuss with classmates or seniors, this kind of assignment will probably not be a problem for you. Assignments in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences usually involve assigned readings and written reports, which focus more on commentary, analysis, and expression.

In addition, oral reports (Presentations) may be the most stressful form of homework. Since you have to report in English in front of professors and other students during class, the drafting of your manuscript must be particularly clear and smooth; facing interruptions and questions from professors or classmates at any time is often nerve-wracking. However, the only way to prepare for this kind of assignment is to understand it thoroughly, memorize the contents of the manuscript you have drafted, and ask other students to "hear" it in advance, so that you can be calm and calm when you formally present the report.

Term Paper

Many professors like to use term papers instead of exams to evaluate students’ learning outcomes. Therefore, the various details of writing term papers cannot be ignored. In order to avoid that the format of the report you write does not meet the professor's requirements, it is best to ask the professor for a report sample in advance and write it in accordance with its various regulations, so as to be foolproof. For example, most psychology students must abide by the report format issued by the APA (American Psychological Association) and must not be sloppy at all. When studying in the United States, you must not underestimate the issue of copyright when writing term reports. Whenever you quote other people's materials or words, you must indicate them in detail to avoid being accused of plagiarism. In mild cases, you will be punished with a low grade, and in serious cases, it will be even worse. The fate of being dropped out of school. If you always pay attention to adding quotation marks when quoting the original sentence, and indicating the original author, book title and page number, you can avoid the suspicion of plagiarism.

When starting the semester report, if you have any questions or ideas, you can discuss it with the professor during office hours. If you finish writing the report before the deadline, you may wish to discuss it with the professor first. On the one hand, it will help revise the overall report, and on the other hand, it can also increase the professor's impression.

Meeting professors during Office Hour is a student's basic right. You must not give up your rights just because you are afraid of troublesome professors.

When writing a term report, the first priority is the quality of the content, not the beauty of the words. Therefore, as long as the grammar is correct, the main idea is prominent, the text is coherent and clear, it is considered a good report. However, no matter how much confidence you have in your English ability, it is best to ask American classmates or pay someone to help revise the English grammar, rhetoric, and even the organization of the entire text to make the entire report more rounded and smooth.

Although studying abroad life is not as easy and comfortable as "study tour", as long as they are familiar with the "game rules" related to their homework and study well, international students can always take a break from their busy schedule