International Ambassadors

Life is so good!

2008-05-08T18:17:45Z

OMG, the final week is driving me crazy. Finals are coming next week, (good luck everyone!). Congratulations of your baby, my dear dear Beth! I miss you so much and I look forward to seeing you this summer. What else?

]]> This month would be very exciting. Besides the final, I will have a lot of other things to do. Since summer finally comes, I will definitely hang out with friends. All the ambassadors are going to visit the Minnehaha Fall tomorrow and have dinner in a seafood restaurant together. After that, I will enjoy a great FREE movie at Coffman Student Union with another friend. On Sat. night, I am going to watch a baseball match with an American friend, (I am so excited, this would be my first time watching a baseball game). On Sunday, I will go to the church in the morning as usual and then visit my host family and celebrate Mothers’ Day together. Also, I have already ordered a bouquet of beautiful flower for my mom at China. I cannot imagine how happy she will be when she receives the gift! (Excuse me, I just cannot stop feeling good. Isn’t the sun just soaking up?)

As a retreat for myself, I ordered books online, and they are really cheap. I cannot stop reading the novels. As you may guess what is attracting me that much… It is the GOSSIP GIRL! The worlds are so my type and the life described in the book makes me want to work in Manhattan in the future! Moreover, I am treating myself to couple of restaurants, in the twin cities area. So far, I don’t like the Chinese restaurants in general, especially the Hong Kong Noodle. It is way too greasy. The Red Sea Bar, which is serving African food, also sucks. Kafe 421 is a very elegant one. Lorain Pasta Bar is a good place to hang out on every Friday and Sat Night from 10 to 2, because they have Salsa dance. The riverside bar on the west bank is a good place because of their live music. In terms of typical American food, I like Perkins a lot. They serve very fresh vegetables and the atmosphere is delightful. You would better go with families. The Baker’s Quarter has amazing Pies, but it is a little bit noisy. The Apply Bee is a very nice place to date, because it is always very dark there… Appetizers served in the Apple Bee is good and the price is reasonable. Oh I almost forget, the Cheese Cake Factory in the North Dale is definitely on the top of my list. It has the best cheese cake I have ever tasted. Be aware of the long line!

In conclusion, life is so good!

P.S. Hope everything goes well with the visa interview you guys.

Summer time's here again!

2008-05-07T02:59:53Z

It has been a long winter and long semester. Finally, the spring came again. It is almost the end of the semester. What's the plan for summer?

]]> i am so excited that it is finally the summer coming! I have few plans for the summer. right after the finals i am going home for few weeks and then coming back for summer class. It is always good to see my family and my friends. At the same time, this is the first time i am going to spend my summer in MN. I am thinking about doing some canoing with my friends and see some new places. Camping is always full of adventure and Minnesota has many places great for camping! Well, this is it for me.

I want to wish you good luck for the studying and everything here in MN! It has been a pleasure to be an international student ambassador!

Summer!!

2008-05-03T00:45:23Z

Well, the spring semester is almost done - about two weeks!!! The summer is coming along and it sure is going to be entertaining to enjoy a couple of nights without homeworks before my junior year!!!

]]> The spring semester has been going for about 4 months now, and besides the spring break we have had recently, a "longer break" will actually be really usefull now!! The semester ends next friday and after a week of final, it's over!!!

I won't be taking any classes during the summer; So I will mostly being working and doing a little bit of volunteering in a medical center!

You might still be a little nervous about starting at the U next semester,...It's Ok..! Just don't freak out completely, It's not as bad as you might think! Hopefully all the blog entries will help you "de-stress" and will give you a "taste" of the U and the state of Minnesota! So get a max of your hometown while your still there, take a lot of pictures, cause you sure want to be able to show your roomate/classmate what the city you lived in for a while looks like!!
Have a great summer! And once again welcome to the U (for new students!!) and greetings from the U (for prospective students!!)

Here is my email tchon002_at_umn.edu (_at_ is for @) incase you have any concern!
Cheers!!

Closing Entry - It's been great being an ambassador!

2008-05-01T02:35:19Z

With the end of the semester nearing, and with my time at the University of Minnesota coming to an end next December, I can not help but reflect back on the entire experience that I have had here. What an amazing journey it has been; filled with lots of laughter, and countless opportunities.

]]> When I first got here in September of 2004, I was terrified. I spent my first two nights in my apartment completely alone. My parents had to leave the day after we arrived, and my 3 roommates were not set to move in for a couple days, so it was me and a big empty apartment. What was most terrifying during those days, was this constant worry that I may have made a mistake in deciding to come to the University of Minnesota. From what I know, that will be a fear no matter where you decide to go to university. Two weeks later, after a very long, but great day, I remember having it just suddenly occur to me, that I was exactly where I should be. I felt lucky to have decided to come to the University of Minnesota. That feeling has never really left.

The experience of studying in another country can be scary though, that I know for sure. There are so many questions at the beginning, and so many concerns. I think the scariest part is just the uncertainty - there are no guarantees until you get here and try it. You can't know for sure what the experience is going to be like for you. There is no guarantee that you will love where ever it is you choose to go to school. All you can count on, is there being a lot of questions.

I have had a lot of friends of mine looking into coming to school in the U.S. and I will tell you now what I have always told them....

You really can't know until you try. Do your research before hand, do everything you can to get a feel for what that University might be like - but know that, for the most part, you just can't know for sure until you try. The most important thing in choosing a university to attend is that you go into it with a positive attitude, and you remember the things that are important to you. Take care of your school work, find ways of getting involved with other things that interest you, from club sports teams to student groups. There are a million opportunities like this offered at the University of Minnesota, as well as other schools - it is up to you to make the most of them. Be prepared for it to be difficult at times, particularly at first. Remember though, that this would most likely be the case no matter where you attended school.

Alright, I realize I have probably written far too much, but it is my last entry and I wanted to pass along as much "wisdom" as I possibly could. Please feel free to contact me all throughout the summer and even in September when you could potentially be arriving on campus. Please email me if there is anything you think I could help you with.

Best of luck,

Bobbi Ross

ross0434@umn.edu

Making friends in America

2008-04-30T13:48:56Z

As an international student, most of you are probably hoping to have many American friends and also friends who are from the other country.

]]> Before I came to the United States, one of the biggest plan that I had was to have many American and international friends. I kept that plan for about a year after I came to the United States. But now, my plan had changed and is to be successful in academics.

Honestly, the reason for giving up the plan of making many international and American friends is due to adjustment in the United States. I tried to have many friends when I came to the Minnesota for the first time. I got to get along with some of the American friends, who met in the classes. But still, as I was not so confident enough with using English, I couldn’t make so many friends. In the second semester after coming to the Minnesota, I made more friends, as I started to adjust to the American culture.

But at the second semester, I had never got to hang around with friends that I met in the prior semester. The only thing that me and those people did was just saying hello to each other when we passed by. And that happened in the other semester, too. Although I have made new friends in the second semester, I never got to talk with them when the semester was over. Neither my friends nor I contacted to each other. The thing that we had in common was that we just knew each other.

However, what I actually realized was that this is the college live in the America. We get along for a while and we head for each other’s way after then. That’s what I have felt. Yeah, still, you can be a friends with them forever when you keep try to contact with them and hang around with them. But for me, I had things to do. I had my school work which did not let me to hang around with people. That made me unconcerned with making friends and taking care of the relationships.

So, do you think I will have no friends here?

Things didn’t turn out as so bad. I have many friends that I still keep in touch with although it had been a long time I have met them. And I am pretty sure that I will be contact with them even after going back to Korea. I don’t think it is right to struggle to make American friends. But still, as the time pass by and you start to adjust to American culture, you will get to meet people who will be your friends.

Family Visit

2008-04-29T16:58:44Z

As an international student it can sometimes be hard to be away from home. I personally only go home once a year for Christmas, and even in the summer usually have to live away from home in order to be able to work and train for hockey. I don't get to see my family very much, and in my first year at the University of Minnesota, that was a bit difficult to get used to. A week ago, my sister came to visit for the first time in two years, and I realized how funny it was, that since I moved away, we have become so much closer......

]]> For years my sister and I lived in the same tiny house, with rooms that were right beside each other, and quite honestly, I probably spoke to her less than I do now. We were not close in the least bit, and it is funny to think that our relationship would improve so much at the same time that I would move to another country. This is the realization I had when she visited last week, and it made me think about the homesickness I felt my first year compared to what I think about being away now.
Now it seems for me, that sometimes it doesn't matter if you move to another country, or only move away to another city just a couple hours away, you still may get to see your friends and family significantly less. It seems as though this can just be a product of growing up. When it comes to family, however, what I have found is that it has been really easy to stay in touch, and has truly just made the time we do spend together far more valuable. It does not take long to get used to having interaction be done more on the phone and over the computer than in person. You just have to realize the value of it.

Your phone bill does not need to be atrocious either. Here are some different ways of making international calls for a more minimal expense.....

1. Buy international phone cards from local convenience stores and gas stations. Cards like "The One" are five dollars and give you up to ten hours of international call time. I use cards like this combined with a cheap phone plan, and just call my friends and families during the times of the night and week where I get free minutes on my plan.

2. Text family members to have them call you.... This works for me, because my family has an international phone plan. Depending on your land line provider this can be a good solution if it is only a small additional monthly cost to your parents phone bill. This can often be cheaper than purchasing an international Cell phone plan here in the U.S.

As well, instant messaging systems such as MSN Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger are great ways to stay in touch with friends.

Here are the web site addresses for a couple of the most common phone companies in the United States:

Verizon:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/index.html

Sprint:

http://www.sprint.com/index.html

What is it like writing papers in English?

2008-04-24T20:51:52Z

What is it like writing papers in English? Are there any resources on campus that you can have some comments on your paper?

]]> Before trying writing intensive class, i thought it must be pretty tough and i tried to find some way not to take it for a while. Then, this semester, my sophomore year, i finally took my almost very first Writing intensive class, Political Philosophy. The impression i had from attending the first day of the class was Oh My God! The professor gave us a brief introduction about political philosophy. For me, it just freaked me out. However, i felt much better after a while. Actually, the professor and my TA (teaching assistant) are really nice people. Whenever i have problem with the paper, i go and ask them. Now i get pretty decent grade on my papers. Well, this is my experience that i wanted to share.

So what i learned from this experience is that don't get nervous or don't be overwhelmed by anything you have never tried before. About writing papers in English, it isn't too bad once you know where to get help. You can go to the writing centers Nicholson Hall, Appleby Hall, and many others. http://writing.umn.edu/sws/hours.htm has more information. Or you can see your TA. They will be always happy to help you!

Liberal Education requirement

2008-04-24T20:32:39Z

Sometimes it might be overwhelming if you have to take higher level of classes in English when you are not well adapted to the classroom environment in the states. Especially when it comes to biology and philosophy.

]]> The are certain requirements that you might find it hard. for example, ethic and civic responsibility and literature. Not every body likes same subject. So the best way to fulfill this requirement is to figure out a way that is easy and time saving. What i mean by time saving is, you can fulfill few other requirements just by taking a single course. All it takes is to pay attention to the requirement details that it actually have.

In my freshman year, i took Principles of Microeconomics. It got rid of my social science and international perspective requirements. Isn't that awesome? There are tones of other classes that does like this or even better!

Go to http://onestop.umn.edu/onestop/Registration/Additional_Registration_Information/Registering_for_Courses/Liberal_Education_Requirements.html for more info

I've just been offered a job for the summer!

2008-04-22T22:14:39Z

I have been speaking to this one company for about three months now, and finally, it has paid off. This past weekend I was offered a full time job for the summer back in Saskatchewan, Canada where I am from. I have had many summer jobs before, but they have all been pretty meaningless. I have usually worked at places where I got the job simply because a friend of mine worked there. Jobs at golf courses, and small town restaurants that have little or nothing to do with my major, or what I eventually want to do as a career.
This summer however, thanks to U of Minnesota resources, I have locked a job that is not only fairly lucrative, but one that could potentially develop into a very exciting career.

]]> In January of this past year I attended the University of Minnesota Job and Internship Fair in order to try to make some connections with a few companies I was interested in one day working for. I had been to other job fairs on campus and have had a fair share of experience with the job hunt in the area as an international student and as such I had a strategy while going to a job fair such as this. I have realized in the last couple years that I would like to return home to work once I graduate. This can pose problems in that it can be difficult to talk to network with companies back in Western Canada while living in Minnesota all year long. To deal with this situation I would research the companies that would be attending the job fairs in order to identify international companies that would have locations in Canada. You should always research the companies you are interested in before attending a job fair, regardless of whether you are concerned about where they have locations, but this was what I was specifically interested in. Next you have to do what you can to make an impression on the recruiter during the short itme that you meet with them, and I have found knowing a lot about their company, and just being confident when you approach them to be very large keys in making this positive impression. After speaking with them for a bit, that is when I ask about their international affairs, and see if they would be willing to put me in touch with a recruiter from Canada.
This is not the process that will work for everyone, obviously, but it sure did for me.

Before going to a career fair it is very helpful to talk to someone who has went before just to get an idea of what you will expect. The scene can be somewhat intimidating at first and so it is also adviseable to go to a career fair in the earlier college years just so that when you really do need a job, you are comfortable with the process.

Are you ready for a part time job?

2008-04-22T02:14:17Z

Most of the students in the US have a part time job. Why? Part time job has a lot of benefits. First of all, you will earn some pocket money for your favorite food or games. Second, you will gain some working experience, which is very crucial for your future career. Third, you will make a lot of friends! Today, I will talk about how to apply for a part time job in the University of Minnesota.

]]>
As an international student, we can only work in the university for the first year. After the first year, we may work out side the campus by applying for CPT or OPT. During the school year, one may work 20 hours per week at most, and during the vacation one may work up to 40 hours. Here is a good news: we have law of minimum payment, usually wages for job positions in the university for undergraduate students range from $7.6 to $13 per hour. Most students would like to work in libraries. I have to say, it is a good choice for freshman since it doesn’t require a lot of skills and also you will have plenty of time for studying on the position. However, there is little you can learn from. Usually, doing something technically can earn a lot of money, for example web designer and grader will have higher payment.

I currently work for the Institute of Child Development as a data manager. I really like this job a lot, since I apply many things I learned from the course of statistics and business computing. I applied for this position on the university’s website, and the address is https://employment.umn.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1208826115243. Almost all of the job positions on campus recruit employees from this web system. After checking out the position you are interested in, it is time to prepare resume and cover letter. Those are very important documents since they are the very information the recruiter rely on when deciding whether to give you a call and ask for an interview or not.

Yes, I understand that as international students, we are not competitive in writing in English. But don’t worry about that. In the university, there are many career centers as well as writing center. People there are willing to help you from brainstorming to revising final drafts. They are totally free to the students in the university, so use them as much as you need.

If everything goes well, you may receive a phone call from the recruiter. They will schedule a time for you to go to their department for a interview. Be sure to prepare for the questions the night before the interview and be confident. Let the recruiter see that you are the one they can trust.

How many credits per semester?

2008-04-22T00:10:07Z

How many credits would it be appropriate? How is it going to affect my graduation plan?

]]> Well, i would say you have to be very careful about how many credits you take. Not all the students know how busy you gonna be and also if they can handle it or not. If a student is registered for too many classes and can not keep up with the class work, then it is going to be a major problem. So i personally want to suggest to stick with fewer credits in the first semester or so just to catch up and adapt to the new environment. then, later on, you would have known how much you can handle, you can add up the load in the coming semesters.

For me, i took 13 credits in my freshmen year and then later on i started taking 16 and 18 credits. I know many students that set up a goal to finish college in 3 years and take more than 20 credits. So, if you are sure of yourself that you can handle it, then go for it.

By staring from a 13 credits a semester didn't really hurt my graduation plan. If i take a summer class this summer, i will graduate a semester ahead. All i wanted to say is that if you can plan everything on time and stick to it, there is no problem. Well, Good luck Guys!! College is full of adventure

Full time student

2008-04-21T23:59:58Z

How many credit do we have to take in order to be a full time student?

]]> There is a 13- credit policy at the University of Minnesota. It is basically, we have to take classes of 13 credit or more to keep our legal visa status as a full time student. For more information about the 13 credit policy, you can go the the following link.
http://onestop.umn.edu/onestop/Registration/Additional_Registration_Information/13_Credit_Policy.html

Minneapolis!?!?

2008-04-19T00:28:39Z

Besides being in the state of 10,000 lakes, Minneapolis is a really entertaining city. If you are a football/baseball fan, you will enjoy the Vikings, Twins, Gophers, and most of all, the TCF stadium currently being constructed on-campus for the Gophers.

]]> Here is a picture of the city I took last summer from a dorm room. The big bubbly white construction is the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome, one of the most popular stadium in the city since it's the Twins stadium. It's located in downtown Minneapolis and from the University campuses; you can easily get to it by taking busses going to downtown. I know that the three routes connecting the campuses to Downtown will get you to the stadium directly, but if it happens that you take a different route, you can always catch the Light Rail in downtown and it will get you straight to the Metrodome!

Besides the Metrodome in Downtown, you have a lot of stores/places/companies like Macys, Gap, Target, Barnes&Nobles, Wells Fargo (If you happen to see any photo of Downtown Minneapolis at night, Wells Fargo has the bright yellow building!), Target Center (where you could have the chance to see your celebrities!). I think the IDS Center is the tallest skyscraper in Downtown along with the Capella tower (225 South Sixth) and the Wells Fargo Center!! Check out Wikipedia to see more photos or Minneapolis and learn more about the city.

How Many Classes For A Semester?

2008-04-18T23:21:34Z

Since my beginnings here at the university, I have been taking a lot of credits per semester. One of the main reasons was that, if you take over 13 credits (which is considered full-time) with a maximum of 20 credits, the University does not charge you for the extra credits and since I wasn't able to transfer my credits, I basically had to take the same classes I had in my high school and university back home.

]]> So during the freshman year, I had about 19 credits for the semester, most of them science classes and most them about things I have already encountered...! It was not really hard because let's take math for example; they give you an equation with a simple sentence for what you are expected to do, and even if your English is not good you can still understand it, and get really good grades in the classes.

At the U, the average number of credits per semester is 15-18. It usually suffices to get you to graduate in 4 years. Sometimes, if you plan on getting more than one major, or a major and some minors, you might have to take more than 15 one or more semester to satisfy the requirements or take some summer classes.

Since I have to meet requirement for my major, a minor and the graduate school I plan to go to, I am still on the "upper limit" of the credit students are allow to take for a semester. So far, it's going ok! I am having trouble dealing with papers and homeworks almost every week but eventually you get to organize yourself and plan your week accordingly (and get to sleep early!!! - early like 9pm not 2am in the morning!!).!

The closest grocery store

2008-04-17T21:36:22Z

When you live close to campus, you don't really need a car. So how to figure out the grocery part?

]]> There are number of i would say convenient store kind of place where you can get the basic necessities on daily basis. But i noticed that those convenient stores are pretty expensive. So instead of spending too much money on it, it would be better off make some time to go to the grocery store. This is how i do it. I collect my groceries on the weekends. There are couple of grocery stores on Snelling and University Avenue. You can take bus 16 or 50 going down to St Paul. These stores have almost all types of foods.