5 Fun Facts about Studying in the U.S.

Ovog kolovoza nastavljamo s objavama koje su napisali nekadašnji studenti na stranim sveučilištima. Ovoga puta donosimo tekst ovogodišnje stažistice u Veleposlanstvu SAD-a u Hrvatskoj Claudije K. Rivere Garcie, koja studirala na dva američka sveučilišta – Arizona State University i American University. U tekstu koji prenosimo u nastavku otkrila nam je pet zanimljivih činjenica o studiranju u SAD-u. Ako ne znate što je Finals Week, čemu služe terapijski psi na kampusu, kako pohađati kolegij o sunčevu sustavu i nastanjivosti planeta ili što je to Study Abroad program, ovaj tekst je za vas. Uživajte u čitanju!

The U.S. has some very interesting traditions across its university campuses. As a student, I attended Arizona State University (ASU) for my bachelor’s degree, and American University for my master’s degree. ASU is what we call a ‘state’ school, a term which usually refers to the school’s state government funding, and its mostly in-state residents who attend the university. It is one of the biggest college campuses in the entire continental United States, with around 65,000+ students. Here, students are placed under one of the 17 colleges depending on their major. Personally, I was in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences because I was a Global Studies major, and I was also a part of the Barrett, the Honors College, which added to my overall good experience as a student in my four-year Bachelor of Arts program.

American University is a private university, which means it is mostly funded by alumni, private donations, and student tuition fees. American University is much smaller than ASU, with around 14,000 students. It has eight colleges; I was a part of the School of International Service (SIS), which had the largest number of students enrolled. I was quite involved on campus and part of the student government while in my master’s program, providing me with an enriching experience throughout my two-year program.

Overall, these two universities have given me quite different student-life experiences, but I find that most U.S. institutions have some major traditions which have become norms to all campuses across all states. The following are five fun facts about US student traditions on university campuses.

1. Welcome Week and Finals Week Traditions

At most universities, there are two major traditions for the entire student body: Welcome week celebrations and finals week traditions. Welcome Week at Arizona State University was an incredibly big celebration, with several celebrations for each of the 17 colleges. My freshman year, I was welcomed to university by our university’s marching band, Sparky (the university mascot), and a new-student welcome fair with bungee jumping and a DJ. Though not all welcome weeks are this big (ASU has quite a lot of students, meaning they have a bigger welcome week budget), all universities will have a welcome celebration for their students. This includes free food, university ‘swag’ and a general orientation to the university’s campus. Sometimes, like in the case for ASU and many other state schools, you’ll have a guest singer (my first few years we had Ke$ha and Imagine Dragons) or guest speakers which will also come to the campus stadium to welcome you.

Finals week also has its traditions across the U.S. university system. Known as one of the most difficult weeks on campus, the traditions during this week focus on self-care and student success. For example, at American University, our campus student-run coffee shop would host poetry slams, open mics, arts and crafts and game nights—all with amazing decorations and themed drinks for students to destress during finals. Many college campuses may have live music, discounts at their bookstore, hand out snacks at their libraries, and much more. They also host study sessions and tutoring sessions to prepare for final exams and papers, so that students can help support each other. On many college campuses, there’s the ‘finals scream’ where students will scream together to release tension at midnight on the first day of finals. On other campuses, the school will bring therapy dogs to come help students destress.

2. Campus Sports Games at U.S. Universities

Almost all universities have a university sports programs which they support. This means you can usually find a game happening on campus every week. At any sports game, such as basketball or soccer, you usually get a free ticket as a student, free promotional items of the team and free food. At American University we had free access to student sections, discounts in nearby restaurants, free ice cream, and could enter giveaways if we attended the games. Some other schools may do pre-game or post-game festivities at local restaurants or on campus. ASU was a PAC-12 school, which meant they had a famous American football college team, and on football weekends, the entire campus would wear gold to support the team, and sometimes we would get free pizza. Depending on the size of your school and whether your team was on a winning streak, festivities would be bigger or smaller.

3. Flourishing Alumni Community in U.S. Universities

Despite the heavy emphasis on existing students, there is a heavy emphasis on alumni and their networks. Alumni often feel so connected to their alma mater that they will give back to their old communities in the form of monetary donations or volunteering. This means that many schools take their alumni events very seriously, and will host gatherings such as class reunions, alumni receptions, and alumni days as a staple tradition on their campuses. At American University, I have access to the alumni network now that I have graduated, and I know that I can participate in certain classes for a reduced price if I want to continue to be a lifelong learner. In other universities, there are mentoring programs which partner an alumnus with a current graduate or undergraduate student. Some campuses even have designated housing for their alumni so that they can have access to the university’s resources at a reduced cost. Finally, since alumni groups can be so attached and committed to their alma mater, alumni groups exist outside of the university’s main campus, and can be found all over the world depending on the size of your university. I’ve found alumni groups in Washington, DC, all the way across the country from Tempe, Arizona, where ASU was located.

4. Study Abroad & Campus Involvement

Did you know only about 10.6% of all enrolled students in a U.S. institution will study abroad? I studied abroad through a program at ASU to Chengdu, Sichuan, China, and most students which study at a U.S. University can do so. Usually, students will take the summer term to study abroad, so they can stay on track with their degrees. Depending on your own background, you as an international student could be eligible for all sorts of scholarships to study abroad (depending on your visa requirements, of course). Some scholarships are for those who are first-generation university students, some are specifically for international students, some are smaller scholarships to cover airfare. All these scholarships are best learned about through your prospective college’s Study Abroad Office, but you can study abroad even if you are an international student!

If you are more comfortable staying on campus, there are many multicultural organizations on campuses across the United States. Student organizations are traditionally respected in all their diversity on U.S. university campuses. They are also a great way to experience a different culture while you are at a US university. At Arizona State University, we had over 300 organizations, and I remember being a part of several, including Hispanic/Latinx groups, and volunteering groups. At American University, I was also a part of student government. Some of the best parts of these groups is that they are not closed off to members who are not part of the culture or special interest, and they often share their cultural norms or food with the campus community. If there’s no group on your campus for your special interest, you can also create an organization yourself, which will give you leadership experience and allow you to expand your leadership experience.

5. You can take exercise, dance and art classes in university as part of your degree.

I took a course about the solar system and planet habitability in my global studies degree. It was one of the coolest classes I’ve taken; the class was entirely conducted as if I was an astronaut in space looking for a habitable planet like Earth. In the United States, you are encouraged to take classes that are outside your major or discipline, as taking an interdisciplinary approach to your degree is seen as well-rounded. Many students in engineering are encouraged to take humanities courses, such as painting, history, writing, and storytelling. Many students in the humanities are encouraged to take sustainability, biology, and geology classes. This interdisciplinary approach is also to ensure that you can better understand what interests you and motivates you as a person. If something outside your field of study interests you, you can make it your minor, you can get a certificate in it, or you can even change your major of study to it! Switching your majors is not frowned upon in the United States, in fact, more than half of my friends (including myself) changed their majors multiple times before graduating from their bachelor’s degree. Master’s degrees are a bit more complicated to switch from due to the specificity of an advanced degree, but it is still not frowned upon to change your degree concentration if you are more passionate about another degree path.

Claudia K. Rivera Garcia, Thomas R. Pickering Fellow i ovogodišnja stažistica u Veleposlanstvu SAD-a u Hrvatskoj