Abstract

Information is a key to seeing problems and experiences encountered by international graduate students while studying abroad. Consequent adaptations to new surroundings have been suggested from several perspectives. Services offered on-campus could help international graduate students to achieve their main goal: to be successful in their professional and social life. Success could commence from the initial contemplation or decision of studying abroad and might continue throughout their prolonged stay if continuous support was available from the staff and customized services in the college or university selected. Conducting sixteen face-to-face interviews (using open-ended questions) and two focus groups of four students each, this qualitative study investigates collective elements. These collective elements affect the educational performance, the personal growth, and the environmental cognition that international students have to face during schooling in a foreign country, and particularly at RIT. Connecting in a logical form the techniques of participant observation, in-depth interviewing, phenomenological theory and inductive reasoning guarantee that the results are useful when implementing programs and services on campus. This is the starting point to build a successful future between the current partners of learning: RIT and the international graduate students community.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Rochester Institute of Technology--Graduate students; Students, Foreign--Education (Graduate)--New York (State); Expectation (Psychology)

Publication Date

2001

Document Type

Thesis

Department, Program, or Center

Hospitality and Tourism Management (CAST)

Advisor

Jacobs, James

Comments

Note: imported from RIT’s Digital Media Library running on DSpace to RIT Scholar Works. Physical copy available through RIT's The Wallace Library at: LB2376.4 .G736 2001

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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