Quality & Variety of Life in the USAWhat's Here? Traveling to the USA / Tourism； Studying on a US Campus – What's it Like?； Life Off-Campus； Diversity in the USA； Number and Variety of International Students Living in the USA； Helpful Information About Living in the USA
Part of the decision to come the United States to study involves choosing a school and what program to study.This is the part that most international students, including Taiwanese, spend most time on.Questions like “Which school has the best engineering department?”； “Which school is ranked higher in my chosen academic field?” and “Is this school well known in Taiwan?” are certainly important questions to ask.But a fairly large part of the decision-making process involves assessing the quality of life one will have while studying in the USA.After all, once a student arrives on the campus at which she will spend the next one to 4 years, the quality and variety of life on a US camps becomes the key determinant of whether one will remember with fondness his or her years in the USA. First, one must remember that studying in the United States is going to be a lot different that in Taiwan.Nearly everything about the experience, from the way classes are taught to the way students interact with instructors, to the way students interact with each other, is different.Some of the differences can commonly be referred to as “Western” – such as, for example, the prevalence of the Socratic Method of instruction used at many American colleges, universities and graduate schools.And other differences – like the “Greek system” of sororities and fraternities on many US university campuses - are uniquely American.International students in the USA may be challenged by the adjustments required to fit into this system.However, the rewards of being immersed in this new culture far outweigh the initial costs of adjusting. American high school, college or university life is a microcosm of US society in general.On any US campus you can find the ethnic, political, and philosophical similarities and differences that make the USA such a vibrant and exciting place to be.International students are always encouraged to participate in the ongoing dialogue that constitutes American culture.And there are plenty of opportunities to not only engage in activities to reinforce the Taiwanese students' connection to home, but also to take part in the diverse community that surrounds them on a US campus. Speaking of diversity, one of the greatest advantages of studying in the USA is the opportunity to meet and make friends with, not just Americans, but the huge numbers of international students coming from around the world to live and study in the United States.The USA attracts more international students than any other country in the world, a fact made obvious by taking a stroll around any US campus around the country.The benefits to Taiwanese students are obvious: greater exposure to different ideas and frameworks for looking at and interpreting our world； added variety of everyday life experiences； and a potentially huge network of friends and associates that will last a lifetime. What's Here? Traveling to the USA / Tourism； Studying on a US Campus – What's it Like?； Life Off-Campus； Diversity in the USA； Number and Variety of International Students Living in the USA； Helpful Information About Living in the USA |
