[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-597885-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-597885-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","in-their-words-student-preparation-and-perspectives-on-us-study","In Their Words - Student Preparation and Perspectives on US Study","","US universities admit increasing numbers of international students, highlighting the need to support them once enrolled. Attention often focuses on admissions requirements rather than cultural and academic performance after matriculation. This study examines how international students prepare before arriving, whether preparation aligns with expectations, and what concerns arise. Data come from interviews across US universities and surveys at UC Berkeley, suggesting stronger program planning is needed to better support this population.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/in-their-words-student-preparation-and-perspectives-on-us-study/597885/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/in-their-words-student-preparation-and-perspectives-on-us-study/597885.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"SANS","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-04","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":30},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What problem does the study address about international student support?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"It addresses the gap between intensive focus on admissions and the less-studied preparation and expectations international students have before arriving and once enrolled.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"How was the study’s information collected?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"Information was gathered through interviews with international students at different US universities and through large-scale surveys conducted at the University of California, Berkeley.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"What kinds of questions did the researchers ask students about their preparation?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"Students were asked about challenges faced, special preparation, which parts helped most, what was untrue about expectations, and what would have been helpful but unavailable.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},597885,1792478692,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,95,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":92,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":30,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":123,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":144,"preview_page_count":4},962090760505,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","In Their Words: Student Preparation and Perspectives on US Study  \nUS universities are admitting higher percentages of international students, bringing into focus concerns with how to best support them once they are at the university. However, less attention has been paid to the preparation they undertake before matriculation. This study looks at how students are prepared before arrival and how this preparation matched their expectations and experiences in their US classes. Information was gathered through interviews of international students in different US universities, as well as from large-scale surveys conducted at the University of California, Berkeley with incoming and current international students. Results suggest the need for additional program planning to more fully support this population.  \nIntroduction  \nAs US universities and colleges admit higher percentages of  \ninternational students, much of students’ preparation for at  \ntending US universities is focused on the formidable admissions process, from studying for TOEFL or IELTS exams to writing and editing the statement of purpose. In this equation, less attention maybe focused on actual performance culturally or academically once admitted. As a result, issues such as academic stress (Wan, Chapman,& Biggs, 1992), mismatches between student and instructor goals (Matsuda, 2006), and, of course, language barrier issues arise. These factors no doubt influence the effective teaching of international students studying in the US.  \nThere already is substantial discussion about how colleges and universities should serve the needs of their growing international student populations, from the perspectives of language support (Andrade, Evans, & Hartshorn, 2014), general academic support (Bista, 2015), as well as social and cultural support (Baba & Hosoda, 2014) .  \nThe CATESOL Journal 27.2 • 2015 • 23  \nHowever, less has been written about how students prepare themselves for study in the US before arrival. Much of what has been written focuses on tips for success (Kruse & Brubaker, 2007) or documents the trends in international enrollment (Alberts, 2007) .  \nWith respect to international students who planned to study in the US, this research explored what preparation for US study students undertook before arrival, concerns they had before arrival, and how well their expectations for US study were met.  \nThis information was gathered primarily through questionnairesand interviews and secondarily through analysis of data available from a large-scale survey done with incoming international students at the University of California, Berkeley. While many of the same issues discussed above (e.g., academic expectations, cultural expectations) were identified, the results discussed here approach the issues as identified by students themselves, in their own words, reinforcing the need for institutions to more fully support their international students in these areas.  \nBackground to the Issue  \nAccording to the IIE Center for Academic Mobility Research and Impact Institute of International Education, in 2013-2014 the US attracted 886,052 international students, making it the top destination for international study. In response, US educational institutions have increased support, both academic and social, for students. Additionally, there is increasing concern for recruiting and retaining students (Özturgut, 2013) . Studies have also looked at international student satisfaction and experience in US universities (cf. Sherry, Thomas, & Chui, 2010) .  \nOf course, international students do not arrive as blank slates. While colleges and universities look for ways to support their academic and social needs, little attention has been paid in the literature to what these students have already done in preparation for study in the US. Some information exists, especially that focusing on specific national groups. For example, Hagedorn and Hu (2014), in an article about Chinese students preparin","cbCainqFl4VusWNx","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCainqFl4VusWNx","pdf",574015,"English","# Introduction\n# Background to the Issue\n# Data\n# Results","[{\"question\":\"What problem does the study address about international student support?\",\"answer\":\"It addresses the gap between intensive focus on admissions and the less-studied preparation and expectations international students have before arriving and once enrolled.\"},{\"question\":\"How was the study’s information collected?\",\"answer\":\"Information was gathered through interviews with international students at different US universities and through large-scale surveys conducted at the University of California, Berkeley.\"},{\"question\":\"What kinds of questions did the researchers ask students about their preparation?\",\"answer\":\"Students were asked about challenges faced, special preparation, which parts helped most, what was untrue about expectations, and what would have been helpful but unavailable.\"}]","In Their Words - Student Preparation and Perspectives on US Study | PDF",1792085886,25]