«Report for International Student Survey» - Free Essay Paper

Introduction

International students may be defined from different perspectives. For example, in the perspectives of Australian education, international students are those people studying onshore with the possession of visa subclasses ranging between 570 and 575. However, this category excludes students from Australia bearing Australian-funded scholarship or other categories of students taking their studies in the period in which they have an extra temporary visa. Various legal issues surround international students. For instance, students from New Zealand do not have to possess a visa to study in Australia. However, it has reached a point of consensus under a bilateral agreement between the two countries. The existence of numerous conditions and rules for international students led us to conduct research by means of a survey, to analyze the collected data, and to make recommendations on international students’ convenient residence.

Approach

This survey was undertaken focusing on a mixed group of international students using a computerized system of analysis. The group involved in the international student survey comprised diverse community members from a wide range of geographical zones. It was clear that there existed certain important features there were of great significance to the group involved members of which possessed both shared and diverse traits. The majority of the students involved in the survey included international students. However, a significant number of people were local students pursuing studies in the same setting as the international ones. Essentially, this survey employed a list of questions formed and projected towards the group of students who had been involved in the finding. The answers given to the researchers were mounted on graphical presentation with a comparative approach to different responses based on the origin of the individual international student. Eventually, an extensive coverage of various ranges of information was identified based on variables such as the language students speak, the fluency in English and the historical context of the students. Initially, the study was focused on the international students as the main component of the survey. However, the respondents appear in a group of mixed international and local students. Therefore, the researchers organized the survey into a framework preceded by identification of the actual international students and creating a critical distinction between them and their counterparts in order to focus the rest of the survey on the specific group as opposed to all students’ fraternity.

Statement of Objectives

Essentially, the researchers principally aimed at understanding the perspectives of the international students. For instance, they wanted to know the students’ experience in undertaking their international based study. One of the parameters used was the student’s ability to communicate in English and the level of its effectiveness. However, for purposes of clarity and comparison, the researchers also employed the use of concrete comparative statistics between different categories of the international students, namely white, people of African and Middle East origin, etc. In order to understand their social lives in the new environment, the researchers also inquired on the students’ experience after their arrival at Murray State University (MSU). They aim at analyzing the difference between the social-cultural and economic settings of the student’s native lands and the MSU native destination.

Results / Findings

This section presents the critical findings that were a product of the research survey was conducted regarding the international students and the different perspectives of their lives before and after advancing for international study.

Are You an International Student?

The total number of students involved in the survey was 57. The results indicated that 56.14% of the respondents belonged to the local category, while a considerable share of 43.86% were international students. The main impact of this scenario is that a great number of international communities had attached a significant value to their children learning overseas. This statistic might also reflect the trust the international community had in the MSU education system due to the early adoption of technologies. In fact, the suitability of the framework of education adopted by international students’ native countries was crucial to their current condition. There were certain key drivers that inspired the group to take international studies as opposed to studying in the local placements.

What Is Your Native Language?

The information about the native language of the students was also critical to understanding the extent of diversity. In particular, the survey disclosed that a majority of the respondents were brought up in the English-speaking environment, taking a share of 57.14 percent of the entire student number. Similarly, a significant number of the students were raised in Arabic speaking set up comprising 26.79 percent. However, none of the students were speaking Japanese, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Hindi, or Italian. A small group of a shared value, mainly 1.79 percent, was speaking Russian. These features of lingual attributes were prospective mechanisms for addressing critical diversity issues pertaining to the different student groups.

In What Country Were You Born?

This question sought to establish the diversity of the students by geographical regions of origin. Essentially, the vast majority of the students comprising 57.14% came from the US. At the same time, the rest was heavily scattered across different geographical regions across the globe making 42.86 percent.

What Is Your Ethnicity?

With respect to ethnicity, the biggest proportion of the respondents comprised the white students (50 percent) followed by the Middle Eastern group (21.43 percent). On the other hand, the Asian students make up a considerably higher percentage of 19.64. However, none of the students originated from Africa or Hawaiian ethnic group.

How Would You Rate Your English Language Skills?

The vast majority of the international students involved in this survey could speak English language at the level of native speaker. In particular, 50 percent of all the students involved in the survey could speak native English Language. A considerable number had mastered English as a second language; therefore, they could speak fluently (30%). On the other hand, the difference was vivid in the writing skills. While the majority (50.94%) of the respondents were the native speakers, the number of students who could write in English fluently comprised 16.98 percent of the total sample. Thus, it was apparent that while the majority could speak English as a native language and fluently, the less significant number could write English effectively. In other words, it was a mismatch between the ability to speak and to write in English.

Arriving at MSU, What Difficulties Did You Experience?

This survey revealed the ordinary expectations. The students had difficulties in being integrated into the new community of the natives. In particular, a proportion of 22.64 percent of the students had considerable difficulties in socializing with their fellow colleagues in the new environment. Besides, a similar proportion (22.64%) also had significant challenges in adapting to the new form of activities in a new environment due to the change in cultural settings that dictates the way of life of the populations involved. Additionally, another critical proportion of 20.75 percent also had difficulties in interacting with their professors in the new college environment. One of the foremost contributors to this aspect might have been the differences in accent between the professors (natives) and the international students.

The Levels of Satisfaction and Attitude towards MSU Services and Other Offers

Essentially, the majority of the students felt confident and accommodated within the new study environment. In particular, the majority of the respondents (48.78 percent) felt that the University had made the necessary efforts for the students to feel welcomed and appreciated for their decision to study at this facility. In fact, 14.63 percent of the students felt that the MSU had done everything possible to welcome them to a new study environment. However, most of the student felt that the members of staff were not completely attentive or do not pay attention to their needs as international students. In other words, 43.64 percent considered staffs neutral on matters pertaining to the international students’ welfare. Besides, the majority of the students comprising 21.95 percent believed that the university had an ethnically diverse student community. Lastly, while most of the students felt that they were fully accepted by the college, only a small proportion (9.76 percent) believed that the college fully accepts them as a part of the school community.

Besides, the vast majority of the students also believed that MSU had a friendly atmosphere for learning. Therefore, the respondents felt motivated. Furthermore, most of the students comprising 48.78 percent believed fairly in the proposition that the American students admired foreign cultures, hence reaching out to the international students. However, based on the differences in cultures, a significant proportion of the student did not prefer the food offered at the University dining room. At the same time, the majority refrained from commenting on the food, which was an indication of their unsettled perspective on the issue of the food offered at the University premises relative to the ‘normal’ products offered in their native settings. However, the majority of the students (43.59 percent) believed that socializing is part of their core business on the MSU environment as opposed to the notion that they were at MSU to study. Finally, the students were also asked to infer the reason or drivers that led them to choose MSU. In this regard, the majority of the students (45.45 percent) claimed that the good reputation of the University was a key driver of their choice of the university while another part of the group (27.27 percent) applied to MSU due to the pieces of advice from fellow MSU international students. Finally, the survey also revealed that most of the international students were male (63.64 percent) while their female counterparts comprised only 36.36 percent.

Implication of the Research

This research had several implications. For instance, it revealed the state of the tutorial group and their relationship with the international students where the majority had difficulties in relations with their professors. Consequently, in order to foster high influx of international students, the university may device a mechanism for building up a good relationship between the professors and their students. It would also uplift the university reputation abroad. Similarly, this research also disclosed the imbalances between the food items provided by the university, which could imply a discomfort on the part of international students. Indeed, owing to the diversity of the school population, these findings may make the university consider providing diverse food items in order to accommodate the various populations. Lastly, this research demonstrated a significant imbalance between the male and female studies in an international setting. This virtue may trigger the international community to consider enhancing exchange programs in order to provide both male and female with equal chances of advanced studies in diverse settings, which is advantageous in the end.

Conclusion and Recommendation

While the MSU is seemingly performing well in terms of international student accommodation into its facilities, it is important to consider the international community’s concern about the quality of food, co-curricular activities, as well as the central pillar-education. Indeed, it would be ideal for fostering proficiency and subsequently good reputation for the MSU. In fact, the majority of the students claimed that the good reputation of the University was the biggest driver of their decisions to join MSU studies. It implies that for the university to continue receiving high-level capacity of the international student’s residence, they must maintain a considerably high reputation both locally and in the international settings.