University of Michigan International Center

A common worry of college students is finding a job after graduation or finding an internship during super long summer break. Career fairs connect college students and companies; however, it’s definitely not an easy thing. During my sophomore year, I attended the Engineering Career Fair for the first time. I still remember that my resume was almost like a blank page and I didn’t know what I should talk about when facing employers. Now, as a senior student, I have gained more experience and I am going to share with you some tips on attending career fairs. Feel free to comment and share your own thoughts with me too! I have only had experience with the Engineering Career Fair, which might be different from other career fairs on campus. Before the career fair 1. Make sure your resume stands out A resume is a snapshot of your entire professional life. In order to leave a good impression on hiring managers, your resume should show that you are the best fit for the position. If y...

The definition of excellence in education is tricky and varies a lot among different cultures--even person to person. The following are a few things I wish I knew earlier as an international student in Michigan. Lecture and Office Hours: A lecture is an informational presentation given by a professor or graduate student instructor (GSI) in class, but it’s more complex than that simple definition. While professors want students to know the material of the class well, they also want students to pursue answers to questions rather than relying solely on what they say in class. In the US, students are expected to truly get involved in the lecture; for instance, by asking quick questions, confirming one’s understandings, or even talking about some ad hoc ideas for a potential research topic. This might differ from cultures where the professor is considered the sole authority and questions are taken more as interruptions than participation and engagement. Moreover, the loose academic h...

During July 29 to August 3, I had my memorable first conference trip to Vancouver, Canada. The Joint Statistical Meeting (JSM) is the largest annual statistical conference in the North American, with over 6500 people attending from all over the world. Before arriving at JSM, I made four goals for this conference trip: find inspiration from talks related to my thesis work go to talks for personal interest reunite with old friends from college who also attend the meeting explore Vancouver area In order to achieve these goals, I made a detailed plan. Here are seven tips that made my conference experience a success for me and, hopefully, for you too! 1. Register for the conference, book the flight, and apply for the Rackham Graduate School travel grant Each academic year, Rackham Graduate School provides one travel grant for each graduate student, both masters and PhD level. Details can be found here . For large conferences like JSM, early bird flight and hotel booking can ensure...

The US healthcare system is extremely complex and confusing, even for Americans. For an international student/scholar, navigating the healthcare system can be a daunting task and it might be tempting to put it off until needs arise. However, I urge you to avoid doing so because accidents and sickness can happen to anyone at any given time. In that moment of panicking, it can be difficult to figure out where to get help, and picking the wrong option may delay your care and end up being costly. In addition, since you are already paying for the health insurance and University Health Services (UHS), it is good to know the available services and utilize them to keep yourself in optimal health. Lastly, if you have a chronic condition that requires regular care and medications, it is especially important to establish your care with a U.S. physician in case of medical emergency and to obtain prescriptions for your medications. This is because U.S. pharmacies do not accept prescriptions wr...