subject: Using a University with Smaller Class Sizes to Your Advantage [print this page] Using a University with Smaller Class Sizes to Your Advantage
If you're one of the many international students who decide to attend a teaching university, as opposed to a research university, in the United States, you should know how to take advantage of what these universities have to offer. There are a few things you can do at these universities that will make your educational experience much more productive and much easier. In order to take advantage of the aspects of a teaching university, however, you have to understand exactly what it is they have to offer.
At a teaching university, an international student is likely to get a much more personal experience where dealing with staff members and other students is concerned. If you're having trouble in your classes, don't be afraid to ask your professor directly if there's somewhere you can go for assistance. In some cases, you may find that the professors themselves are willing to help you out. Smaller class sizes have this advantage. Many US students choose to attend a teaching university for precisely this reason. In fact, if you're taking a particularly difficult course of study, smaller class sizes are a huge advantage because of the extra help you can get.
At a teaching university, the staff will tend to know the international students fairly well. This is important where the staff specific to helping out those international students is concerned. For example, it's much less stressful to talk to someone about the status of your scholarship or other funding than it is to sit around worrying about it when you know that you're only a number in a very vast system. Because of the smaller class sizes, the people who help you will tend to get to know your face and your name and will have a more personal interest in making sure that things work out for you.
A teaching university doesn't necessarily have fewer resources available to international students than research universities. In fact, they sometimes have more resources available to international students. Take a look at the websites of the universities you're considering. See if they have staff members who are experienced with students from other nations and who have been world travelers themselves. This means that there will be people you can relate to, even among the staff members at the school. This can be very comforting and it ensures that, if you do have some difficulties, that the people you're dealing with do understand them and know what to do to help.
