Mastering English Knock Yourself Out

The purpose for most International Students to complete their education in the USA is often two fold. One, clearly, is to complete the requirements for their degree program and graduate. To this end many International students choose a major which will begin paying them back for their time money and effort promptly. This is probably why Business and Science particularly Computer Science are the top choices for International Students in the USA. That is for a major field of study.

There is one other subject that International Students study or at least practice daily, English. Or more exactly the American Brand of English.

Most International Students must necessarily study English for their education.  This form of English is strict and demanding as many students who have attempted the TOEFL can attest.

 Writing coherent English for school papers and reports is one form of English which most International Students master at least adequately.  There is another form of English which is equally challenging and ultimately equally critical to the International Student's eventual success. That is spoken English. Not the kind that candidates for public office use or even the kind that television and film performers use.
No.

The kind which is essential for communication in the global economy in which International graduates will be performing is termed ' colloquial'.  Colloquial English is the English you hear every day in class, at events, while shopping and when celebrating with your American friends.

More importantly colloquial English will be the English you will be speaking on the phone or in person to your American colleagues and American customers when you begin your career.

If you check the translation dictionary on your smart phone you'll find that 'colloquial' means ' common or everyday.' This means that the everyday speech, literally the 'common tongue' that you hear is the most used and therefore the most useful you will find in your USA experience.

By now you have probably heard phrases like ' Knock yourself out' and " No problem'.  Everyday English is laced with dozens of these terms.

There is one sure way to gain mastery of colloquial English.  Practice speaking with your native English speaking friends. They are the students who use these phrases constantly. Their everyday speech is largely made up of colloquial phrases.

This kind of real life practice is invaluable for gaining confidence in your English speaking ability. So next time you meet a native English speaker, " Knock yourself out.'  Pretty soon when someone asks you if you can speak English you will be able to say, " No problem."

St. Patrick The Easter Bunny Spring Break And You.

March in the USA has many opportunities for students to celebrate. You may have observed just about a week ago the numerous celebrations of St. Patrick's Day on or around your campus.

If that day was not explained it's origin is this.

During the 1840's there was a famine in the country of Ireland. Many Irish people emigrated to the United States. They brought with them their habits, customs and celebrations. Principle among these was St. Patrick's Day. In Ireland, largely a Catholic country, the day is dedicated to the man who brought Christianity to Ireland. Traditionally he is known as Patrick and St. Patrick's Day is a religious holiday in Ireland.

Once here Irish Immigrants continued celebrating  this day and a great deal of alcohol use was associated with this celebration.  While alcohol is no longer an indispensable part of any St. Patrick's Day celebration you probably have noticed that many advertisers use the St. Patrick's Day theme , characterized by rich green coloring, to sell their products.

This practice by advertisers will continue for two additional celebrations which will occur this week.

First, Easter, a traditional observation of the beginning of Spring, always celebrated on Sunday, is just about here. Easter has become symbolized by a figure of a happy rabbit known as The Easter Bunny. Children in the USA are sometimes told if they are good they will awaken to find a basket full of candy from the Easter Bunny on Easter morning. Advertisers have adapted the Easter theme, a rainbow of colors and a figure of a large happy bunny to sell their products.

Finally, simultaneous with the arrival of Spring many American schools schedule a break from the regular class schedule, usually a week.  This break is known as Spring Break and again many advertisers adopt the theme of College Spring Break to sell travel packages, excursions and opportunities for students to getaway and party.  You have probably seen the posters on campus featuring fit, healthy, attractive students on a beach during the day and in a club at night and partying, partying, partying.

These holidays, as close together as they are, can add up to a kind of " March Madness" for International Students who have not fully experienced American Culture. To help you understand
Planet College International has provided these posts.

Please click through and learn more. Happy Easter.

Enjoy your break.

Term Holidays

This period of time on campus as winter becomes Spring contains several significant holidays and celebrations.
The 2015 Calendar for the USA shows these and list holidays which are celebrated as well as those which are observed. It is easy to tell which holidays are pending by the kind of advertising which is prominent directly before the holiday.

First of all this month was a holiday celebrating Love in many forms but particularly romantic love. The holiday name is Valentine's day and it is celebrated on February 14, every year. You probably noticed advertisements for jewelry, flowers and candy in fancy wrapping which are considered gifts for a sweetheart, wife or mother.

The next holiday of note was Presidents Day. This is a Federal Holiday which is set aside every year to honor two American Presidents, George Washington, who was the first President of the United States and Abraham Lincoln who was the president during the American civil war, 1860 to 1865. Because both of these Presidents' birthdays are in February the holiday is celebrated in February and it is always on a Monday.  You probably noticed that banks and schools were closed on this day. This is due to the fact that Presidents' Day is a Federal Holiday, one of eleven holidays set aside for employees of the government, which is why Federal offices, such as the post office are closed on those days. A holiday on Monday means a three day weekend for many workers. Often retail tire shops and matress stores take advantage of htis long weekend to entice buyers into their stores with special deals.

The next celebration which you may have witnessed is called Mardi Gras. This year it was on Tuesday, February 17.  Mardi Gras is celebrated in many places, particularly in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. This is a day dedicated to partying and revelry. This celebration was brought to the United States by immigrants from France.

The next holiday you may have observed was Thursday, February 19,  Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year. This holiday in the USA features fireworks and parades often featuring dancing dragon feature.

Next month, March, the beginning of Spring, presents many more opportunities to celebrate.

Enjoy your term!

Health Care Continued Who Pays and How?

Finally, the skateboarder's name was called.  Hyun approached the clerk and handed her the papers now filled out. Among the information requested was a line which read Responsible Party. When the clerk asked why Hyun had not filled in a name he replied he did not understand the meaning of the term Responsibly Party.  She replied, It is the person who pays your bill.  When the injured skateboarder explained that he thought the care here was free she told him it was not. She further told him that he could not be treated until the matter of who was responsible for paying the bill for his treatment.

After a conference one friend said Hyun could use his credit card to pay the bill. The clerk agreed to this. The skateboarder's injury was x-rayed and set in a small cast. He was directed to make an appointment with the doctor who had treated him.  This treatment, known as follow up visits, would not be free either but he could arrange payments with the treating physician.

The weary party of treatment seekers arrived back at the International Residence at four a.m. very tired and having learned a very important lesson about health care in the USA.

Nothing is free. Hyun's treatement for his injury totaled to over $4000.00. Health care in the United States can be very costly. And in the USA health care must always be paid for. If you do not have insurance to pay for your care you must have cash or some means to pay for it.  This is a hard and fast rule.

 If you are already here in the USA you may have had some experience with this requirement. If you have not yet you will.

If your campus has not provided you with health insurance and health care information UC Davis ,a large public university in California, USA ,has a page here which has an overview of the Health Care payment requirements and medical care  availability on their campus. They may not at all be similar to your campus but their descriptions are generally accurate.

If  you have not yet arrived at your campus in the USA it is advisable for you to get all of the care you can at home. You must also find out about your health insurance options which are available for you when you arrive.

Other wise you might end up with an expensive surprise like Hyun.

Student Health Insurance

Planet College recently had a conversation with a charming Fashion Merchandising Major, Yiu, from Hong Kong. During out conversation we discussed many facets of her experience as an International Student in the USA. Chief among her concerns  paying for health care. Specifically her confusion  had stemmed from an incident which had ocurred over the recent Thanksgiving holiday.

With the campus nearly empty some students from the International Residence decided to try skateboarding, a popular pastime with many students on Yiu's campus.  With the way clear and large areas to operate the skate boards the students were having fun until one fell and cracked his wrist. It was obvious that this injury would need attention so the students went to the campus student health center which was closed due to the holiday.

From the campus the students traveled to a local pharmacy, part of a large national chain which also includes a wellness center for treating some minor illnesses. After a brief examination, for which the pharmacy charged $45.00, the examining nurse told the students that she was not qualified to treat an orthopedic injury.  Orthopedic is the USA medical term for bone treatment. The injured student was directed to a local walk-in medical clinic where he could receive proper care.  A walk-in clinic in the USA is a medical care facility which is open to anyone without an appointment but as the student's learned the hours of such a facility are often limited frequently from approximately 7 a. m. to 9 p.m. When the students finally found the place it was closed. A sign on the door explained that if the injury was an emergency they should go to the emergency room of a local hospital.

By this time several hours had passed since the injured students initial fall and the injured student was in great pain and feeling ill.  The small party of students found the hospital and located the emergency room which was crowded. An attendant took the name of the potential patient handed him several pages of paperwork to fill out and explained that someone would be with them.  By then it was nearly midnight and the waiting area was filled with sick and injured people. (continued)

International Students End of Term Checklist.

International Students are not different than most USA College Students.
The end of the term is here and there is plenty to do.

Planet College has previously posted an end of term reminder. You can find it here .

With Finals Upon Us.

With Finals now upon most campuses in the USA Planet College Presents an annual reminder about your safety and security on campus during this busy time.

You can read it here .  If this is your first term on a USA campus this information could be useful.