Community Profile : International Students Association

Community Profile: International Students Association

You’ve heard the advice before “get involved, join a club”, at the University of Montana (UM) we are a very large commuter college, involvement is a good way to develop relationships with other students and to create a sense of community for yourself and others.

Coming to the United States for college can introduce cultural differences that even the most prepared students might not anticipate. From campus life to classroom etiquette, US school can be quite a different experience from learning in other countries around the world. It is rather natural for students from other countries to join communities that somehow remind them of home and give them the opportunity to remain connected with their roots and at the same time bring the world a little closer to fellow classmates. By raising collective cultural awareness, organized expressions of diversity which create a cultural spillover from which we all benefit.

One mile down the road on the East side of the UM Oval, stands a 2 story white building behind a white fence. In the well maintained front garden “International House” sign is erected on the left side corner. This is the home of the University of Montana International Student Association (UMISA).

As I walked through the front door, I can feel the great energy that the place have, bright natural lights, lighting up the living area, vibrant colours of past and present members home country flags posted throughout the hallway. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee comes from the kitchen and the gentle chiming of wind chimes from the backyard can be heard throughout the house. This is the home away from home for our 421 members from 74 different countries around the world. Ou...

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...difficult about writing the profile and how did you overcome that?

- At first I didn’t know where to start, I thought writing a profile would be easy, but it turns out it’s not especially as English is my second language and with a lot of tests last week and this week I didn’t have time to go to the Writing Center seeking help with my writing. Therefore I just turned to my textbook and just follow instructions there the best that I could.

2) What did you learn while writing the profile?

- While writing my profile I learned that you need to write them in detailed information and includes as many sensory details, names and comparison as possible into the story.

3) What was the most useful reading, exercise, or activity?

-The Last Stop by Brian Cable, I tried to follow the structures of his story but I’m not sure if I’m doing it right or not.