International students in the United States need to be productive to succeed in their studies, work, and personal lives.
However, it can be difficult to know where to start with so much going on,  

Apply these 15 practical success tips for international students (to avoid unnecessary frustration, skyrocket your performance and save hundreds of hours, if you are one of them.

Learn English Faster: Immersion + Different Methods

When you surround yourself with the English language as much as possible, you can learn to use it naturally and quickly.

Here are different ways to do that :

1. Connect and talk with the American people instead of staying only with the peers from your country.
2. Watch English-language TV shows and movies like comedies, dramas, reality shows.
3. Listen to English music and podcasts that you are interested.
4. Read English books and articles
5. Use gamified language learning apps like Duolingo, Memrise
6. Take an English class.

If you combine these your probability of learning fast will increase dramatically.
A study, published in the journal Applied Linguistics on 2016 found that students who used a variety of language learning resources, such as textbooks, apps, and podcasts, learned the language faster than students who only used one resource  

Study from 3 Different Source of Materials   

A friend of mine with a PhD gave me this great tip for succeeding in graduate exams: “Study from three different sources”

This means, use a combination of 3 books, videos, and blog articles to learn the material.

Example) If you are learning about a new topic, read the class textbook, watch a Youtube video and read a blog post article about it.  (or you can read another textbook from a different author)

How to do it:
1. Find best reviewed 3 books written by different experts in the topic you are learning.

2. Find 3 short videos from Internet that explains the same subject.

3. Find top 3 blog articles on the same topic when you search the web on the learning subject.

4. Check these resources to see what they cover beyond your current learning material.

Benefits :
1. You maximize your learning by using different channels. (watching, reading, listening)
2. You will be more prepared for unexpected questions by having a broad understanding
3. You will gain a deeper understanding of the material by seeing the same concepts explained in different ways.
4. You will improve your critical thinking skills as you compare and contrast different perspectives on the material
5. You will find different perspectives and develop a more well-rounded understanding of the topic.  
6. It’s more fun!  

Create Your Own Tests to Evaluate Your Knowledge   

Preparing questions and reaching out for answers helps you learn you better by building synapses in the brain. It is like working out.

Imagine you’re the teacher for your course.
What questions would you ask on the exam or quizzes to test your students’ understanding of the material?
Make a list of those key points. Then, come up with “Completion” tests that will help you remember those key points.

Examples)

Level 1 ) The answers are given
    Here is a list of words: noun, verb, adjective, adverb.
    Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the correct word from the list:
    The _ _ _ _ is a word that names a person, place, or thing. (verb)

Level 2 ) The answers are not given
    Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the correct word
    The _ _ _ _ is a word that describes an action or a state of being. (name)

Level 3) Asking specific information
You are planning a dinner for 10 of your friends. You want to buy enough pizza so that each person has two slices. Each pizza has 8 slices. How many pizzas do you need to buy?

Level 4) Real-life scenario question
You are following a recipe and you realize that you do not have one of the ingredients.
Can you substitute something else?
If so, what can you substitute?

To solve these, you will need to consider a variety of factors, analyze them by thinking critically about the situation and come up with an answer.
This means you need to know all the key aspects of the topic as well as their relationships.

Save Study Time by Learning During Class  

I have a relative who was always a high honor student all his academic life. However, he did not appear to study much !
I questioned him how he could succeed without putting in so much work.
He told me that his secret was to pay close attention to the teacher and try to understand the contents during class,
That effectively reduced his review time.

Steps
1. Before the class, skim the course material (without trying to understand all the details)
This will prepare your brain by getting familiar with the content.
It will also make it easier to understand the course topic.

2. In class, listen to the teacher actively and take summary notes or make diagrams like Mind Map to capture the main points.

How to Review Effectively After Class  

To help you retain the information from class, write the key ideas from the lecture in your own words and create a simple mind map. This will help you see how the different concepts are connected and to identify any areas where you need additional study.

Steps
1. When reviewing new material, scan it for key ideas and create a list.
2. Mark any unfamiliar concepts on your list. These are the points you need to learn and connect to your existing knowledge.
3. To make it even more effective try to find ways to apply the material you are learning to your real life.
(Example: Work on a project, do a case study, or simply talk to someone about what you have learned)

How to Study with Less effort 

If you want to cover a significant amount of material with a relatively small investment of time and resources, use the well-known Pareto principle also known as 80/20 rule.

Steps
 1) Find the key principles (20%) of the knowledge in a chapter.  This will cover 80% of material roughly.
You can do this by skimming the chapter or looking at the headings and subheadings, summary, or conclusion.

2) Learn these key points

3) For the remaining part that is not covered, again identify the key concepts (20%) that covers the rest.
This will amount to an extra 4% overall. 
   This way, you covered 96% of the knowledge while studying only 24% of the course content!

4) Learn these key points

5) If you add 1% more key points you will cover the entire course topic.

Key principles are the most important concepts in a chapter.

Shoot for the Stars!   

By studying less, you’re more likely to fail.
Study hard for the highest grades, and you may even reach for the stars.
But even if you don’t, you’ll still be ahead of those who never aimed high at all.
For that you need to know how does the brain play into mindset

Example)
Michael Phelps is one of the most successful swimmers in history.
He has won 28 Olympic medals, more than any other athlete. (23 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze)
Phelps set high goals for himself from a young age.
He wanted to be the greatest swimmer of all time, and he worked hard and trained every day for years even when he faced challenges.
What is the most likely consequence of setting unrealistic goals

How to Simplify Abstract Concepts 

1) Create analogies and metaphors with vivid images for understanding complex or abstract concepts.
    Example: Working memory of brain is like RAM of Computer
   Example: Learning a new language is like learning to ride a bike. It’s hard at first, but with practice, it becomes easy.

2) Substitute complex terms with simple language.
   Example: Instead of using the term “photosynthesis,” you can say “the process by which plants use sunlight to make food.

3) Create real life scenarios that encapsulate the concept you are trying to learn.
   Example: To learn about the concept of supply and demand, you could imagine a situation where there are a lot of people who want to buy apples, but there are only a few apples available. In this situation, the price of apples would go up.

4) Create a simple experiment related to the concept.
  Example:To learn about the concept of chemical reactions, you could mix baking soda and vinegar  together. This will create a chemical reaction that will produce carbon dioxide gas.

Handle Tough Interview Questions Gracefully

If you are in a job interview and the interviewer asked a question you don’t fully understand, ask for clarification.
Example) Could you please explain what you mean by “your company’s vision for the future“?

If you think you understand the basic idea but not sure, ask a confirmation question.
Example) Do you mean “I should be able to work independently and as part of a team”?

This is much better than saying  “I don’t understand” and it will give you some time for preparing your response and increase the probability of your understanding.

If you still don’t understand the question, be honest and upfront and say so. The interviewer will appreciate your honesty.

Harness the Power of Index Cards 

Have you heard the story of Niklas Luhmann?
He was a German government employee during the day. At night in his spare time, he used index cards to learn about the topics he was interested in. He would write down keywords and concepts on each card, and then group the cards by topic.

This simple system helped him to organize his thoughts and learn new things quickly.
He transformed those cards into a doctoral thesis in just a year, earning him a professorship in sociology.
He went on to become a renowned sociologist and systems theorist and published around 60 books and 400 articles!

Index cards are a versatile tool that can be used to learn any topic. They are cheap, easy to find, and portable.
And they are a great way to learn actively by engaging with the material and creating your own understanding of it.
A single index card can hold a surprising amount of knowledge, with at least 10 concepts per line.

Here are different ways you can use index cards for your studies:

1.  Draw a mind map on one index card about the topic
2.  Write main keywords and their short explanations on one card
3.  Create a practice test using index cards, write a question on one side of the card and the answer on the other side.
4.  Mark cards in different colors for different categories

Build Vocabulary Fast to Boost Your Language Skills  

Comprehension is very important in school at every step because you need to understand what the teacher is saying, what you’re reading, and what the exam questions are asking to succeed.

It is essential to build a strong foundation in English vocabulary and grammar. This will help you to understand the meaning of the words and sentences you’re reading and hearing.

There are 3 lists you can build:

1. List of specialized words for your program of study. This will help you to understand and participate in class discussions, complete assignments, and ace exams.
   For example, if you’re studying business, you might want to learn words like “value proposition,” “ROI,” and “Core competency”
   
2. A basic vocabulary of essential words and phrases for everyday use. This will help you to communicate effectively with your friends, neighbors, and classmates.
   For example, you might want to learn words like “hello,” “goodbye,” “How are you,” and “thank you.”
   
3. List of the Grammar Rules 

If you learn systematically just 5 new words a day, you’ll acquire 1800 words in a year!
That’s enough to reach a basic survival level of English language proficiency.

But the more you learn, the more comfortable you’ll be in your daily life and the better you’ll be able to express yourself and connect with others. You can use language learning apps to learn vocabulary and grammar rules and index cards to store them.

So start learning today!

Keep Track of Important Events with a Calendar or Planner

As an international student, you need to be aware of important events in student life, such as:

• F-1 Visa application, expiry, and renewal.
• SEVIS
• Travel, arrival, check in with International Students office.
• Orientation
• Academic Calendar, start and end date of terms, deadlines for registering or dropping a course, exam dates.
• Breaks
• Tuition and Fee Payment
• Financial aid deadlines
• Tax Filing
• Graduation deadlines

For the complete list contact your DSO (Designated School Official).

To schedule and keep track of these tasks, you can use a Calendar – Planner – Task Manager app that shows all events at a glance.
You can also Set reminders and alerts for important events.

You should also be familiar with rules and regulations, like requirements for visa, practicum work, and program prerequisites.

Handle Questions on Your Name Elegantly
(One of the critical success tips for International Students)

Do you have a unique name?
Get ready to repeat it and share its story when someone asks you to repeat your name. 
You might be surprised at how many people are interested in learning more about you and your background.
After all, the US is a melting pot of cultures, and people love to celebrate diversity.

Of course, there may be a few people who make offensive remarks about your name or accent. But don’t let them hurt your feelings. Just remember that most people are welcoming and curious.

Increase your Intelligence by Playing Dual N Back Game

 One of the success tips for international students is playing dual n back game to increase Working Memory capacity and helps fluid intelligence.

 In my experience, after just 4 weeks of playing every day, I noticed that I was able to follow complex business meetings much easier, without taking extensive notes.

It will be difficult at first. Your brain may not like it. That difficulty is the sign that your brain is building new connections.
But just keep playing regularly every day for 2 weeks. You will notice improvements.

Express Yourself Clearly by Pronouncing Correctly

Why this is important ? Because you are going to ask questions to the teacher, or probably work as an intern.
To get your message across, you must know the words and pronounce them correctly.
But how can you learn the pronunciation of each word? There are thousands of them.

The key is to listen to Americans speak these words and imitate the same sounds many times.

If you watch movies in English and listen the American songs, you will slowly absorb the correct pronunciation naturally.

After some time, the correct expressions and pronunciations will come out without thinking.

Final Thoughts

In this article, we explored the importance of language learning and productivity for international students in the USA. We also shared actionable strategies for learning and practicing English effectively, as well as for studying productively.

While there are many other points relating to international students’ lives in the USA, these are the tips I gathered from my personal experience.
If you apply these tips, your productivity and success rate can increase exponentially!

I hope that you found these success tips for international students helpful and informative.

Thank you for reading and good luck with your studies!

Useful Resources

USCIS                                https://www.uscis.gov/
Khan Academy                  https://www.khanacademy.org/ 

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