International Student Newsletter

Dear International Students,

We are so excited to be back on campus this fall, we hope you are too. In this edition of the International Student Newsletter, we would like to highlight some events and resources that might be of interest to you as well as introduce a number of new sections we have added based on your feedback. In addition to Upcoming Events, you will find four sections, Announcements, Employment in the U.S.: Reflections and Advice from BU Students and Alumni, sharing their experiences networking and finding employment in the U.S., Culture Corner, highlighting an aspect of American culture, and The Compass, which will feature two resources from the Compass.

We hope you enjoy this content, and if you have any feedback or suggestions for future newsletters, please contact Kamelia Turcotte at kameliat@bu.edu

Announcements

CCD Workshop Series

This fall The Center for Career Development is hosting a workshop series for international students. Topics include internship search strategies, networking, and interviewing.

Learn More

College Mental Health Education Programs

College Mental Health Programs at BU presents a variety of free, peer-led classes, hangouts, workouts and other activities offered online Monday through Friday. Activity themes range from music and visual arts to games & sports. All activities promote community, collegiate resilience, and wellness.

Fall 2021 Schedule

Marsh Chapel Weekly Programming

Marsh Chapel offers a variety of programs every week, including Community Dinner, Create Space, Reflections on Reality, Tai Chi, and Mind, Body, and Spirit Yoga. These events are a great way to take a break from the stresses of school, and enjoy food, do something creative, and meet people from different majors and degree programs across BU’s campus!

Learn More

Upcoming Events

Full Calendar

Employment in the U.S.

A Word from Alumni

BU Alum, Tzu-Hsuan (Tony) Fu, MS ENG ’19, shares advice on his path to his current position as a Product Design Integration Engineer at Apple.

Read the Full Story

Culture Corner

“Hi, how are you?”: Greetings in the U.S.

American greetings are informal. This is not intended to show lack of respect, but a representation of a more informal and non-hierarchical society.

Although it was customary in pre-COVID business situations, some Americans do not shake hands at social events. Instead, they may greet you with a casual “Hello” or “How are you?” or even a hug.

The proper answers to the greetings “How do you do?”, “How are you?” or “How are you doing?” are “Good”, “Great,” or “Very well, thank you.” This is not a request for information about your well-being; it is simply a pleasantry.

“See you later” is just an expression. People say this even if they never plan to see you again.

When saying good-bye, Americans may say “We’ll have to get together” or “Let’s do lunch.” This is simply a friendly gesture. Unless your American friend/colleague specifies a time and date, don’t expect an invitation. If you want to have lunch, you should take the initiative to schedule it.

It is good to include some information about a person you are introducing. Example: “Susan Olson, I’d like you to meet John Harmon. He designed the brochure we are using for this campaign.”

Handshakes are usually firm and brief.

Eye contact is important when shaking someone’s hand.

Adapted from Cultural Etiquette, United States, www.ediplomat.com

If you have suggestions for an aspect of American culture to feature in the next communication, please contact Kamelia Turcotte at kameliat@bu.edu

The Compass

There are over 250 academic, housing, community, and employment resources currently on the Compass and each issue we will highlight two.