Asian International Graduate Students' Academic and Social Experiences in American Higher Education

Abstract

The authors identify and discuss current issues and concerns of Asian international graduate students about their academic and social experiences in American higher education. International graduate students from countries outside of the U.S. are an important constituency for research institutions in America due to the added cultural richness they bring to the academy. However, many Asian international graduate students in U.S. encounter difficulty when attempting to acculturate and may have difficulty adjusting to their environment. This chapter includes discourse on academic and social challenges, time management difficulties, dueling agendas, and socioeconomic struggles. Important also, this chapter offers recommendations for Asian international students on American college and university campuses. Lastly to better support Asian international doctoral students, this chapter encourages academic departments, administrators, faculty, and all graduate students to learn to view themselves as playing various roles as academic advisors, teachers, and graduate students.