 together, we work together and we prosper together. I would like to welcome our international students joining us from around the globe for our Education USA interactive series and a special welcome to our virtual guests from São Paulo, Brazil. I am Krishna Das from Education USA, a United States Department of State network of over 400 advising centers in 170 countries where millions of international students like you each year find information about how to apply to accredited US colleges and universities. Visit our website at educationusa.state.gov to find a center near you. We are here today to provide you with information on how you can explore your options when it comes to studying in the United States. Our panel will look at the differences between programs around the USA, opportunities within the American education system and the diversity in cultures and climates that can be found in US study options. To participate in this chat, please log into the live chat area and ask any questions you may have for us or tweet us questions with the hashtag study in the USA. To help us answer your questions, we have Paul McVeigh, the vice president of a global studies program and Zainab, an international student from Turkey. Welcome Zainab. Thanks for being here. I appreciate you guys being here and Zainab is actually studying in the US currently. Within the chat space we also have other education USA representatives and a current international student also from Turkey, Hatice. They are available to answer any questions we are not able to get to in this particular hour. Let's start off the discussion by going to our viewing party in São Paulo, Brazil. Hi, São Paulo. Do you have a question for us? What's your first question? So I would like to know the difference between a university and a community college. I'm sorry, could you please repeat that question? So I would like to know the difference between a university, a college and a community college. I think the question was what is the difference between a community college and a four-year institution? Paul, I think this is a question that could be directed to you. The essential difference is that the community college is a two-year program where you attain an associate degree. The students then go on from that associate degree to complete the bachelor's degree in two years. So in other words, where a university is four years, the community college is two years and then you complete two more years. So two plus two or four years. There are many, many other differences. Of course, the community colleges could be smaller, but many community colleges today in urban areas, for example, are bigger than most universities. They are in communities, metropolitan areas or in very rural areas, again, serving the American community in their vicinity primarily. But international students are certainly discovering them very much so. But they're essentially in the degree, no difference. The accreditation, no difference. And the student winds up in the end of four years with the same bachelor's degree, with no qualifications to that degree. So technically, if a student comes to a community college, which is a two-year program, starts up on a two-year program, he or she can move right after that to a four-year institution. No problem. And Zennup, you are a product of a two plus two or a two-year community college and another two years in a university system. Could you please tell us a little bit about your experiences? Community college, actually, in US education system, you have two years general education and then two years 300 and 400 levels for your major. And that two years, you can complete community college, I did. It's so important to do this because as an international student, you have to adapt to culture, classes, and everything. After you're done with your two years, you can transfer your credits. Any college in the US that's convenient, they got all your credits, they accept it, and you continue your education. And then move on. Yeah, for me, the difference is an international student. I could say it's so important to go to community college first, complete your general education, and then move on for your institution. So a lot of it depends on what your preferences are. But either way, Paul, you can sort of complete a degree program in four years if you go to a community college or a regular university. With the big difference being that with the start at a community college, you save hugely in tuition. The tuition, for example, at a community college usually about a third of the closest regional university. So you save a tremendous amount of money taking that pathway without risking the end product, the bachelor's degree. So it does a little cheaper if you go to a community college. Much cheaper. Much cheaper. So that's another option which many of you may wish to consider looking at a community college and then going towards a four-year institution. Let's go to another question from Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo, do you have a question for us? Yes. What are the benefits of liberal qualification? I believe the question was what is the qualification required to apply to a community college or a four-year institution or for a student to come to the United States? Well, the great advantage of a community college in the United States is there are really no qualifications that you need. It's an open admission philosophy. So in other words, any student who wants to try higher education, regardless of age, regardless of background, has that opportunity. And thus, in a community college, you will find people of all ages, but primarily the traditional college age and all backgrounds, different countries, and so forth. I would say that that's the primary response I would give. Is that what you completed your high school and then you came here, Zana? Yes. It's open admission. That's great because you don't have to worry about SAT or other exams that are challenging for you. And it actually assess your English, and they give you writing classes in order to prepare your academic life. And those classes are small and you actually get to know your professor, your colleagues, I mean, your classmates are also international, and it feels good at the beginning. When you go to four-year university, your classmates are Americans. And that scares you a little bit because you don't know anything about the culture or education system. That prepares you to academic life, maybe grad school as well after. So the community college basically helps you to sort of adjust, to adapt to a larger institution. We have a number of other questions, online questions. We'll come back to Sao Paulo later in the program, but now let's go to some of our live questions coming from our online viewers. And online viewer asks, what is the first step I should take when finding the right US program for me? Paul, would you like to answer that? Sure. I think that considerations like the subject that you think you want to study initially is a main motivator. But then I think you should consider seriously the region of the country and the size of the institution that you're interested in. Because some people are much more comfortable in a small college as opposed to a large research university where you might get lost. You may be more comfortable in a city environment rather than a country environment. A liberal arts college versus a research university, for example, will have a whole different dynamic. So doing your research on those particular kind of characteristics is very important. I said at the outset, though, the major is very important because it could be that a university has particular specialization and reputation in something like psychology, which Zenep has studied or biology, whatever it may be. And you want to start to lay the foundations for your education as soon as possible, thinking ahead to where you might want to go to graduate school and so forth, what you want to do with your degree. So location motivated by that concern is something you really should think about very carefully. That's good to know. Zenep, did you do a lot of research before applying to the school where you went to? Yes. I searched area and I talked with my friends about who has been through this process, who have been through this process. And I chose DC because my dream was studying psychology in the US and we have here American Psychological Association and I thought I can do my intern there and I can go grad school here as well. For instance, if you're going to study political science, it's a good place too. But if you're going to study something else, you need to look at the region and you need to decide what you do with your degree and where you're going to be working or continuing your life. So the key is to find the right fit that's good for you and that serves your purpose from a long-term perspective. I came in actually as an international student as well and I had all these different options to choose from and I was kind of confused. So what I did was I went to the education USA center closest to me and I actually met with an advisor who gave me tremendous insights on how to focus and then that gave me a very good idea on which college to go to and what kind of degree I should pursue. And so I would strongly urge you to find an education center close to you and meet with an advisor who should be able to provide you with lots of insights because they're a wealth of information because many of them have come to the United States as students and gone back and are doing student advising. And to find a center near you, go to our website at www.educationusa.state.gov. Let's go to the next question. We have a question for Zennab again. Zennab, how long did you spend studying what program to go to and was it a hard decision? For me, it wasn't that hard because I knew I wanted to study psychology. However, choosing a place is hard. Choosing a school is hard. But I chose community college first and it's a great way to start your education in the US for me because my friends already advised me about that going to college and then complete your education. Decision, it wasn't that hard but the process, learning English process, it was long because you have to learn English really well to study your academic life. First, it was frustrating and then I thanked my professors and teachers because college is so serious and you do a lot of writing in American education and it requires a lot of writing, reading and it's so intense program. That's why decision, it wasn't hard but the process of learning English and starting my major, I should say it was kind of hard for me but I went over it. Yeah, I'm glad. Let me just add that I think what Zennab said is very true for most international students and that student asking earlier about the differences in the community college and so forth, open admission may suggest that if we take anybody then there's no quality but the fact is those courses have to measure up exactly to what the university expects so the students are successful when they enter their third year courses at the university. That's very important to us and it in a way gives you insight into the process of what the community college is doing is helping students succeed at achieving their goals so anybody can come in the front door but not everybody gets out because that success is measured by how well you do in your classwork, how well your English skills and your classroom skills have been developed over time but when that happens you're very prepared for the university. So the key is study hard and also Paul on that particular note do you have any advice for our students as to what programs or rather what they should prepare for before coming to the United States? Well certainly doing as much as possible to improve your English language skills not just in reading and listening but in writing. I think that it served the student well if they would then when they come to the United States not be so anxious to begin the degree program but like Zaynep takes some time with ESL even if it's one semester, it's an adaptation process. ESL is a special language. And in that way they are, let's say adapting but they're also learning the classroom culture of the United States. They're at the community college in most cases most of the community colleges have these language programs and that allows you to get a feel for the atmosphere of the college itself and as you progress through the English as a second language classes you can begin to take the classes in your major. So it's an easy kind of seamless overlapping process. So it's a smooth transition. Yeah. Great that's good to know. Let's go to our next question. Question is the online viewer asks I am done with my application process for fall 2015 what should be my next step? Paul, what do you think? Well, assuming that that application is moving through successfully and you don't yet know the answers to the questions of whether you're getting in or not. I would say start to do research on the living circumstances where you plan to go. What kind of support systems the university itself has. In other words, don't stop the comparison process. I would assume you have applied to maybe two or three different places. If that's the case, go deeper in your research about the relative, let's say merits of each institution so that when let's say you're accepted by two of the three institutions, let's say you can then have a much sounder basis for decision finally. So always keep your choices. Yeah, have extra choices. EducationUSA is still a good resource. You can find a lot of information online not just about the institution but about the region that you'll be in, et cetera. Yeah, again, for information, go to our website at educationUSA.state.gov. You should be able to find a lot of these information on for the questions that you have. Let's go to our next question. An online viewer asks what is the difference between a state university and a private one? Well, all right, I guess it's a broad question. It's a very broad question, exactly. When we say state university, it is an institution that is publicly funded, taxpayer dollars for the most part are used for the basis of operation but they are also seeking grants and so forth. So state university is usually a large place. These generalities are not gonna hold up in every case but when I then look at a private institution, we tend to think of a smaller institution. Now, of course, the Ivy Leagues and similar kinds of institutions are quite large but, and they're research-oriented but private institutions are also liberal arts colleges where they could be as small in enrollment as two or 3,000 students. So these very small institutions can be very supportive of a student's aims. You can get to know your classmates and professors very, very well but there are also private institutions that are very, very large. So a state institution, publicly funded, tends to be large because they need that tuition base, that revenue base and there may be, therefore, more impersonality to the environment compared to the private one. I had a couple of questions regarding that, Paul. Is a state university, in terms of cost, is it number one, is it cheaper than a private school? And number two, do you have community colleges that are community colleges considered state institutions? Community colleges are public institutions primarily. Of the 1,200 that are in the United States, I would say about 1,100 are public. So for all practical purposes, they're state institutions but they're not universities, as we said before. But I would say that with the state, yeah, I think that would answer the question. Okay, thanks Paul. Let's go to the next question. What makes the process so long? I'm assuming the process over here, the viewer is basically asking how, the application process, applying to a US university, going through the whole sort of myriad things that one has to go through, going through the application, going through getting in touch with, getting your letters of recommendation and your transcripts, et cetera. I think, Paul, you can answer that and then Zena, you could probably get into how long it took you and then we can discuss that. Let me again compare community colleges to universities because the application process for community colleges is automatic, being open admission. Do you want to explain to our viewers what open admission is? Yeah, I guess it does need some explanation. The process, let's say the foundation, the governing principle of the creation of community colleges was to create as much opportunity for the public of the United States as possible. This was for the most part back in the 1960s but it goes back even before that. So the idea is that opportunity at any level of your adult life, after any circumstances, is there for you to take advantage of higher education. In that way, the open admission policy allows for there to be no barriers on the front end, as few requirements, no transcripts, for example, unless you've gone to another institution of higher education before and then maybe those courses can transfer in as U.S. courses. But you also have no requirements of SATs, no letters of reference. What you do have to have is a high school diploma or be 18 years old. In general, that satisfies that question. That's good to know. Zainab, how long did it take you to apply? How long did the process take you when you applied to come to the United States? I first got my I-20. I-20 is a documentary that proves you're going to school in America. And that's provided by the college school? Yeah, college school. I got my I-20 first from language school. I spent three months there and then I transferred to NOVA. It actually took me maybe one year, one and a half year, actually to start my credit classes This is after you came to the United States? Yeah, before in my country, visa process are easy. It took me three months to decide and get my visa and everything and enter the U.S. And you had applied to the university and the college while you went in Turkey? While I was here, but it doesn't matter because websites are so helpful. They have due dates. If you prepare your documents and everything before the due dates, it will be fine. Thank you, Sanna. So the key is get all your documents in order, get them ready, apply before the deadline, and then your process will also be smoother and easier. Let's go to another question. Just keep those great questions coming in using the chat or on Twitter using the hashtag study in the United States of America. Let's go back to Sao Paulo now for a couple of more questions. Sao Paulo, do you have a question for us? Sao Paulo? Is it possible to transfer from a community college to a top university? Sao Paulo, could you please repeat that question? Is it possible to transfer from a community college? The question is, is it possible to transfer from a community college to a regular for your institution or a university? Zainab, you have gone through this process. I think they asked a top university. To a top university. Actually, yeah, you can. If you have four point of GPA, you can transfer because they look your GPA and recommendation letters. Actually, I transferred a really good university from community college. They have guaranteed admissions. Community college and public schools, public universities, some of them have guaranteed admissions. You can go directly, you know, be a junior from that school, but you can also apply different places. I applied for school and it was a good school and I got in and I got scholarship. You were a very good student. Yeah, I study hard. And it's a myth that you can't get scholarship. The fact that if you have, you know, if you study hard and you have good GPA and everything, they give you a scholarship when you transfer to. Paul, do you have any thoughts on that? Yeah, actually, it's, we have many students that go to some of the best universities in the United States and I'll make a distinction for the student in Brazil. You know, while we have guaranteed transfer admission agreements with certain universities, some of those are with some of the best universities in our region and on our state. At the same time, a good student, I would say, can go almost anywhere in the United States but it's the decision of the university, whether they want to accept them. With a guaranteed transfer agreement, students are saying, from this community college, we will accept you under these circumstances and usually that involves a high grade point average for the best universities. So the key is, I mean, if the student has good grades, good letters of recommendation, he or she can, there's no limit as to where he or she can go. And that's the wonderful thing about, you know, about our system. And that includes the Ivy Leagues, colleges like Georgetown, Stanford, et cetera. There could be any cases, yes. That's good to know. Sao Paulo, Brazil, do you have another question for us? Can I do research as an undergraduate student? Sao Paulo, could you please repeat that question? Can I do research as an undergraduate student? Can you do research as an undergraduate? I think the question was, can you do research as an undergraduate student? Zina, have you, in your area, you did psychology? Yeah. And were you, I'm sure there was certain amount of research that you had to do? Yeah, if your professor has lab and you ask them if they would like to work with you, they can, you know, offer intern for you and you can work with them, do research. And actually, you can do some publications with them as a co-author. And you have, we have honors program in here. If you are in the honors program, you have capstone. You do individual research and then you prepare your like thesis or something. And a lot of options here depends on you and what do you want. So a lot of it depends on the student. All, you know, there seems to be the sort of myth, misnomer that if you're an undergraduate student, you know, you're just going to school and taking your classes and that's it. Unlike the graduate program where you can sort of, you know, you can do research or you can do work with a professor. Now, Xenom has, you know, has shown us that has, you know, that she's able to, she's been working with a professor and she's able to do research. Is that common across the spectrum? It depends on, as you said, it depends on the student's initiative. I think that it is characteristic of some universities and some programs. It just depends on what your research is in that they are more open or closed to undergraduate participation in research. But on the whole, I think that everyone would agree that if the undergraduate is showing the initiative, desires to be involved in research, those professors will allow that to happen. That's excellent. So there has to be a good rapport. You have to create that rapport with the professor and show your interest that you are interested in going, you know, the research direction. And again, there's a wide range of program type. So some are naturally more hands-on than others, but generally speaking. But there are all these opportunities that are available. We have a lot of more questions coming in from our online viewers. A online viewer from Brazil actually asks, what level of English does one need to participate in a program in the US? Xenop, this is right up your alley. If they, there are some requirements. It depends on the university. If they are familiar with TOEFL, they- TOEFL is the test of English in the foreign language. Test of English in the foreign language, yeah. It's about 80 from over 120. But if you go to community college, you take an English proficiency test and then according to your score, they put you in a level. And then as you go and finish your English requirements, you can take classes if you're, you know, if your English is enough to take it. If they say no, that means no. It's not like they trying to longer make it longer your process or something. When you go to, you know, academic life, you understand that you need strong English because you're, you know, like, you have a lot of, as I mentioned before, you have a lot of writing, reading, yeah. It's an intense program. Paul, is it possible for a student to sort of practice his or her English apart from the opportunities that are available at the university from official capacity, maybe with other student groups? Or is that something you recommend? Of course, yeah. It happens naturally, I think. If a student is determined to improve their English in every way possible, then they will not do things like meet with their friends from their own country and just speak their own language, which I know is always a temptation. It's so much easier. But if they have, you know, the end result in mind where they're trying to excel in English, whether it's academic English or it's street language, you know, they have to practice that. So the student puts themselves out there in that world. It's gonna be, I think, much more successful. And I would just add to what Zedep has said in that regard that while many students are ambitious to begin their academic program as quickly as possible and to finish it as quickly as possible, that is sometimes, if not always, a misguided goal because they really need to improve their English and their understanding of the American educational classroom system to the extent that they will be successful. So when Zedep refers to being, let's say, she's saying, no, you're not ready. What she's talking about is our interest in maintaining your successful preparation. So a student may think they're ready, but the professors will say, no, you're not quite ready. You need to do X, Y, and Z. So it's not about holding you back to make more money. It's to make sure you are prepared enough to be successful. And that's where the emphasis, I think, in the American system in general, certain community colleges is placed. And I think that's one of the wonderful things about the American system is that you're able to become a pretty well-rounded individual. It's not just the academic part, but it's the extracurricular activities in many, many forms. Which, you know, that's the advantage you have. And actually, talking about the classroom culture, we, our next webinar is also talking about, it's going to be focusing on the classroom culture. It's on the 20th of November. But let's go to our next question. How can I find out more information about a particular university? Great question, because there are so many resources out there. Of course, you can always go to our website at www.educationusa.state.gov and get lots and lots of information. Is there any other information that you suggest that they sort of research in terms of funding out the university? Well, certainly the university's website. And, you know, you can search things like the majors. You can look for, if you're comparing universities, you did say in your question, particular universities. So I felt you may have one in mind. In that case, I would say delve into the website of that particular institution very carefully. But in comparison, you might look at other universities or colleges in that same region or with the same major that you have in mind. All, you know, there really is a wealth of information out there, as you say. Most of it is online now, thankfully. And so I think you just have to take the time to dig through it. And also, I mean, you can go to a center, meet with an advisor, and they should be able to assist you with giving you some form of focus. Zina, how did you find out about this particular university that you went to? I talked with my friends. My two friends, they have been through this process and they finished university here. I asked them and they actually said, you need to go to the website and search. And they can actually call and ask questions directly to them and email them if they have any questions. Because in the beginning, you feel uncomfortable with your English and you hesitate to ask questions. But if websites are so helpful because they update all the time, yeah. So the key is, I think what both of you are saying is that do your research before, you know, there are a lot of options out there, lots of information out there, and the key is do your research and that'll help you in terms of figuring out where you want to be. I might add that I think most universities would be happy to put a student in touch with students from their own country in order to have a conversation about their particular points of view. If that makes a difference, it doesn't always have to be important, but it could be important. That's good to know. Let's go to our next question. The question is, how can I find out if my degree from my country will be recognized in the US to continue on to a postgraduate degree? I think the online viewer needs to know whether, suppose he or she has already has gotten a degree from a particular country, whether he or she can continue on to graduate program in the United States. That question has to be addressed by the institution that you want to have your graduate degree from. In other words, you have to ask that particular question of the institution you want to go to because they will have different answers. Almost all of them will have a independent evaluation of a transcript, your undergraduate transcript. So having the degree from another country's institution doesn't necessarily translate as an American bachelor's degree. It usually does, but it just depends. Then I think if you have, let's say, not completed an undergraduate degree, but you have some credits from an undergraduate institution, then those may transfer in as US credits to either a community college or a university. So again, looking at the graduate goal, you have to really address that question to that institution. They have different answers. Zena, you were able to transfer many of your high school credits to the community college and then on to the university that you went to, correct? Yes, I applied with my high school diploma. Okay, of course that was at the undergrad level. Let's go to our next question. Can you share some of the common reasons people get rejected from colleges apart from the standardized tests and school scores? I'm assuming by the standardized test, you could go into SATs, that's a Scholastic Aptitude Test or ACT or the GMAT or the GREs. Do you, any of you can answer this? I mean, do you know of people who've gotten rejected or why do you think people get rejected and what's the reason for that, Paul? Well, of course it depends on the institution you're applying to. The most competitive institutions have the advantage of sitting back and deciding what the makeup of the class should be, how many international students and from where in addition to the US students. So, and it can even come down to a particular school if you've applied to a business school. They can also have in mind, what kind of mix of talent and backgrounds and experience do we want to put together? In other institutions, it isn't as particular as that. It could be that they want so many international students from certain places, but they also want, you know, a certain quota of US residents. So it would just depend, but those are some of the reasons why you may be rejected because there are others that they feel are offering more competitive credentials. Xenob, what has your experience with standardized tests been like? I studied for TOEFL. Okay. And it is hard and it's really, you know, assess your English level. But because community colleges are open admission, they accept you and they have another test for assessing your English, English proficiency test. Actually, I took ESL classes and I didn't deal with standardized tests and scores because English classes helped me to improve my English enough for academic schools. And Krishna, it's important to point out also that when you then transfer to the university, they don't ask for the SAT scores or the things that you would have applied with. I see. They take your transcript from the community college and your degree and you go in automatically. That's very interesting to know. Thank you both. Let's go to the next online question. The viewer asks, can I choose a university in any state in the United States if I meet the requirements? Paul, you can answer this. Zennab, you had applied to different schools. The answer is yes. The answer is yes. Okay, you have your answer. Let's go to the next question. What are the difficulties that I will face at the beginning of the program? Zennab, I think this question is right up your alley. Yeah, my answer is ready English. Are there any other issues that you thought were difficult when you first came into the country, into the program? In my case, I didn't know even a word in English, and culture was so new to me, but when you start your process learning the language and interacting with people, you came over easily that process. I mean, the most, actually it's yeah, culture and language. Now, did you sort of spend time with a lot of your American classmates, or how did you make that sort of transition easier? I had good Korean friends because I was in the ESL class. You don't have American friends at that point. But yeah, with Korean friends, I tried avoid my Turkish friends, not to speak Turkish all the time. Yeah, I tried my best to improve my English, speaking, writing, everything. That's good to know. Yes, Paul. Christian, I would add that it depends on where the student is from. This question may have come from Brazil, but let's say a student comes from Asia. In Asia, they are taught respect for their professors in a way that I don't think you find anywhere else in the world. So that they are more likely not to speak up in class. They are very respectful of the faculty. And I bring this up because in the US system, as you probably know, in the classroom culture, it's much more dependent on the student's initiative. Students are expected to speak up in class. They're expected to disagree and take a more, not antagonistic stance, but one that is more questioning. So the give and take of the American classroom can sometimes be, at the beginning, a challenge for the international student, in some cases. So that's another difference that many of these, it's basically a lot of cultural differences and academic differences, so it all ties in together. That's good to know. And again, talking about the American classroom culture, we're going to be discussing that next month on the 20th of November. Let's take another question from Brazil. The viewer asks, is studying in the US expensive? That's a question for either of you. Zena, I think I'll start with you because you are a student who has come from Turkey who has paid to study, and so how do you sort of, what do you think? It's expensive, but if you, for instance, in my case, I went to college for the first two years and then I transferred my credits for your institution and they accept all my credits. And it went really fine. If I went straight, if I started straight, directly to the four year institution, it would have been, you know, more expensive than, you know, two years you pay for general education. Community colleges are not that expensive, but four year institutions, because we're out of state. Okay. Yeah, institutions are a little bit higher than in state institutions. Would you like to explain to our viewers as to what in state and out of state tuition is number one and number two? I believe that studying in the US is still cheaper than studying in many other countries. I think so, in some cases. Depends on, again, the type of university you want to go to, public or private. But, you know, the in state tuition is based upon the resident of, let's say, a given state that is paying taxes, for example, or their parents are paying taxes, and so that tax base is used to support the educational system. And the out of state tuition is simply making up the difference of that tax base. So it's not that the university or college is making a lot of money so much, it's that they're making up that difference. But they're only those two tuition sources, the in or out of state. I think there may be some institutions that have another international student level. But again, I think the important question, if you have a concern about expense, then the pathway through the community college should be very, very seriously considered. As Zanip has said, the tuition is much lower to go through a community college, where let's say at my institution, it's about $10,000 for a whole academic year. At her institution now, it's about 40 to $45,000. So you just compare the two, you're talking about 25% of the total. Over four years, that's a huge saving. It's almost like getting an automatic scholarship. I think that was a great, great, that's great information. And it's good to know again, go to our website at www.educationusa.state.gov, and you will have information on which college it's to look for, how much they charge, et cetera. Let's go to our next question. I am halfway through my degree program in electro-mechanical engineering in my country. What would I need to do to finish my degree in an American university? Well, you're applying as a transfer student, but from an international destination. So I think, again, the conversation is between you and the institution that you want to go to, and it may be a comparison of two or three institutions that you're making. But in any case, you can transfer those credits in. I would say, look at the electrical, or the electrical magnetic, sorry, mechanical engineering program at the institution that you want to go to and see how they compare for yourself. Because you may be asked, what do some of your courses, your credits from the international institution mean? And so the better you can speak to the comparisons and the way in which they match, the better off you will be. Excellent. Well, let's go to our next online question. A viewer asks, what if I change my mind about my program and want to study something else instead? Can I change my program? I think this was a question that came up earlier, something similar. Zena, would you like to answer the question then we can go to Paul? Yeah. Actually, first two years, you're taking general education courses, and then you're focusing on your major. Right. You have two years actually to decide what you really want to continue. And my case, as I told you before, I would like to study psychology and I got my general education courses and then I continue in that field. But if I changed my mind, I could really, after two years, you can't take another class. Maybe it's gonna take you one more semester to finish it. Or you can do double majors or you can do majors and minor. And that's one of the wonderful things about the American system, education system where you can do double majors because, for example, I had applied for my program in business and in marketing and I ended up doing a double major in human resources management and with a minor in marketing and also another major in higher education administration. So those permutations and combinations are possible and that's one of the great things about the American education system. Paul, would you like to add to that? Sure, you have a chance to gain some experience and taste, let's say, a little bit of the, I wouldn't say the culture, but the specifics of a particular major or area of interest. And in that way, you can decide whether that really is for you or not or whether you're on the right track. Sometimes students, they'll say they're interested in public relations or journalism. When in fact, they want to be in the managerial pathway and so it becomes more like public administration. But you have a chance to sample enough of the other courses to make that decision. Let me point out something that's even more important and that is with every degree, in the first two years, you have a number of electives. So you have your required courses, which may be general education or leading to your major, but then you also have 18, 24 elective hours. It's in that way, you can experiment because you are kind of free to choose supplemental interests that may be toward a double major. So I'm a business major. I'm not required to take marketing or finance in the first two years, but I want to take marketing and finance. I want to see if I like that. You can do that. Or creative writing, if you want to improve writing skills or anything else. So you have a chance to build a broader base that shows you are a more diversified intellect when you then put your credentials forward to the university you want to go to. So you can maneuver within the system and go major or minor in whatever you like. That's good to know, Paul, and thank you, Xenom. Another viewer asks, if I earn a university degree in my country, can I still go to a community college and then enroll in a university? I think that's a great, great question because some, you know, that's one of the wonderful things I think about the American Educate System. There's no limit to as to when you can come and join a community college or a university. Would you like to add to that? I'll just start. We have, in fact, many students that take that pathway. They have their credentials, their degree from another country, but they want to adapt a little bit to the US system or they may have to improve their English language skills or they may want to sample the way in which a particular class is approached, say, in their field. So they may have a whole degree with much experience intellectually and in subject matter, but they haven't applied it through the American system. So students that in that situation may come for a semester or a year to a community college just to be able to adjust to then go on and be better prepared for the university culture later. Xenom, did you have any classmates who had worked for a while or other international students and would then join the program with you? Yeah, one of my friends, she got her engineering degree in her country and then she came to the US and she was studying architecture. She's gonna be architecture here and it's a good experience even though you're planning to go to grad school, before going to grad school, just sitting in the class, community college class and seeing an adjusting culture and language, everything. It's a good way to continue. So there are lots of different opportunities out there. Well, we're almost out of time, but we'd like to go back to our viewing audience in Sao Paulo for just a couple of more questions. Sao Paulo, do you have a question for us? I would like to know if international students can work on campus and if they can work after graduating. The question I believe was, can international students after the graduate work? Well, maybe we could probably go a step further and find out whether can international students work during their school years or how does that work? Well, there are different things that could be said, but I think Xenip will have a better example when we get to her. The student under a student visa is really not permitted to work outside of the university or the college they're attending. That does mean though that, let's say in my case, I could hire those students to work within the university or the college. So yes, you can work, but under limited circumstances, under the umbrella of the institution itself. However, once you graduate with a degree from a community college or and a university, you have a year of optional practical training or OPT, which is available to you under your visa. So if you have completed one degree, you have one year of OPT available to you. If you take two degrees, such as you take the two plus two path through the community college, you actually can have two years of OPT. And I think that's exactly what Xenip is attempting to do now. Yeah, I graduated on May and then I applied for OPT and I got my OPT. OPT is on practical training. Yes, practical training. I got my OPT card and I have one year right to work in the US. I think the idea of the OPT is that you get practical training in the area that you have sort of measured in so you get experience in that particular area. It's a great opportunity to get experience before you go to your country or move on to your grad school path. So a student who is, let's say, seeking to go back to their country with an international degree can also go back with international experience and advanced English language skills. So if you put the whole package together, it could be six years, bachelor's degree and two years of work in the US. And that's a great opportunity for them to do the degree and get practical experience and then go back to the country with all the skills. Great, let's go to another question, Sao Paulo. Do you have another question for us? Sao Paulo? I would like to know that did volunteer work working off campus? The question was, is it okay for an international student to be involved in volunteer work outside campus? Zena, have you been able to work outside campus? I mean, volunteer work, community work. Yeah, you can do volunteer work, but you can't work. I mean, it's not gonna be paid. So you can go and work for a nonprofit organization or a local community group. Actually, me and my friend, we did a lot of volunteer work during our study because my major is psychology and I need to do this kind of stuff. That's great. Paul, does the, do the colleges and universities offer that opportunity? For sure, yeah, quite a bit. The idea of internships are very valuable to international students, all students, really, to have some practical experience. Sorry. No, please go on. Well, the internships and, not apprenticeships so much, but having opportunity as a student to experience the work culture that they might be going to is very, very possible within many, many majors. Okay. Now, I think we are pretty much running out of time. I would like to thank our online viewers for joining us at this chat and special thanks to Sao Paulo for joining us. Thank you so much, Sao Paulo. Let me, again, thank Paul McQuaid and Zainab for joining us. It's been a truly, truly a delight to have both of you here. Hope you've answered many of your questions. Continue throwing out those questions because we still have people, answering your questions online and do continue sending us those questions. Again, go to our website at www.educationusa.state.gov for further information on studying the USA. Tune into our next program on the 20th of November. The program is on classroom culture and I think many of those questions were on, there was a few questions on classroom culture. Again, thank you so much for joining us. Goodbye.