• Home
  • Plans
  • Contact
  • About
  • Blog
    • J1 Visa Health Insurance Requirements

J1 Visa Health Insurance

Specially for Exchange Visitors & Students, J2 Visa Holders

BBB Accredited Business         VA Chamber of Commerce   Call 877.593.5403

Coming to America – How to Find an Internship

August 20, 2014 by Chiranth Nataraj

Tips and suggestions to find internship in the US

It is easy to see why anyone would want to find an internship in the US. It has the globe’s largest market and opportunities in nearly every industry. Interning in the US not only provides you with connections and business opportunities, but it is a great place to live as well. Exchange scholars coming to the US return with a better understanding of life in the US.Whether you‘re situated in the busy New York, the lively and vibrant Chicago, or the sunny and friendly Midwest, America simply caters for every interest and personality. Regardless of where you are, you’ll never be stuck in finding something to do. In order to find an internship in US keep the following guidelines in mind:

1. Think about Your Goals – To start the process of finding an internship for yourself, consider the skills you would like to learn in your field of interest.
Do you love photography? Would you like to learn more about what a lawyer does all day or does scientific research in a particular field interest you? Would you like to find out how to work on a great website in a corporate setting? Bear in mind that setting clear goals makes it much easier for you to find your ideal internship program.

onestudent2. Use the Internet to research – Once you’ve got your goals set, you can start looking for internships online. First, try to seek organizations offer internship programs. You should also take the time to look for companies where you would like to intern and make direct contact with them.

You can check out sites that list internship and job opportunities, such as:

  • GoAbroad.com this will show you the opportunities in various countries.
  • Internshipprograms.comthis website enables you to search by field, employer, location and date.
  • Idealist; enables you to find internships at non-profit organizations.

Whether you are actively researching career options or prospective majors, researching can greatly help you clarify your set goals and help you in the process of decision-making.

3. Create a Professional Network – Reach out to alumni as well as those you know from your institution that are willing to discuss individual career path, to tell you how they reached where they are, and how to break into the industry.

4. Create a resume and a cover letter – initially you may perhaps want to create a resume listing all your accomplishments and skills. As you prepare to apply for internships, you will need to read more about the qualifications of that position you’re applying for and ensure your curriculum vitae and cover letter target a specific organization. Just be proud of your achievements, dare to show them off and make sure you sell yourself!

American resumes and cover letters have to be no more than one page long, and must not include photos. Personal information such as date of birth and marital status are not required on the resume either.

5. Find more Information regarding your visa – Before you begin your internship search, make sure that you check the program requirements to find out if you’re eligible for a J-1 Visa. A J visa is issued by the Embassy of the United States in your country after the DS-2019 form is given by the sponsoring organization. In general, the time taken to process the visa varies with the country. An exchange visitor cannot enter the US more than 30 days before the program or internship begins. It is also best not to overstay your visa.

6. Expect culture shock -Finally, understand that culture shock isn’t simply a phrase. It is a real phenomenon. Students should read as much as they can regarding the culture of the region they are intending to go to, whether from the Internet or literature given by companies.

Most people wish to experience the American dream but wonder how to accomplish it. Follow the above mentioned tips and you will be good to go.

Filed Under: Exchange program Tagged With: Internship, J1visa

High School Exchange Programs for International Students

May 22, 2014 by Chiranth Nataraj

High school exchange programs for international students helps students improve their English Skills

For international students, a high school exchange program in the U.S. can be an extremely rewarding and exciting experience. For most students, studying abroad is their first experience of visiting a foreign country and living away from home. An exchange program offers a great opportunity for international students to experience the American way of life. As an exchange student, it is interesting to go and live with a new family in another country and get exposed to the American language and culture. A great plus with a U.S. high school exchange program is that international students can greatly improve their English language skills as they are always immersed in an English speaking environment.

High school exchange student programs in the U.S.For exchange students, starting to study at any school in the U.S. is a major step in life, more so for students who speak English as a second language. Whether it is choosing their subjects in school, interacting with their teachers or making friends, these are challenges that many international students face.

school teacher

For this reason, high schools in the U.S. are putting greater emphasis on English communication. Many exchange programs are designed so that international students can improve their English proficiency for academic and professional purposes. Through such programs, students develop their English skills while experiencing life in the U.S. It gives them a great opportunity to learn firsthand about the culture of the country and to improve their communication skills. The English skills of students may vary and may depend upon a number of factors such as the length of time the language has been studied, the student’s native language and so on. In the U.S., there are many academic programs whose objective is to enable foreign students to attain a level of English fluency that allows them to function in an American high school soon after arrival. It is often observed that a student may have poor English skills on arrival; learning a second language takes time but a semester or a year exchange program gives students enough time to refine their English skills; in fact, there is a noted improvement in the language skills of students just after a few days of adapting to their new environment.

How host families can help exchange students with their English skills

As a part of their exchange program, international students are required to live with a host family for the period of their stay in the U.S. Host families have a major role to play in helping the exchange students improve their English that will help them throughout their lives. The main goal of visiting exchange students is to practice and improve their English skills. This happens naturally by living with their host families. Since foreign students are encouraged to express themselves in English as much as possible, they pick up the language faster in a very practical way. During their months together, the student’s English proficiency will improve remarkably, something that the host family will find extremely gratifying.

How students can improve their language skills

It is often seen that though most international students are quite comfortable reading and writing in English, they are not as comfortable speaking in the language. Once students arrive in the U.S., they realize that their level of English is not enough to get by in a U.S. school environment.

On their part, international students need to realize that the fundamental purpose of an exchange is to learn a new language and experience a different culture. This will pretty much decide how well they will succeed as exchange students. The big fundamental is that students should prioritize learning English. It is good to make English speaking friends, as there is no substitute for talking with a native speaker; it also helps one pick up cultural and social cues. It is a good idea to read books and listen to CD’s to improve one’s language skills. Watching TV shows and movies is also a good way to get familiar with the language. Reading news and entertainment in English can help with some common conversational topics; there is a better chance of understanding and expressing oneself thereby overcoming both language and cultural barriers. As English language has a huge vocabulary, it helps to note new words and look up their definitions and meanings before using them in a conversation. As always, practice makes perfect; students can start practising their English skills even before they arrive on campus.

All in all, high school exchange programs give international students a wonderful opportunity to go to another country, learn a new language, improve their communication skills and come back home with a better perspective of the world.

 

Filed Under: J1 Visa Health Insurance Tagged With: exchange programs, international student, J1visa

arrow

J1 Visa Insurance Quote

Recent Tweets

Tweets by studentguardusa

Return to top of page

Privacy  Disclaimer  SITEMAP