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I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Education Report.
We are getting close to the end of our foreign student's series on American higher education. This week we report comments from foreign students in the United States who have expericed the process we have been describing.
We talk to four students attending the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Two are undergraduates -- Ometere Omoluabi from Nigeria and Chilwin Tanamal from Indonesian. The others are graduate students, Rogerio Mazali from Brazil and a young woman from China who does not want her name broadcast.
All four agree that it is important to know what you want to study before you began apply. Chilwin says you should start the application process early and do a lot of research about different colleges. Rogerio feels that the most important thing is to find a school that best fits your personality and interests. Most of the students say they chose the University of Wisconsin because it offers the best education in their subject. Also they had met people in their home countries who had attended the school.
We ask the students about differences between their lives at home and in United States. Most commented on the weather. They said the extremely cold winters in Madison were difficult because they were used to a much warmer climate. The students also talked about the large size of the University of Wisconsin. Ometere says to decide early if you will be happy at a large or small school. She also says to be sure to attend to details on your applications. Relations between professors and students was another change for the students. Chilwin says students in the United States must make more of an effort to talk with teachers than in Indonesian. Rogerio says college life moves much faster in the United States than in Brazil. The young woman from China discussed the lack of interaction among people of different cultures. She finds it sad that many foreign students stay together in their own social group. However, Ometere says she has met people from many cultures and that experience is the reason to come to the United States to study.
All the students say they are enjoying their time in the United States and hope others will have good experiences. Our foreign students series is online at VOA Special English dot com.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Starbark. I'm Gwen Outen. | 
