ISO Welcomes New International Students, Helps Them Acclimate

While most Exonians packed and enjoyed the last few days of summer, some students had already arrived on campus to prepare for the upcoming school year. These 30 Exonians, all international students, were invited to campus early for the International Student Orientation (ISO).

According to International Student Coordinator Jennifer Smith, the goal of ISO is to help international students get acclimated to the Exeter community, as well as New England and American culture. In addition, the event helps combat jet lag before classes begins and lets the international students start meeting other new students with whom they can relate.

Similar to past years, the event lasted three days, from Sep. 6 to 8. All but three of the 30 students invited chose to attend. Other additional students learned of it through the event’s Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) website. Students were encouraged to bring their family members along. Accordingly, 61 family members attended the program’s events. The students stayed in dorms on campus and were given rides to off-campus events.

Smith said that the event had a very “dense” schedule, with about two hours of free time during the three days of the event. While part of the schedule featured cultural conversations and sample classes to help the new students feel more adjusted, the schedule also consisted of many fun events such as mini-golf, go-carting, a picnic dinner and a trip to Portsmouth. Some students even ventured to Target to grab some items for their dorm.

“I was grateful for a few leaders who talked to me and included me in group games when I was new.”

The students who attended the event mostly saw it as a success. Prep Jacqueline Cho was grateful for the early opportunity to make friends. By meeting people early on, she realized she could fit into such a diverse student population at Exeter and work through Exeter’s education system, despite its differences from her old school.

“The most useful parts of the event were the opportunity and experience in making friends, and the transition to life and education at Exeter,” she said. “The learning method in classes are nearly the opposite of what I experienced in my previous school, so I am very grateful for the chance to undergo a sample class instead of being forced to adjust straight on.”

Like Cho, prep Nicole Shi felt the program boosted her confidence for the upcoming year, especially in terms of meeting knew people. She was surprised by how friendly the other students were and by the amount of help student leaders provided.

“At ISO, I learnt the most about the people at Exeter—how [open] they were to meeting and befriending others [and] how proactive they were in giving advice and sharing their [Exeter] experiences,” she said. “It has given me more confidence and I am excited for the school year.”

One ISO leader, upper Geyang Qin, recounted his experience attending ISO when he was a prep coming from a Chinese public school. According to him, he was “really clueless” when he first arrived. He had trouble understanding the American accent and was frustrated by his lack of knowledge on American song lyrics. However, an ISO leader that year took the time to personally talk to him and guide him through his culture shock, allowing Qin to enjoy his first month of Exeter much more.

“I was grateful for a few leaders who talked to me and included me in group games when I was new,” he said. “Through them I got used to campus, learned the schedule and useful web links and [discovered] a lot of other basic stuff that made my first month at Exeter much easier.”

After his experience as a prep, Qin decided to help lead the event this year so he could assist other students in a similar way. He also thought it would be fun to meet the different students and learn about their interesting backgrounds and home cultures. Plus, even after three years at Exeter, he found the event still helped him further adjust back to life at Exeter.

Upper Xiaoyu Ma also helped lead the event this year after attending as a prep. She explained the importance of ISO leaders for the new kids and some of the ways in which she tried to lend a hand to the new kids.

“A lot of the event is just about answering [the new students’] questions thoughtfully and leading them to places since some of them don’t know their way around yet,” she said. “Also I made sure to check up on them because I understand how in times of trouble, a caring attitude really matters. Other than that, I just made myself approachable, whether in spending time, getting to know them or hanging out with them.”

In addition to meeting ISO leaders such as Ma, as well as new international students, the students at ISO got a chance to meet new day students during an event organized by Day Student Program Coordinator Janice Trueman. The mixer featured pizza, games and a get-to-know-you dinner.

“I love being at the Academy Center for this event—it’s so nice to see these friendships being ‘born’ before your eyes,” Trueman said. “I think it helps with internationals getting first-hand information on the new part of the world they will be living in. There may be some who have never experienced the beach or so much green, and I know many have never experienced snow.”

Some of the students who attended ISO, such as Cho, thought the orientation was so useful that perhaps the entire campus, more students than just international or day students, might benefit from a similar event in the future.

“I think that ISO is such a great opportunity for international students to adjust, so much that I feel even non-international students, all new students, would love to experience a program such as ISO,” Cho said. “The program helps students start off their lives at Exeter and provides a bumper, making the transition easier and more enjoyable.”