Washington, DC — The basis and rationale for this book is great. It is mean to be a tool for African students wishing to study in the United States. The book begins with steps to take after one has been admitted into a university. The book explains the important steps that need to be taken before you leave for the U.S. and the work of international student offices upon your arrival.
The book also has some very useful advice regarding public safety & the police, housing, transportation, shopping, financial advice, employment, health care & insurance, religion, socializing, and American classroom etiquette.
The book will definitely be useful to African students but is clearly directed towards a certain type of African student, namely middle to upper class Africans. The book looks to the University of Wisconsin, Western Michigan University, and Yale University. Only a very small percentage of Africans coming to study in the U.S. go to Yale. They are more likely to attend a 2-year community college or one that has more relaxed admission standards.
The author fails to get into the issue of applying for school, which is a problem that faces many African students. Another big problem is how to pay for college. There are a few resources available to international students and it would have been helpful to have a list of resources. Another critical issue is employment. International students on F1 visas are often restricted from working and it is therefore difficult to even get a social security card, which is required to get a paying job. The author does not talk about the types of jobs students are eligible for, nor does he even acknowledge that most African students are in desperate need of funding and advice on how to financially survive in the U.S.
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Overall the book is helpful in several areas. For example, the American classroom is a totally different environment than what most African students are used to. The book helps explain what is expected of you as a student. The book is also very helpful in detailing the housing options available to international students. Even though each section could have benefited from at least 20 more pages of information, the book was helpful and covered some critical areas of importance for African students choosing to study in the United States.
Adjustment Problems of African Students at Public Universities in America
by Apollos Bitrus Goyol
Aug 2006/70 pages
List Price: $19.950-7618-2983-0
