All my bags are packed: Eighty Pakistani students all set for their voyage

Scholarship winners to US receive pre-departure orientation by USEFP.

ISLAMABAD:

A group of 80 scholarship winners, bound for the United States to pursue masters degrees, gathered for a pre-departure orientation on Friday evening. The event was hosted by the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) at a private hotel.

While congratulating the students, USEFP Executive Director Rita Akhtar said, “The USEFP is pleased to be able to help talented Pakistani students like you, achieve admission to US colleges and universities.  US colleges and universities welcome Pakistani students as they add to the already-rich diversity in the classroom.”

The event was a networking platform designed to prepare the students for their educational experience. Since its beginning, the USEFP has helped thousands of Pakistani students achieve their dreams of US higher education through its scholarship programmes and free-of-charge advisory services.

Education USA Advising Manager Umair Khan offered some tips to the students. He explained that professor-student relations were less formal in the United States than in Pakistani universities.

According to Umair, students in American classrooms are required to do class readings ahead of time, attend classes on a regular basis, submit assignments on time and actively participate in class.

The departing students were given a presentation to prepare them for their new life in the US – both inside and outside the classroom. Umair counseled the students by stating that although the transition to the American system of education can be difficult, Pakistani students enjoy the experience once they adjust. “Many Pakistanis make a name for themselves through their academic achievements or participation in extracurricular and cultural activities”, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 13^th, 2014.