Guangyu Meng says he arrived in the U.S. from China eager to begin studies at Western Washington University. But he was unsure how to start academic life. So, he joined the university’s first-year interest group, a program that helps new undergrad students ease into their studies.

“I joined because I had no idea what classes I should take, so I thought it would be helpful to have somebody lead me in my first quarter,” says Meng.

Prospective international students wary of starting their undergraduate education should consider first-year interest groups or learning communities that U.S. and Canadian universities offer. These groups allow freshmen with similar academic interests to enroll in the same schedule with 20-25 students, typically for the first quarter or semester.

While not all U.S. and Canadian universities offer these groups, more and more are, including the University of Colorado–Boulder and the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, which are starting groups this fall.

First-year interest groups are typically free but may vary in duration and the types of classes offered. They also offer prospective international students a number of benefits, including the following three.

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— Smoother transition into academic life: Prospective international students may benefit from first-year groups that provide a foundation before undertaking the more specialized studies of different majors.

Meng says his first-year interest group classes — Communication 101, English 100 and seminar — helped him strengthen his presentation skills, build confidence and improve his writing and editing skills. Steven VanderStaay, Western Washington’s vice provost for undergraduate education, says the school has a program specifically for international students, where students are “mainstreamed in a regular general education class but also have a supportive and separate English class to aid in their transition from ESL to regular courses.”

Kerrianne Ryan, science first-year interest groups coordinator at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, says the small groups, discussions and debates “create a safe environment for international students to practice their communication skills, voice their opinions and ideas, share their perspectives and ask questions.”

At the University of New Mexico, first-year learning communities consist of two classes centered on a theme. For instance, Vietnamese national Hoang Bui took courses on Chicano and Chicana studies linked with English 101 and psychology linked with public speaking. Bui says the courses gave him “insight of how different fields can work with each other,” and the courses taught him critical thinking, objectivity and analytical skills.

While programming varies at schools, VanderStaay says at Western Washington a university adviser guides first-year group students to select their freshmen courses “based on their interests and language ability.” Experts suggest students check university websites to determine whether the schools offer first-year groups and confirm program and enrollment.

[Learn what to look for in international student services.]

— Find community: For prospective international students, first-year programs can provide an immediate network of friends, particularly since the courses place domestic and international freshmen together.

International students can connect with other first-year students who have similar interests and want to make new friends, says Sonia Rankin, associate dean for curriculum and program development of University College at the University of New Mexico.

International students have many opportunities to build community. Rankin says University of New Mexico students will “often find themselves outside of a traditional classroom, visiting local museums, learning from Albuquerque’s top entrepreneurs and experiencing New Mexico’s natural spaces through the arts, science and culture.”

VanderStaay says the small classes at Western Washington also help international students find study partners and become familiar with resources like the tutoring center.

Most first-year groups begin on the first day of school. However, some first-year learning communities start sooner, like Jump Start, a fee-based two-week program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, that begins in mid-August. All first-year international students are expected to register for Jump Start.

Samia Sama from Bangladesh says the most important benefit of Jump Start was that it helped her overcome her initial fears of approaching students and not making friends.

“Within days, our learning community became a tight-knit group through the various ice breaker games, tours and learning sessions,” says Sama.

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— Peer mentors: In addition to the group courses, students are typically enrolled in a seminar with peer mentors, who are often upper-level students and staff members. Prospective international students can plan to rely on peer mentors for guidance and support or for answering questions or concerns.

Ryan from Dalhousie University says one graduate teaching assistant and one to two senior undergraduate leadership students lead the school’s first-year interest groups in science and help students “get involved in societies and activities on campus and provide insight on their experiences at Dalhousie.”

Sama says she received support and tips from professors and senior students about note taking, time management and giving presentations. She says the program “really helped my smooth transition to university.”

Meng says his peer mentor, an instructor he had for a previous intensive English language program, helped him build upon his English conversation skills and learn about American culture and how to communicate with professors. She also helped Meng find ways to participate in activities that explored the local community.

Though the first-year group lasted only one quarter, Meng says he was able to fully experience college life, minus the worry and stress. And he says it gave him “an overall view of how I should continue my study as a freshman.”

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Consider First-Year Interest Groups as International Student originally appeared on usnews.com