How to Assist Your Friend in His or Her First Days at the ELI

Photo from http://eli.tamu.edu/program/partners.php 

Essay by Faisal Althagafi

Have you ever talked with a friend who wants to study at ELI at Texas A&M University? ELI is one of the most popular English institutes in the US. ELI has appropriate books for international students, excellent teachers, and modern educational tools such as learning management systems and smart boards. In addition, ELI is professional in the activities aspect; it has many creative programs that help students to learn and enjoy at the same time. One of these is Texas Families Program. Every student has a Texas family he or she can meet and socialize with anytime to practice English, and also, to learn about American culture; personally, this is my favorite activity. Thus, I have no doubt that any international student eagerly seeks to study at ELI. Although arriving in a foreign place is not easy, there are many steps that will help to assist your friend attain a dream, which is studying at ELI.

At the beginning, the first and the most significant step is to go to Mrs. Ricks- International Student Advisor II, DSO- at Bell 202A, to receive the information needed for registration. After that, let your friend contact Mrs. Ricks and ask about the required papers such as I-20, and the tuition. Finally, make your friend apply for an F1 visa to study in the US. As soon as your friend gets the visa, he or she should start looking for a ticket to Texas. After that, I suggest to him or her to do some search on the internet or read books about American culture to avoid any kind of culture shock at the beginning. The final step is getting the ticket to Texas and preparing for travelling.

Once your friend arrives in Texas, there is another set of steps that needs to be taken. At the top of the list is housing. Your friend has to take a long tour through the dorms such as The Tradition and Factory and then find the best dorm or apartment that fits his or her situation. Secondly, your friend has to open an account in one of the local banks such as Wells Fargo or Citibank with help from you. Thirdly, your friend has to have an American phone number; he or she has many options such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. I personally recommend AT&T. These are the basic steps to take when people come to another country.

When ELI starts, your friend should attend the orientation day for several reasons, including meeting new friends and new teachers and knowing ELI’s rules. Next, your friend should take a tour around the huge campus to adjust to the new environment. Also, I recommend making international friends to practice and learn about new cultures.

In conclusion, I listed many steps that will absolutely help any student who wants to study in such a wonderful institute like the ELI. I predict that if international students read this blog and follow the steps, they will be excellent ELI students.