Chapter 4

Summary:

by: Dan Lewis

1.

Throughout chapter 4 Nathan talks about the peer-to-peer interaction on AnyU’s campus. She keeps her main focus on how foreign students interact with American students and the different type of relationships that they form. It is weird to some foreign students that Nathan has talked to how non-committed American students are, and how they will make small talk but rarely let it evolve into more. Then Nathan turns her focus towards the difference between a relationship and a friendship. Nathan discuses with different foreign students how they interact with their American roommates and the relationship that they bond. The classroom life is also brought up in this chapter. Many foreign students make comments about how different kids look and the lack of attention that they give their teacher compared to in their home country.

2.

In chapter 4 Nathan discusses AnyU’s student’s relationships through the eyes of foreign students that have gone to schools in other countries. She interviews many of them which all make very good points about American students and give their honest opinions, but Nathan doesn’t really take a look at it from an Americans eyes. She gives an example of a girl who’s roommate said to her that they were roommates and that is all but Nathan only talks to the foreign student she doesn’t go and get the American students point of view on the topic. Nathan uses many examples and tones throughout the whole chapter. She will give one example where the foreign student is happy and it makes the reader feel good, but then the next will be about how mean someone was and takes that good inside feeling away.

Vocab:
By Nicki Woitas

Due to there being no vocabulary words in this chapter I felt the need to define, check out the link below that relates to the book.

http://www.collegetactics.com/collegetips.html
This website goes much more in depth talking about studying techniques to succeed in college. It includes points like note taking, exam studying, problem solving, and much more.

Graphic Organizer:

By Ashley Brown

These graphic organizers show how three of the students Nathan interviewed felt about Americans, and their lifestyle. One can conclude that all three of the students think somewhat negatively of American culture and customs.

Discussion Questions:

By Catherine Wagner

1. Through out this chapter the author compares the international students point of view towards American students. The international students have varying opinions; do you as a reader think that it is appropriate that the American students are being evaluated upon what the international students have concluded from only minimal research through their eyes?

2. There are many cultures that are included in My Freshman Year. Throughout your college experience so far do you think this information is accurate? Since many of the cultures described in the book are from what we would call semi-periphery countries, what would you imagine their school and social lives to be like since they seem to be so different from the typical American's life?

3. Think about how many of your friends know your parents and/or siblings. In the middle of chapter 4 a few of the international students described Americans as being disconnected from their families while away at college. Even though it may seem this way from the point of view of an international student, what is your viewpoint on this issue? Is this information all that accurate?

4. Towards the end of the chapter, Elene, the international student from Europe, described her first two years of college to be at the high school level. Why do you think it is that they come to America to learn at the college level if they see it as high school level material? What do you think drives them to come to America?