International Student Handbook - Office of International Affairs ...

ACADEMIC ISSUES
Registration and Records Registration
All students new to Portland State, both freshman and transfer, will register
for their first term of classes during Orientation. At Orientation, they will
meet with student peer advisers, as well as department and/or university
advisers who will assist them in planning their first term schedule and in
registering for classes. Students will register online for classes using the PSU
Information System online.
For all registration periods following their initial term of enrollment at PSU,
students will register on their own. They may begin to register for classes
during the pre-term registration period and may make changes to their
registration until after the term begins. Pre-term registration dates are
prioritized according to student class standings, which are determined by
the number of credits a student has earned. It is important for students to
be aware of the available dates for registration, as well as deadlines for
adding and dropping classes, making grade changes, withdrawing from
classes, refund percentages and other policies.
Enrollment Verification
If you need to provide verification of enrollment, you may obtain this at the
Registration Windows. Often, this is necessary for health and car insurance,
scholarships, loans, and employers. If the verification does not have to be
signed by a University official, a student can print their schedule from the
web. Some students may also require this verification in the form of a status
letter. These may be requested from the Office of International Student
Services by filling out a Student Request Form. Status letter requests take
about three to five (3-5) business days to process; please plan accordingly.
Student Records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives domestic
and international students certain rights with respect to their educational
records. These include the right to consent to disclosures of personally
identifiable information contained in the student’s records, except to the
extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. FERPA
authorizes the University to make public disclosure, upon request, of
Student Directory Information. Student Directory Information includes the
student’s name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, dates of
attendance, degrees and awards received, number of credits earned, and the
fact of enrollment, including whether the student is enrolled full-time or
part-time.
IV. CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT
Adjusting to a New Country and Culture:
The Adjustment Experience
CULTURAL ADJUSTMENT
When you decided to study in the United States, you may have anticipated
that some adjustments would have to be made with respect to differences in
climate, food, time, and culture. The cultural adjustment process is not an
easy or comfortable one, but it can be an extremely productive and
rewarding experience. It does not happen overnight. It may take several
months to feel comfortable in your new environment. Many people attain
new levels of self-awareness, personal growth, and gain a new
understanding of their own cultures in addition to that of the new country.
Although everyone goes through some adjustment process, it is important
to remember that the experience is very personal.
Stages of the Cultural Adjustment Process:
Stage 1: You may experience general anxiety combined with a great deal of
excitement. There are many details to keep you busy. Often, you find there
is no real time to sit down and think during the first few weeks in a new
place. When the excitement wears off, you may feel very emotional.
Stage 2: When the initial excitement fades, you may feel a lot of frustration
and become tired of operating in English. It may seem to take forever to
accomplish something that once took you a very short time. You may miss
friends and family back home and have less energy and tolerance than usual.
Changes may occur in your eating and sleeping habits. This is a time you
need to pay extra attention to your health. It is important to remember that
this is a normal and expected part of the cultural adjustment process. REST.
Stage 3: A greater sense of regularity now becomes noticeable. During this
time, you may find that you laugh at the mistakes that irritated you only a
few weeks ago. You may also find that information is more easily absorbed,
and your energy level is higher.
Stage 4: The final stage is a sense of ease in the new culture. You have a
better understanding of how the culture works, and parts of it may even
begin to feel comfortable.