Although it is not probable, it is possible that while you are in
the United States, a medical, financial, or family problem could
arise at home, and you will need to decide how to respond to it.
Fortunately, e-mail and the telephone usually make communications
with home relatively easy. Consult with your family or friends to
find out the seriousness of the problem before you decide too
hastily what you should do. Here are a few things to consider in
such situations: |
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If you decide to leave, make sure
your academic work will not suffer. You should meet with your
academic adviser, the international student adviser, and (for
master's and doctoral students) your thesis director. If you miss a
significant amount of work, a professor may grant you an
"incomplete" as a final grade, meaning that you will have a chance
to make up the work in the next semester. You might also be allowed
to drop some classes, but in that case you would not get a grade or
credit for the work done.
First of all, a trip back home
might be expensive and could seriously impact your budget,
especially if it is during peak seasons. Secondly, if you leave for
a long period, your tuition as well as the status of scholarships
and grants might be affected. If you need to depart for an extended
period, make sure to contact your university's financial aid office
to discuss your situation. Your international student adviser can
help you consider your options and can also help you deal with the
university's administration.
Whenever you leave
the country, you should check with your international student
adviser to make sure you have the appropriate visa and documents to
reenter the United States. If your visa expires while you are gone,
if you had a single-entry visa, or if you are away for an extended
period, you might need to reapply at your local U.S. embassy for a
valid student visa.
Sometimes families are reluctant to
inform students living abroad of emergencies at home in order not to
burden them. But not knowing fully what is going on at home can be
frustrating for an international student. You and your family should
discuss this issue before you leave to define what you will expect
from each other during your stay in the United States.
If an emergency situation does
arise, you can expect to receive support from your international
student adviser, school officials, and friends. They are there to
listen to you, and they can be helpful as you decide what to do. |
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