Adjustment to college in the United States - Perceptions of Qatari students

Authors: [1] Janet Shakuntala Walker [2] Jennifer Blakeslee [3] Batoul Khalifa [4] Atmane Ikhlef [5] Ramzi Nasser

Pages: 68-74

Abstract:

Ensuring the success of Qatari students in higher education is a national priority to address the needs of Qatar’s growing economy. Many Qatari students are earning post-secondary degrees abroad, most often in the US, where they are presumed to face many of the known adjustment challenges that international college students experience on host campuses around the world. This qualitative study explores the facilitators and barriers to college success experienced by 21 Qatari nationals enrolled in state colleges and universities in Oregon. Thematic analysis reveals that these students face many familiar adjustment challenges related to second-language proficiency, academic requirements, and daily living. Facilitators to success include the support of family and peers, and campus-based services. However, many of the students’experiences suggest areas for enhanced intervention efforts in Qatar and on host campuses to better prepare these international students for study abroad, and to support their educational success in host countries. "The research was conducted the support of the Qatar National Research Foundation, Project Number 6-762-5-084, Exploring Factors Linked to Qatari Post-secondary Students’Academic Persistence and Success."