Use of “First Semester Education” to Identify and Tackle the Transitional Challenges Faced by Indian Graduate Students in the Construction Department

• DOI: 10.18260/p.24975
• Publication Date: 2015-07-08T16:07:23Z
• Authors: Dhaval Gajjar; Kenneth Sullivan; Jacob Kashiwagi; Joshua Mischung
• Keywords: Graduate students; Graduate Education

Abstract Use of “First Semester Education” to identify and tackle the transitional challenges faced by Indian Graduate Students in Construction department Over past several decades there has been a major influx international graduate studentsinto United States from many countries, especially India. Though possessing anundergraduate degree India, students enter US construction graduateprogram with little no exposure expectations culture higher educationsystem. For these students, transition education system beusually be made within three week period after arrival into US. This short timecan present some for acclimate new national neweducation system, addition gaining an understanding differences constructionlexicon, techniques, regulatory environment, teaching methods between India US.This paper focuses on identifying analyzing Indiangraduate large program. The study surveyed andinterviewed thirty-four (34) department. It was identified thatlanguage barriers, different terms, not knowing proper norms forinteracting faculty, feeling inferiority or “second class citizenship” were themajor difficulties. In analysis challenges, this also presentssolutions recommendations “first semester education” construction-specific actions thatwill help programs increase probability success theirIndian graduating them become better professionalin whichever country choose realize their careers.