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Students studying in Austria, Brazil, France, Greece, Italy, Mexico and São Paulo must do their own laundry in the washing and drying machines that are provided in the residence halls. A general laundry service is available at the school in Spain, but it takes one week for clothes to be processed. Some students prefer to use the coin-operated washing machines in the dorms. Of course some things may be hand washed.
A language laboratory is available on all campuses. On all these campuses, the conversation/oral expression classes are vital to the refinement of pronunciation and understanding of language.
Bookstore facilities on campus are very limited, and do not have extensive hours of operation. Used books are generally not available, nor can one sell back books to the bookstore or to other students. For this reason, textbooks are included in tuition fees.
Health service facilities on campus are often limited and usually involve contacting the nurse who is on campus or the residence hall dean for assistance. Either will try to arrange for off-campus health care service when it is needed. Please follow ACA health care procedures to make sure your medical expenses are properly reimbursed.
Teachers have heavier instructional loads than teachers in the United States and Canada, and although they are very positively oriented to ACA students, their availability for extra classroom instruction is limited because of their heavier teaching assignments. They are very helpful, however, but students must take the initiative to seek them out and make arrangements for extra help.
At most campuses it will not usually be possible in the summer to have a roommate who comes from the host country and speaks only the host country language. Students wishing to have a particular roommate for the summer term should notify the overseas campus in advance of their arrival so proper roommate assignments can be made before the summer session begins.
Class attendance policies are much more restrictive than in North America. Students are expected to attend all classes unless they are seriously ill. A clear understanding of the attendance policies on your particular campus is vital because in some cases, lowering of grades will occur. Obviously class attendance must be emphasized in language learning even more than in any other subject. ACA students need to take this matter very seriously.
One attitude that is very difficult for hosts to be positive toward is an attitude of "I paid for it; I deserve it." School is a privilege, and everything that pertains to it is a privilege. North American money can't buy everything. Because students have paid their tuition, room, and board does not mean they have a "right" to demand privileges and services. A guest attitude is always helpful in making positive things happen. "Thank you" and "please" are also helpful and appropriate.
Mail becomes a very important part of an international student's life. At times it may be delivered irregularly and be inconsistent in its arrival. Please expect that, on certain campuses, it will not be an everyday type of experience that can be predicted at certain times of the day. Trying to be flexible with communication to the outside world will require patience. On some campuses telephone service is available only at certain hours and telephone messages are often delayed in their delivery. All schools have e-mail that is available to ACA students. Back to Summer Programs |
