Overseas students whose first language is not English often struggle when they start University in a new country, especially when it comes to creating their Degree Plan. Although they can speak English they struggle with some of the academic terms like pre-requisite etc. This leads some of them to choose only the default subjects without knowing if those selections will really help them achieve their goals in life. Worse still, some choose subjects that will not count towards their degree and only find out later that they have to extend their studies in order to graduate. This is costly to them and impacts their Student Satisfaction.
Plan in their own language
It’s important to make it as easy as possible for them to get started which is why our User Interface is available in simplified Chinese to guide the student as they create their Plan (other languages can be easily added as required). All data is stored in English, but the user interface is presented in the student’s native language.
Make it easy to choose
Pre-populated templates can be built based on either degree outcomes or on career outcomes (e.g. If the student wishes to become an Accountant, there’s a list a templates that would suit them). To start their plan the student simply searches for a template based on interests or on Career Outcome and selects the template that best suits their needs. Each template can be further modified as the student completes their plan.
Remote planning also supported
If the student is going to study remotely, especially during this time of Covid, they can continue to create their plan and use the in-built workflow and messaging to communicate with their Academic Advisor until they’re both happy with the plan.
These features make it easier for overseas students to complete their planning and start their college life.