Open House @ Howard University

Howard University is one of the most important university in Washington DC metro area. For prospective student Howard holds an Open House to educate them about the university. This program is perfect for any student who wants to learn what it takes to become part of Howard University’s rich legacy,. How Howard is shaping leaders for America and the Global Community in a setting where everyone is family. In Open House students parents have the opportunity to interact with Howard students, faculty, and staff, address their questions and concerns . This is a best plat farm for them to gain invaluable information that will guide them through the transitional process from high school to higher education, while simultaneously highlighting the numerous opportunities available at Howard University.

Saqib Ul Islam
Urdu VOA News
Washington

Campus: Engineering from Urdu VOA's Khabron Se Aage

Campus: Clearing Hurdles

Students might sometimes encounter delays in visa processing schedules, and might miss the first few weeks of their semester. As with any other unexpected problem, the International Students office will work with the affected students till the situation is resolved. Senem Bakar from the American University says that besides keeping the communication lines open, students should make it a point to regularly check visa processing timelines on the US consulate website for their country. She stresses that since students from Pakistan, along with several other countries, might have to wait longer for their visas to be processed, they should apply in a timely manner, and be prepared to defer their enrollment to the next semester. What kind of assistance can the university provide in such cases?
Amina Kamal Khan
Urdu VOA News.
Washington

OPT- Optional Practical Training

For me coming to America for education was a dream come true – paying the bills here, however, was sometimes a nightmare. In some of our previous reports we have touched upon various options of employment that you can avail to sustain yourself here, but the most important issue for international students is to make sure they are not engaged in any form of illegal employment.
While working on campus is fairly simple and straightforward, off-campus employment requires authorization from the university and sometimes from the government as well. In this edition of Campus we are bringing you some very important information regarding a form of work authorization called Optional Practical Training or OPT, which allows you to work off-campus in your field of education and make some money.
Now, you will definitely run into students who will tell you how they managed to work illegally off-campus while staying under the radar. That may sound cool, but the risk of getting caught and landing into some serious trouble is always there, so ask yourself if you want to risk your dream of a lifetime to earn a few extra bucks today, or can you wait a little while, apply for an OPT and work without fear?
Campus team’s advice: Stay legal – stay safe!

Enjoy this week’s Campus and tell us how we can help you more.

Sarah Zaman
Urdu VOA News
Washington

Out of the Box

I met a group of young Pakistani American professionals the other day, all of whom seemed to be doing very well for themselves: Armani suits, rolex watches, BMWs. MashAllah, I thought, these guys have hit the big time. So I asked them, well, what do you do? The answers was about as standard as they get: accountant, accountant, computer engineer, account, doctor’s son [the last guy was still living off his father, but point made]. But when I probed a little deeper, most of them revealed that though they get fat pays checks, most of them are dissatisfied with their jobs. They complained of long hours and stress, all with little recognition.

What do you guys think? How important is the trade-off between a high-income and personal satisfaction? It’s a question many international students studying in the US struggle with.


Raza Naqvi
Urdu VoA
Washington DC

Summer Internships

While many students while away their summer vacations, there are also others who choose to spend their time gaining experience through internships. Hassan Haider explores the many benefits of internships.

Hasan Haider
Urdu VOA News
Washington

Perils of College

A great challenge for students is to deal with a new atmosphere in college campus during a transition from high school to college. Also for parents it is a big concern. In America mosques and community center are serving this purpose. A community center in Laurel Maryland is working with Freshmen College students to work on the perils of a college life. This community center is trying to makes sure that the transition from high school to college or university is as smooth for young students as possible. Center holds seminars and discussion with not only students but their parents as well. Saqib Ul Islam attended one such event and talked to organizers about the feedback they are getting from students and if they are successful in their motive. And the point of view of the students as how much are they benefited with this.

Saqib Ul Islam
Urdu VOA News
Washington