| This qualitative study was conducted to understand the academic adjustment experiences of six Asian Indian international students who had been in the United States for less than a year and were pursuing their graduate studies at a Research Level II University in the United States. This study focused on the academic adjustment problems the participants experienced, the strategies they used to overcome the problems, the factors that hindered and helped their academic adjustment, and it presents suggestions the participants had for the host institution and for future Asian Indian international students to facilitate their learning process. Data for this study was collected through a demographic survey questionnaire three focus group sessions and six follow up interviews during the spring of 2006. Categories and themes were identified through a constant comparative method.Participants reported problems related to academic integrity, approach to education, critical thinking, course selection, English accent, working unskilled jobs, instructor-student relationships, less competitive academic environment, registration, and time management. The strategies and coping mechanisms used by the participants and the suggestions provided by them for the host institution and future Asian Indian international students were also discussed. Conclusions and recommendations were made based on the results of the study and suggestions were provided for future research. |
