Starting college can be a bit intense for anyone, but international students have added challenges — learning about new acronyms, where and how they can travel, whom they can work for, and what identification and paperwork they need.
During the International Pre-Orientation Program, Grinnell’s international students spend a day learning about immigration rules, forms, and procedures. However, “it can get a little overwhelming,” says Karen Edwards, assistant dean and director of international student affairs. “Heads are too full to remember everything. We needed a new solution to teach students about visa compliance that didn’t put them to sleep.”
“We wanted a fun and interactive way to learn about rules related to academics, travel, and visa requirements and also cover the postgraduate transition to employment, leaving, and how to handle those transitions.” says Phyllis Frimpong ’12, international student affairs student liaison.
So the international student affairs staff came up with the Jeopardy!-style F-1 Visa pub night — held at Lyle's Pub in the basement of the Joe Rosenfield ’25 Center. Click an image to launch the gallery and learn more about the night's activities.
