Experiences of a Graduate Pathway Student at George Mason University

George Mason University (GMU) gives many different chances to undergraduate and graduate students to be accepted into the university. One of these opportunities is pathway program. “The INTO George Mason University Pathway Programs are for international students who need additional language and academic preparation before continuing to an undergraduate or graduate degree program” (George Mason University). The INTO GMU pathway program distinguishes two parts, which are for students intending to apply undergraduate programs and students intending to apply graduate programs. This reflection paper focuses on graduate pathway program and my experiences as a graduate pathway student in the master’s program of Public Policy. As an international student, I was aware of lack of my English skills and the knowledge about studying in Western concept. Then, I applied to pathway program to compensate lack of talents while taking major classes from graduate school.

To study in the U.S., an international graduate student should have good language skills, strong perception on what graduate school requires, and a good understanding about Western academic concept. The INTO GMU pathway program requires students to take academic English and graduate school prep classes besides courses from major program. Initially, I took EAP 506, PROV 501 and PUBP 704 courses in my first semester. EAP 506 classes taught me academic writing skills and components of academic writing in English. Academic writing is completely different from writing regular papers. It requires good background of words and critical thinking abilities of other studies. Although, writing skills develop by doing exercises and writing more, critical thinking remains a completely different point of view to articles, which we do not have in Turkish academic life. According to Badke (2003), “[c]ritical thinking is a process evaluation that uses logic and evidence to determine whether information is correct or incorrect according to commonly accepted standards” (p. 22). EAP classes provided me to develop this talent with writing and reading assignments throughout the first semester of graduate studies. In addition to academic writing course, the PROV 500 courses made my adaptation process to the university life easier. The academic life in the U.S. is so different than I experienced before in Turkey. “In doing research there is an ethical responsibility to do the work honestly and with integrity. If you do not conduct your work in an ethical manner you will fail” (Adams, Khan, & Raeside, 2007, p. 35). The PROV 501 course prepares international students to academic life in the U.S., rather than providing regular lectures. I have learnt Western education concepts,like  how to use library more efficient, research methods, and time management from these very interactive class sessions. On the other hand, PUBP 704 – Statistics for Public Policy Analysis – course was a great chance to experience how graduate school works and what prospective students will face when they progress. The first semester was similar to an introduction to academic life at GMU because the courses I took were very helpful to adjust myself with all aspects of life in here.

Academic writing is the base of a research, and writing assignments are the most common type of graduate school tasks in North American higher education system (Badke, 2003). After an effective semester, I am currently taking three courses – EAP 507, PROV 502, ITRN 503 – for spring semester. The first two of them are next sections of first semesters’, and the last one is Macroeconomics for Public Choices that is field class. EAP 507 class, which is academic writing class, is particularly based on how to write an analytical research essay, apply research methods, and research methodologies. In his book, Badke (2003) states “the goal of North American research essay is not to gather information and report on it” (p.95). EAP 507 course is a great opportunity to create knowledge about how to conduct academic research in my field of study, and it prepares pathway students to the graduate school’s degree requirements. On the other hand, PROV 502 course teaches international students a deep understanding on career paths. The course mainly focuses on the professional documents for the application to graduate school, a job, or an internship. The course also provides to international students certain strategies to successfully complete the progression requirements. The PROV 502 course does not only teach students how to get all documents ready – resume, cover letters, recommendation letters – but also prepares students expectancies of real life. In addition, the ITRN 501 class is another chance to see how the things work in graduate school. Beside of learning about my professional field, it teaches me how to handle core assignments in the future.

Having learned academic requirements of the U.S. higher education system, I now feel more confident about being a successful graduate student in the master’s program in Public Policy. The INTO Mason pathway program provided me a good background about graduate life at GMU. I have significantly improved my skills in academic writing in English, and my understanding of Western concepts. This knowledge is important to me as an international graduate student, because I come from a different educational background. As a next step, I need to progress to my major field of study. Now, I am aware of what I will face in the next step, and I know how to handle them.

References

Adams, J., Khan, H. T., & Raeside, R. (2007). Research Methods for Graduate Business and Social Science Students. SAGE Publications.

Badke, W. B. (2003). Beyond the Answer Sheet: Academic Success for International Students. New York: iUniverse, Inc.

George Mason University. (n.d.). Office of Admissions. Retrieved March 2015, from George Mason University: http://admissions.gmu.edu/global/into/