International Graduate Students' Challenges in Auburn University

Phenomenological and qualitative methodologies were chosen to utilize and describe the essence of international graduate students¿ experiences at Auburn University. Data was collected through a structured Internet survey, individual interviews, and focus group interviews focusing on the challenges that international graduate students experienced, the resources that they used when experiencing these challenges, and the recommendations that they provided to Auburn University to better serve international graduate students. The study found that many of the challenges that international graduate students experienced were caused by cultural differences. For example, challenges related to language, the variety of food choices, even financial challenges were all related to cultural challenges. International graduate students used many ¿self-imposed¿ resources to help them with their academic and /or non-academic culturally related challenges. Based on the findings of this study, participants have a numbers of recommendations for Auburn University as to how it can better serve international graduate students¿ needs.