Before Welcome Weekend comes International Student Orientation, a few days dedicated to helping international students acclimate to life in America, with more than 75 students joining this fall.
Leslie Shelton, director of International Student Services, said it is designed to help international students get a sense of what American culture is like.
“For International Student Orientation, we want to help orient our students to not just (California Baptist University) but also to life in America,” Shelton said. “We do a lot of different activities to help do that.”
With events like game nights and baseball games, Shelton said the hope is to help students feel more comfortable in their new country.
“A lot of times we’re actually picking them up from the airport and this is their first time to be out of their home country and to be in America,” Shelton said.
Transitioning to a new school and phase of life is difficult enough on its own, but doing it in a different language and country can make it even more challenging.
ZiHui Yang, a construction management semester exchange student, said it is her first time in America, but she has enjoyed it so far.
“People here are really friendly and have really shown their warm heart,” Yang said.
