INSIDE THIS ISSUE

How to stay in Status .............. 2

How to avoid common mistakes made by F-1 students

Health Insurance ................... 2

How to avoid common mistakes made by F-1 students

The Fun Calendar ................... 3

Activities and Events happening during the months of October– December

Your New Home ..................... 4

Information about the International Student Forum

FAQs ...................................... 4

See the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions at our office

Meet Our Family .................... 5

A short introduction to our newest staff members and peer mentors

Where to Go for What? ........... 5

Find out where on campus you need to go to get what you need

MESSAGE FROM KELLEY AND DENISE

On behalf of the International Education Center, we would

like to welcome all of our new and continuing international

students to the Fall 2017 semester– we wish you all a suc-

cessful semester and a wonderful experience here in beauti-

ful Santa Monica!

Now that the new school year has begun, we would like to en-

courage you to take advantage of all the exciting opportuni-

ties that SMC has to offer. From holiday themed events to

lively sports games, there are so many ways to enrich your

experience here at SMC. One of the best ways to be involved

is to join a club. To find the right club for you, visit the Asso-

ciated Students in the Cayton Center, above the cafeteria. Get

involved in as many ways as you can!

We hope that this newsletter will help you remember to stay

connected to us. The International Education Center (IEC)

and International Education Counseling Center (IECC) staff

are here to assist you with any questions or concerns you

may have. Feel free to come by and see us if there is anything

that we can do to help you have a wonderful experience dur-

ing your time at SMC. We appreciate all of you, and value the

global perspective you bring to the college and to your class-

rooms. Have a wonderful semester!

Kelley Brayton, Dean, IEC

Denise Kinsella, Associate Dean, IEC

International Education Center Fall 2017, Issue 1

2 

Remember these tips to avoid the most common mistakes that our F-1 students make:

F-1 students must complete 12 units every Fall and Spring se-mester! If you think you may need to drop a class, please visit an international counselor or immigration specialist before you drop to discuss how this can affect your F-1 visa status.

Online classes Remember, F-1 students may only enroll in 1 online course (3 units or less) as part of the 12 unit enrollment minimum. If you have questions regarding the online enrollment rule, please visit an international coun-selor or immigration specialist.

Our international counselors and immigration specialists are available to help you understand the regulations and what you can do to maintain your legal status.

INFORMATION FROM THE IMMIGRATION SPECIALISTS:

HOW TO STAY IN STATUS

Reminder: CHECK YOUR SMC EMAIL OFTEN!

Departments on campus, as well as your professors, will use your SMC e-mail as the primary meth-od of communication. The IEC also uses SMC e-mail as a method of reminding you about dead-lines, or to alert you when your F-1 status needs your attention, and more. Please make a habit of checking your e-mail often.

HELPFUL TIP 

Connect  your SMC e‐mail to your 

personal e‐mail account for easier 

access!

ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS CALENDAR

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

s

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

25 26 27 28 29

2 3 4 5 6

9 10 11 12 13

16 17 18 19 20

23 24 25 26 27

30 31 1 2 3

6 7 8 9 10

13 14 15 16 17

20 21 22 23 24

27 28 29 30 1

Reinstatement Workshop

HSS 151 11:30 am

OPT Workshop HSS 104 11:30 am

Working Visas/Green Cards Presentation Workshop

HSS 105 11:30am

Reinstatement Workshop

HSS 155 11:15 am

Reinstatement Workshop

HSS 151 11:30 am

Study Abroad Info Session—South Africa HSS 155, 11:15-12:30

Study Abroad Info Session—South Africa HSS 105, 4:00-5:30

UC/CSU applications for Fall 2018 due

Club Awareness Day 11:15-12:35 SMC Quad Join a Club!

Club Row SMC Quad 11:15-12:35

Deadline to apply for degrees - Dec. 1

Reinstatement Workshop

HSS 151 11:30 am

***Tip: Winter and spring enrollment dates are coming up soon so schedule an appointment to meet with a counselor at IECC to plan your winter and spring classes as soon as possible!***

SEPT

Veteran’s Day Campus closed

Sustainability Week October 16-20

Health Insurance Workshop

11:15 in Bus. 111 Health Insurance Workshop

12:30 in Bus. 111

Thanksgiving - campus closed

College Fair 10:30-1:00 Fountain Quad

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  

4 

Q: I need to go back to my country, so I will be missing two weeks of class. That’s okay, right?

Q: My class is so hard. I don’t understand what the professor is saying. I study so hard but I am still getting a bad grade. Can I just drop this class and give up?

Q: How can I get an official SMC transcript?

Join The

International Student

Forum Club —

A Home Away From Home!

A favorite of international and domestic students alike,

the International Student Forum (ISF) club is installed and now already active for the fall 2017 semester. The ISF

is a great place to meet other students, participate in

weekend activities, and learn more about services and programs. A highlight every semester is the campus trip.

This year, the club will be going for two nights by bus to

San Francisco. The trip is tentatively scheduled for No-

vember 3-5 and will include visits to UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, UC Berkeley and Stanford University.

The club meets every Thursday 11:15 am to 12:35 pm in MC 2 For more information:

e-mail: internationalstudentforumatSMC@gmail.com

Facebook: ISF SMC

Instagram: @isfclub_smc

Snapchat: isf_smc

A: Actually, the counselors recommend that if you will be missing more than a week of class, consider taking a break for the semester. You can withdraw and come back next semester as a re-admit student. Even if professors are un-derstanding and keep you in class, you will end up missing assignments and exams, which will make it very difficult for you to maintain aca-demic success.

A: Making friends in the U.S. can be hard. You may experience language or cultural barriers. You may just feel like there are no opportunities for you to make friends. In fact, some of our students tell us that they usually just go from class to their home every day, without ever making new friends. What this means for you is that there are many other people on campus who also want to make friends! Say hello to the people sitting near you in class. Ask the person in line in front of you at Campus Kitchen how their day is going.

Join one of SMC’s many clubs (from ISF to gaming to soccer club, we have them all!), or attend one of the many fun activities happen-ing on campus. The important thing is to re-member to go for that first step. Get out there, and you will most definitely find other people who also want to make friends.

A: There could be many different answers to this question. We suggest that you come into

our office so that one of our front desk staff members can take a look at what happened.

One common reason why students are dropped from their classes is because they did not pay their fees by the tuition payment dead-line. Also, once the fee deadline has passed for the semester, be sure to pay any outstanding fees due by 7pm of the same day to prevent your classes from being dropped. In other words, if you add a class after the payment deadline, you must pay for that class the same day or it will be dropped. You may also be dropped if you miss class. Be sure to attend everyday!

A: You can request official transcripts at Ad-missions and Records, located on the Pico Blvd side of campus. You can also order them on-line at http://www.smc.edu/EnrollmentDevelopment/Admissions/Pages/Transcripts.aspx

A: Don’t give up yet! There are many resources on campus to help you. Go to your professor’s office hours. Visit your course’s department office to see if they offer free tutoring. Form a study group with your classmates and work together at a library study room. Go talk to one of our friendly international counselors at IECC to get informed suggestions, strategies, and assistance. If you still want to drop the course, you can ask the counselor to help you find another course, or to submit a Reduced Course Load request.

Q: Why did I get dropped from my class?

Q: How can I meet people and make friends in the U.S.?

Counseling Corner a note from IECC

Welcome to our new students, and welcome back to our continuing students! We hope you are settling into the

Fall 2017 semester. Remember to visit International

Counseling for all your academic needs, including help to

make your 12 unit minimum and for transfer assistance. Please note that winter and spring enrollment dates will

be much earlier than usual, so make an appointment to

visit a counselor now. You may stop by to book an ap-pointment or call 310-434-4218 and we will be happy to

assist you. Do not delay! As enrollment approaches, our

office becomes busier and you may end up waiting a long

time to see a counselor. Also keep in mind that it’s important to visit Internation-

al Counseling not only for your class planning, transfer,

academic, housing or insurance assistance, but also if you find yourself in any kind of personal difficulty. Stress

triggers like financial problems, loneliness, homesick-

ness, or roommate issues can really impact your ability

to thrive at SMC. Counselors can direct you to the many resources on campus that can help- you are not alone!

Fall 2017 International Counseling Office Hours

Monday – Thursday: 8:00 am to 3:30 pm Friday: 8:00 am to 12:00 pm

WHERE TO GO...

IEC: -general inquiries -I-20 request -verification letter request - international admissions -immigration issues -immigration express meetings or scheduled appointments

IEC-C -academic counseling -housing information -insurance information -study abroad, special events

Bursar’s Office -get Student ID -buy parking decal -pay fees

Admissions & Records -request official transcript -submit graduation petition -pass/ no pass request

International Education Center (IEC)

Monday-Thursday: 8:00am—4:00pm

Friday: 8:00am - 12:30pm

International Education Counseling Center (IEC-C)

Monday -Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

International Education Center 1900 Pico Blvd

Santa Monica, CA 90405 Phone: (310) 434-4217

E-mail: intled@smc.edu

International Education Counseling Center

1734 Pearl St Santa Monica, CA 90405 Phone: (310) 434-4218

E-mail: www.smc.edu/askiecc

Find us on Facebook: International Education Center—Santa Monica College

IEC/IEC-C HOURS OF OPERATION