American Collegiate Live’s First Orientation Welcomes International Students

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By Matt Killorin
Last updated on March 19, 2021

The first all-virtual American Collegiate Live student orientation helped students get ready for Summer 2020 classes and excited about the digital classroom experience.

A female international student wearing headphones waves toward her laptop screen while taking an online orientation for American Collegiate Live

American Collegiate Live welcomed students from all over the world to its first orientation on June 3, 2020. The entirely virtual event brought international undergraduates together for their first Live-to-Device digital classroom experience.

“This is a great option for students to begin their coursework in their home countries without any disruption to their study plan,” said Kali Heifetz, managing director of UIC Global at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Through American Collegiate Live, international students launch their university education in the digital classroom and then finish up on campus in the United States. 

Students have the opportunity to connect with advisors and engage with current students along the way.” —Kali Heifetz, managing director, UIC Global

Designed to connect students from around the world, familiarize students with the Live technology, and build excitement about their eventual move to their destination US campus, the all-virtual orientation is an opportunity for students to meet their classmates and get used to interacting from home, within a digital classroom. 

“We had interactive sessions and quizzes with other students and university staff, which were extremely fun,” said Dharineesh, a math and computer science major from Andhra Pradesh, India. “We talked about our hobbies, our majors, and a lot of other interests.”

Orientation is an opportunity to learn about the American Collegiate Live platform, get course schedules, and ask questions. Dharineesh was glad to get help purchasing his classroom materials and was excited to get started. “The thing I’m looking forward to the most for the start of my university studies is meeting new people.” 

Students learned more about American Collegiate Live’s state-of-the-art interactive technology and were glad to see how much direct engagement they would have with professors, tutors, and advisors.

“Compared to traditional online courses, Live-to-Device increases the interaction between teachers and students,” said Yiduo, a current American Collegiate Live student from Beijing. “When students have questions, they feel uncomfortable about interrupting the lecture. [But] in the Live-to-Device modality, students can use the raise-your-hand button, and the lecturer can choose the right time to interact with the students.”

No doubt, American Collegiate Live is the best for online studying right now, [and] gives you a perfect experience, right as if you are present in a classroom. Go for it!” —Jasir, Pakistan

With American Collegiate Live, students also interact with one another one-on-one and in small groups. “There are many opportunities for us to express ourselves,” said Yu, a current student from China. “We will be assigned to a small virtual room to share with our classmates the books we are reading and [our] opinions about the article, which involves quite a lot of fun.”

By helping students to pursue a challenging, immersive education from home, the American Collegiate Live program provides a flexible path to a degree, with no interruptions or delays. When the time is right, students come to campus with a head start on their education, ready to experience college in person, in the United States. With access to virtual events, peer activities, and student support services, American Collegiate Live students have full access to the same amenities as students on campus.

Learn more about American Collegiate Live >>