Abstract
This project is designed to analyze the factors motivating Indonesian nationals to settle in Seattle, USA. The major reason for choosing this topic was because I’m an international student pursuing an undergraduate bachelors’ degree at the City University of Seattle. I have desired to pursue an undergraduate degree program in Seattle since it houses several good universities and its favorable climatic condition, which resembles that back in Indonesia.
Interestingly, Seattle is one of the favorite states with Indonesians due to its cold weather condition (Atri, Sharma, & Cottrell, 2007). Also, Seattle is an academic powerhouse favorable for students with a desire to pursue education further. Not to forget, many Indonesians have settled in this state and are interacting well with the locals to influence them to adopt their culture (Constantine et al., 2005).
Objective
The main objective of this project is to establish the number of Indonesian students living in Seattle and also the key factors influencing them to settle there. Despite students pursuing different courses, most Indonesians seem to prefer studying in Seattle at the City University of Seattle.
Sampling methodology
On data collection, I took a sample of few colleagues from different faculties I issued with 11 questions to fill. However, I found out that the response was insignificant and decided to survey questions designed similar to the questionnaire through individual email addresses from the University’s IT department. The survey had a total of 35 responses, which I listed on a Microsoft excel worksheet. Further, I presented this information on charts and graphs to give a clear understanding and a better view of the results.
Charts
In this project, graphs and charts are my preferred tools for presenting data in a better understandable way (Dao, Lee, & Chang, 2007).
What to do differently on the availability of unlimited resources
If more time and money is availed, I would take samples from different universities in Seattle and also increase the sample size to ensure that the sample reflects the larger population (Sodowsky & Plake, 1992). Further, I would apply statistical tools such as regression analysis to analyze data collected from the survey.
Project report
What motivated you to settle in Seattle? (See graph)
Analysis
From the analysis, I found out that 12 students had settled in Seattle because their university of choice was located there. Also, nine students had relatives who had settled there, and 9 preferred the weather while 5 liked the environment.
High school
Enrolled at University of Washington
Analysis
The analysis carried out showed that 14 students had attended local high schools in Indonesia. In contrast, 21 attended international schools but regardless of this, all enrolled for courses at the City University of Seattle. For the sample of 35 students, eight enrolled for a degree course in Biology, 8 in Business Accounting, 12 in Business Marketing, 6 in Civil Engineering, and 1 in Psychology. Interestingly, despite the two categories of students, they all ended up in the State of Seattle enrolling for different courses available at the City University of Seattle
Was knowledge of English beneficial?
The benefit of knowledge of English language to Indonesia Students in the City University of Seattle
Analysis
I analyzed 14 students who had studied high school in Indonesia and 21 who studied in international schools. Twenty-two of these students enrolled at the University of Washington, seven at City University of Seattle, and six at Seattle Pacific University. All appreciated having knowledge of English as it was the most used language in Seattle State.
Discussion of whether the project objective was achieved
From the research carried out, it can be concluded that the data obtained from the survey was not sufficient since this exercise was only carried out in one university across Seattle state. However, other universities had Indonesian students (Poyrazli & Lopez, 2007).
Conclusion
In summary, most Indonesian students have Seattle as their preferred state in the USA. Also, most of the students preferred taking their programs at the City University of Seattle due to its wide variety of programs. Besides, I found out that most of these students had their relatives also settled there. Moreover, due to increased numbers of Indonesian nationals, the locals had adopted Indonesian culture, which was evident in the kind of dishes available (Rogler, Cortes, & Malgady, 1991).
Recommendation
After a thorough analysis of the data collected from this analysis, I established that many Indonesian students settle in Seattle due to factors such as having relatives who have settled there, weather conditions similar to that in Indonesia, culture, and also the preference of learning institutions (Sharideh & Goe, 1998). Despite such factors, I would recommend settling in other states that still have the same opportunities if not better than what is available in Seattle for them to realize the benefits still available in other states.
References
American students. The Journal of Psychology, 141(3), 263-279.
Atri, A., Sharma, M., & Cottrell R. (2007). Role of social support, hardiness, and acculturation as predictors of mental health among international students of Asian Indian origin. International Quarterly of Community Health Education, 27(1), 59-74.
Constantine, M. G. et al., (2005). Examining the cultural adjustment experiences of African international college students: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52 (1), 57-66.
Dao, K. T., Lee, D., & Chang, H. L. (2007). Acculturation level, perceived English fluency, perceived social support level, and depression among Taiwanese international students. College Student Journal, 41(2), 287-295.
Poyrazli, S., & Lopez, M. D. (2007). An exploratory study of perceived discrimination and homesickness: A comparison of international students and Rogler, L., Cortes, D., & Malgady, R. (1991). Acculturation and mental health status among Hispanics: Convergence and new directions for research. American Psychologist, 46 (6), 585-597.
Sharideh, K. A., & Goe, W. R. (1998). Ethnic communities within the university: An examination of factors influencing the personal adjustment of international students. Research in Higher Education, 39(6), 699-725.
Sodowsky, G. R., & Plake, B. S. (1992). A study of acculturation differences among international people and suggestions for sensitivity to within group differences. Journal of Counseling & Development, 71(1), 53-59.