He looks out the window at the falling snow. It is a world of white thousands of tiny snowflakes floating in the air, millions covering the ground. Even though it has already snowed this year, he is still amazed by the beauty of a New England winter.
Until he came to Roger Williams University he had never seen real snow, never held it in his hands or felt it on his tongue. The first time it snowed he was not sure he even liked it. Having spent most of his life in warmer weather, the cold coming off the Bay seemed bitter. However, after throwing his first snowball, taking his first skiing trip and drinking numerous cups of hot chocolate, he had begun to really enjoy the climate change.
Twinkling lights had begun to appear in dorm windows – even his roommate had put some up. From simple white lights to multicolored strings to snowflake decorations hanging in the cafeterias, the reminders of winter celebrations seemed to be everywhere. With Bodhi Day, Chanukkah, Eid al-Adha, Christmas and Kwanzaa upcoming, almost everyone was preparing for the holiday season. Of course, the excitement on campus was not just due to the impending holidays and more snow.
December marks the end of the fall semester. For first year students this means they are halfway through their first year of college and (for many) their first year away from home. Of course, he and his friends are looking ahead, already having signed up for their spring semester classes.
Two large suitcases sit on his bed. He has been packing for a couple of days now. Like most of his international friends, this will be the first time he will see his family since he left home in the fall. Though he briefly thought about staying on campus, very few international students remain in Bristol through the winter break (although housing is available for a fee). He misses his family, which was the deciding factor in going home. Despite the excitement of seeing his country again, he knows that he will miss his new friends and the campus he has begun to think of as home.
On any given day, RWU senior Poroma Kanya – an international student from Bangladesh – can be found walking around campus with a smile on her face. An incredibly intelligent student majoring in biology and visual arts studies, there is nothing that she cannot do!
Poroma is well known around campus because of her tremendous involvement as a member of the Multicultural Student Union, Students for Change, the vice president of the Muslim Student Association, an office assistant at both the International Admissions Office and the Intercultural Center and the head resident advisor (R.A.) of the Stonewall residence hall. Her dedication to Roger Williams is above and beyond that of most students. Always pursuing the best interest of the university, she and other students helped to start a peaceful protest on the campus to promote tolerance and acceptance of all people.
Truly a caring individual, she has been an R.A. for the past two years, helping students at all hours of the days and nights. She chose to attend RWU, she says, because she likes the school in general, its small size is great (especially helpful for an international student to settle in), the suburban location is relaxed and cozy, and she was offered a good scholarship.
After graduation Poroma plans “to go a graduate school in a bigger city to get a master’s degree and Ph.D. in molecular or cell biology.” But her hopes are to return to her country in the future and do research. When asked if there was any advice she could give to incoming international students she said, “be strong and try to get the best college experience possible. Get involved and always remember your ties with your home and your culture.”
As December rolls around, the air gets chillier and the first snowflakes begin to fall, prompting most students to take shelter in their warm rooms. The campus seems to get a little cozier as the students buckle down to study for finals. Coffee mugs can be found in most students’ hands, filled with hot coffee or hot chocolate from the cafeteria. Everyone is getting bundled up, sporting warm winter jackets and stylish winter boots to go to class.
Preparations made for the upcoming holidays and for the winter break are evident across campus with decorations adorning many buildings, from the Commons (our campus cafeteria) to the residence halls where little colored lights are hung in each common room. Each December, a student committee organizes the Winter Illumination, in which white holiday lights are lit at night, creating a sort of “winter wonderland” effect on campus. On the first night of the illumination, University President Roy J. Nirschel hosts a community gathering where there is an ice sculptor carving statues from the ice, and hot chocolate outside for everyone to enjoy.
All students are excited to get home to be with family and to relax after a semester of hard work. But many students try to come back to the University in January either to take an intercession class or to get a job so that they can spend more time with their friends. It’s always so much fun to see snow covering the campus and to watch students making snowmen. We hope to see you back soon!
At Roger Williams University there are three admission options for non-native English speaking students:
ELS Language Center at RWU- Conditional Admission
The ELS Language Center offers an Intensive English Program to beginner and intermediate level English as a Second Language (ESL) students whose test scores do not qualify them for admission to Roger Williams University. ELS Language Center students attend classes on campus and may live in the residence halls.
Non-native English speaking students who do not submit evidence of English proficiency or have one of the following may be offered conditional admission to RWU. These students will be directed to the ELS Language Center for ESL education before beginning their undergraduate degree program:
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) less than 500 paper/ 173 computer/ 61 Internet
- IELTS (International English Language Testing System) less than 5.0
- TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) less than 650
- SAT Critical Writing (formerly Verbal) less than 420
- Less than completion of Level 109 at an ELS Language Center
RWU English as a Second Language (ESL) Bridge Program- Admission through the ESL Bridge Program
The RWU ESL Bridge Program offers advanced-level ESL students appropriate ESL courses in addition to their academic courses, along with special ESL tutoring in preparation for taking a full-time academic course load.
Non-native English speaking students who submit evidence of one of the following may be offered admission to RWU’s undergraduate program through the RWU ESL Bridge Program:
- TOEFL greater than or equal to 500 paper/ 173 computer/ 61 Internet and less than 550 paper/ 213 computer/ 79 Internet
- IELTS greater than or equal to 5.0 and less than or equal to 6.0
- TOEIC greater than or equal to 650 and less than 750
- Completion of Level 109 at an ELS Language Center
RWU Undergraduate Degree Program- Direct Entry
Non-native English speaking students may enter the Roger Williams University undergraduate degree program directly, with no additional ESL courses, by submitting evidence of one of the following:
- TOEFL greater than or equal to 550 paper/ 213 computer/ 79 Internet
- IELTS greater than or equal to 6.0
- TOEIC greater than or equal to 750
- SAT Critical Writing (formerly Verbal) greater than or equal to 500
- Completion of Level 112 at an ELS Language Center
- Completion of the RWU ESL Bridge Program
Please be aware that RWU does not require the TOEFL for admission. Students without a TOEFL score or without one of the other test scores mentioned above may be admitted conditionally and directed to the ELS Language Center at RWU. However, we strongly recommend that students who have taken one of the above tests submit scores for review in order to receive the best placement for their English level.
Please contact us with any further questions or concerns!