A phenomenological study of foreign students' experience at community colleges in Colorado

Abstract

In this study, the researcher investigated how foreign students experience life while studying at community colleges in Colorado. A phenomenological approach was used so as to understand the experience from the perspective of the foreign student. Eleven foreign students from ten countries participated in the study. The findings identify settings of the experience as the setting of the community college and the community. Some experiences were a mix of challenges and blessings. The mixed experiences include experience with the language, with the culture, and with technology and communication. Variations in the experience included the students' goals and purposes for studying at a community college in Colorado, their contact with family and significant others, financial concerns, and some unexpected findings.