A Typical Day at UNO

Whether living in on-campus, apartment-style housing or in nearby apartment buildings, international students find traveling to class fast, easy, and enjoyable. The main campus is less than 1 km long, so students living in this area have no trouble walking to class and between classes during the day. Many international students also live or attend classes on UNO's newest campus addition, which lies about 1.75 km from the farthest classrooms. These students often walk or ride bikes through the trees and green spaces of Elmwood Park, or they take a 10-minute ride on the free shuttle service, which makes frequent stops throughout UNO.

Classroom environments vary greatly by academic discipline and the teaching methodologies of instructors. At UNO, faculty generally seek to create a collaborative, interactive learning environment, where student participation and critical thinking are highly valued. Unless an instructor says otherwise, they often welcome questions during a lecture and will seek student responses as part of a class discussion.

Lower-level undergraduate courses tend to have larger class sizes. While some classes at UNO have 100 or 200 students in a lecture hall, most classes are much smaller - around 30 to 40 students. As your academic career progresses and you move into higher-level courses, the material becomes more specific and the classes get smaller and even more interactive. At the graduate level, seminars or labs with 10 to 15 students are common.

International students in ILUNO Intensive English classes begin their studies at UNO in a more structured environment. They attend classes in the morning and afternoon for six to eight hours per day. These classes almost always have 16 or fewer students to allow for individual attention from the instructor and ample language practice. The early months in basic ILUNO courses provide new international students with a good time to become acclimiated to life in Omaha and to research the many options available in their future academic careers.

At lunch time, the Milo Bail Student Center is the hub of campus life. A food court with 10 vendors, including packaged meals to-go, offer students plenty of choices. The large cafeteria is a good place to have lunch with friends, and public computers allow students to check e-mail or use the web before heading back to class.The lunch hour is when many student organizations hold events or set up informational booths at the student center. You can stop by and learn about all the ways to get involved on UNO's campus.

Cafes in the HPER recreation center and the Criss Library also offer quick, tasty meals. With a quick trip off-campus to naearby Aksarben Village, students find even more lunch options, including a grocery store.

For nine months of the year, Omaha's temperate climate makes eating or studying outdoors a joy. During the winter months, the large stone fireplace in the student center is a popular place to warm up and enjoy a hot drink.

Because undergraduate and graduate students design their own schedules, they may have class in the afternoons or evenings. But all students have to find time for homework. There are many quiet places around campus to hit the books, and free wireless internet allows students to stay connected anywhere on campus.

The most popular place to study is the Criss Library, where rows of public computers are available for anyone to use and private study rooms allow students to work on group projects. The library's vast collections of materials and robust academic databases meet every student's research needs, while library staff are available to help new students navigate the wealth of information.

Many international students choose to work, oftentimes in jobs on campus. (Some scholarship programs and visa regulations can limit an international student's ability to work, so consult with an advisor before pursuing employment.) The campus offers many part-time job opportunities that are flexible enough to accommodate course schedules and studying. For example, the food court, the library, grounds maintenance, the recreation center, and many academic offices employ students.

Internships - both paid and unpaid - are a way to gain experience in your field of study and become more qualified for a career after graduation. Internship opportunities are vast and include work both on campus and in Omaha-area businesses and nonprofit organizations. International students should consult with their academic advisors about potential internship opportunities.

Graduate students may seek an assistantship, where they earn a stipend in exchange for performing research or teaching duties on campus. This is an excellent way to earn income while remaining focused on your academic success.

When not in class, your professors and advisors will encourage you to get involved beyond campus. Attend an ethnic festival in the community, volunteer at a school or nonprofit organization, go to sporting events - these are great ways to learn about U.S. culture, enhance your own communication skills, and share your culture with the residents of Nebraska.

Not sure where to start? That's OK. UNO's International Advisors and international student groups organize regular events to help you explore Omaha with fellow students. Also, UNO's Global Diplomats, our welcoming committee for new international students, will help show you around.

Many students maintain a healthy lifestyle with a daily workout at UNO's Health, Physical Education, and Recreation center, known as the HPER Building. Open early and late, the center accommodates any schedule and offers many choices for staying fit: a swimming pool, indoor track, weight rooms, rock-climbing wall, and aerobic machines. Organized classes such as yoga and pilates or intramural sports teams allow international students to stay in shape with friends.

Exercising outdoors is an option for most of the year, and even in winter, occasional warm days bring students to nearby park trails for walking, running, or biking. UNO's campus is secure and the surrounding neighborhoods are safe, so many students exercise on cool summer evenings.

You don't have to work on homework every evening, and you'll certainly want to save some time each weekend to enjoy yourself and the company of friends. Nearby Aksarben Village comes alive at night with dining, movies, a night club, and free outdoor concerts during the summer. Farmers markets offer fresh produce from local farms and arts and crafts by area artisans.

The center of Omaha's night life is downtown in the Old Market, about 6 km from campus. The entertainment district, made up primarily of remodeled 100-year-old office buildings and warehouses, is where young people from throughout the Omaha area gather on Friday and Saturday nights. Omaha's new baseball stadium is located downtown, where events like the College World Series of baseball draw fans from all over the United States. A convention center also draws major commercial trade shows and the biggest names in pop, rock, and country music.

With a car or a ride from a friend, international students can explore the sites beyond the city as well. Omaha sits in the Missouri River Valley, where parks in both Nebraska and Iowa feature rugged hiking trails, vistas of the surrounding countryside, and artifacts from the area's Wild West and pre-Columbian eras.