LAS 100: College Success for International Students
LAS 100: Success in LAS for International Students will help you succeed at Illinois. This course supports international students as they transition to a new culture and education system.
In LAS 100, you will:
- Examine your expectations for college life in the U.S.
- Explore the purposes and values of the higher education experience from U.S. perspectives
- Investigate critical learning skills regarding your academic program
- Increase your understanding of your social identity through engaging with topics on social justice
- Consider your leadership role in addressing global social challenges
- Plan for your personal, academic, and professional development throughout your undergraduate career
LAS 100 is designed for incoming international students and serves as a complement to LAS 101/102/122 (for all LAS incoming students). Therefore, students new (or relatively new) to the U.S. higher education system should enroll in both LAS 100 and LAS 101/102/122.
2 credit hours. Meets weekly the first eight weeks of the semester. Restricted to new LAS international students.
"Fresh from my eight weeks of LAS 100, I have arisen a slightly changed person—thankfully for the better—in my opinion. I have learned to be more inclusive of others’ opinions even if I don’t exactly agree with them because I have recognized that all of them have value."
-ISHAN JOSHI, FALL '20
"LAS 100 meant more than a class getting international students ready for the college life. I learned how to appreciate different cultures, to seek out the meaning of education, and to step out of my comfort zone. I sincerely appreciate the course director, instructors, facilitators, interns and my peers who made LAS 100 one of my favorite classes."
— HYUNJOON OH, FALL '16
LAS 100 Course Director
Nikia Brown
Nikia Brown is a Philadelphia native with an unyielding passion for people and places. Growing up in a Caribbean household, kindled within her a strong desire to build bridges between people of diverse cultures. After teaching English as a second language in South Korea, she obtained her first master’s degree in sociology at Sungkyunkwan University where she researched the identity negotiation of youth born to multicultural families. Upon her return to the States, she worked in youth development and civic engagement and completed a subsequent master’s degree in intercultural and international communication at The American University School of International Service in Washington, D.C. In Nikia's current role as the Associate Director for Intercultural and Global Learning – International Student Experience, she supports international students in their transition to UIUC and develops intercultural programs for domestic and international students. In addition to being a travel enthusiast, she is passionate about creating platforms that enable individuals to become agents of their own change
LAS 100 Teaching Assistant
Jisoo Youn
Jisoo Youn is a Ph.D. student in the Counseling Psychology program here at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She was born and raised in Seoul, Korea and has a younger sister, who is also her best friend. Growing up, Jisoo and her sister shared all the details of their days at night. Through these nights, Jisoo could learn the healing power of sharing emotions, which led her to decide to be a counseling psychologist. Through her research, she developed a goal to learn more about how parents/caregivers can help their adolescents feel more comfortable during their course of career development. Particularly, she wants to explore more about cultural differences in parental effects on youths’ career development. Besides clinical practice and research, she loves to practice badminton rally with her family (with the longest record of 146 shots with her father) and go grocery shopping.
LAS 100 Student Interns
Jasmine Liao
I am a junior and my major is actuarial science. I have been an intern for this course since Fall 2019. In my free time, I love to do puzzles and listen to music. Recently, I am into aerial yoga! I hope we could make some beautiful memories together this year!
Luyuyang Li
Hello! I'm a senior majoring in communication and philosophy. I've been an intern for LAS 100 since Fall 2020. I'm from Chengdu, a City in Southwest China where pandas are from. I love doing photography and cooking, I also love fashion and styles.
Bhavika Anand
Hello! I am a senior studying Econometrics and Social Psychology. I have been an intern in this course since Fall 2020. I am an international student from New Delhi, India. I love travelling and I hope to visit at least 30 countries by the time I am 30. I look forward to working as an intern again this semester!
Bhavya Pardasani
I am a sophomore majoring in astronomy. I took LAS 100 in Fall 2019 and have been an intern for this course since the Fall 2020 semester. I aim to guide incoming students to learn from and with students from all over the world. Writing poems is my passion and watching Asian dramas is one of my favorite pastimes. Hope to have an awesome time throughout the course!
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