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:
- Understand expectations for college life in the U.S. from an international student perspective.
- Familiarize yourself with campus resources through a flipped classroom experience.
- Apply critical learning skills such as effective cross-cultural dialogue, active listening, and collaboration in a multicultural classroom environment.
- Increase your awareness and understanding of your social identity through engaging with topics on social issues and social justice.
- Consider your leadership role as an international student in the U.S. in addressing global social challenges.
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.
“LAS 100 helped me through the transition from high school to university as well as from my home to UIUC. LAS 100 was also able to build my understanding of what a liberal arts college means. It is more than just an introductory course; it is a platform where I was able to meet international students like myself who may be going through the same struggle. This was why I decided to be an LAS intern—to continue the great legacy of helping incoming international students."
–JESSICA GU, FALL ‘20 STUDENT, FALL ‘22 & ‘23 INTERN
“In our exploration of social identities, we delved into various dimensions such as age, sexual orientation, physical abilities, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, and socio-economic status. This approach in the course material encouraged me to look at issues from multiple angles and to gain insights into the experiences of others.”
-AZHURA VIANDYRA, FALL ‘23
"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 instructors and and interns
Follow these links to learn about our course instructors and interns.