Who is this for?
International students at MSU! The first few months in the United States can be difficult for new international students, regardless of where you come from or how confident you are in your English skills. It takes time to adjust to a new academic environment.
What is this?
A short online course for students like you! This course will help you with your transition to American academic life. Through a series of engaging videos and activities, you will set the tone and establish the basic skill set to be ready when the semester starts in August.
What if I have already started studying at MSU?
That’s ok! You can still take the course. In fact, you should! No matter how long you have been here, this will help you be more comfortable with the MSU academic environment.
How do I get started?
Follow the instructions below! The course is offered online through Desire2Learn (D2L), MSU’s learning platform, and is always available. Because the course is self-paced, you can start whenever you want and progress at your own pace. The course is free for all MSU students, visiting scholars, and staff. Not an MSU Student or visiting scholar? Create a Guest Account. Once you create your account, please submit your Guest Account ID to the contact us form below and ask to be added to this course.
We expect that it will take you 30-45 minutes a day for four weeks to finish the course, but you can also complete the activities as fast or as slow as you want.
To access the course, click on the following link and log in with your MSU NetID and password:
Once you have logged in, click on the “Self Registration” tab at the top right of your screen. Then, click on “MSU Online Academic Training for International Students” and click “Register”. Follow the instructions to complete your enrollment.
Once you are done, you will see a link called “MSU Online Academic Training for International Students” on your D2L home page. When you click on it, you will open the course. Begin by watching the video at the top of the page, and follow the instructions contained in it.
If you are interested in signing up for this course but are encountering issues, you can use our contact us form.