You must have met an international student or heard about someone’s story in your circle. Sometimes these stories are of extraordinary achievements, while others are so dreadful that you wonder why international students even sign up for these difficult journeys. In this blog, I will tell you my own story as an international student and how my experiences are similar to millions of other international students who go through the same struggles every day but whose voices are not usually heard.
When I sat down to do research before writing this blog, I stumbled upon so many common issues that international students face. I was quite surprised to note many of these problems are exactly the same that I went through. Let’s go through some of them one by one.
Cultural Differences
One of the biggest surprises that most international students get is the cultural shock in a new country. Culture shock has several stages but it starts when one encounters a new culture. It has several stages, and it hits international students the moment they land in a host country. In my case, the culture shock was quite significant in Germany. I started my Masters’ degree in 2018, and despite my efforts to understand the new culture, it took me several months to adjust to the conditions. I was fortunate because some of my old friends were already studying in Germany, so they guided me in understanding the initial problems once I landed in the country. However, most of the other students in my class were not fortunate, and they faced massive culture shocks. Younger students who go for a diploma or a bachelor’s degree face such issues more drastically.
This is not just my story; this is a common challenge that all international students face no matter which country they choose to study in. According to UNESCO, there were over 6.8 million international students by 2022 studying outside of their home country. These numbers have been continuously increasing for over two decades, and the rise in numbers can be gauged by the fact that there were only 2 million international students in 2000 – a threefold increase in two decades. This means when we talk about international students, we are talking about millions of students in several different cultures and situations.
Homesickness
Homesickness and culture shock are interrelated. Homesickness is something when a person feels anxiety and nostalgia due to living away from home. According to Zeller and Mosier (1993), home sickness has five stages: honeymoon, culture shock, initial adjustment, mental isolation, and acceptance and integration. Some students overcome these feelings within a few weeks, while others go through it from the first semester to one year. I also went through this phase in my initial few months, but it especially hit me hard on the occasion of Eid when I was not with my family for the first time in my life. Eid is to Muslims as Christmas is to Christians. The same kind of distress felt by my Hindu and Christian friends when they were not able to travel to their home countries on the occasion of Diwali or Christmas. On such occasions, we used to make sure that we met and helped each other to cope with the anxiety and anguish that arise when you miss your family.
Financial Problems
International students mostly go to industrialised countries such as Canada, the US, Australia, the UK, Germany, France, etc., and their financial troubles are not just limited to college fees or accommodation. Financial troubles continue to haunt students throughout their studies. A large number of international students also work during their studies to support themselves because the currency difference and high cost of living in these countries continuously keep them preoccupied. All these challenges compound when you have to balance your studies, your job, and take language classes while at the same time going through mental distress caused by culture shock and homesickness.
Language Barriers
Of all the above-mentioned challenges, this was the biggest one for me. I took an admission in an English-taught degree program, so I did not need German language proficiency to take the university admission. However, despite all my willingness to learn the German language and assimilate in the local culture, I faced many difficulties. It was not just me; most of my classmates went through the same ordeal. Today, when I look back, I realise how much I learnt during that time. All these challenges taught me valuable skills like adaptability, budgeting, self-reliance, and most of all, having a positive mindset even in the most distressful situations.
All international students go through the challenge of language barriers no matter which country they chose to study. In my case, it was German, but in most cases it is English. Passing an international English language test to secure college admission is just one step. Once a student lands in a host country, he or she is greeted by different expectations, and in some cases, the dialect of the English language can be significantly different from one another.
Conclusion
International students play a significant role in promoting inclusiveness and cultural diversity all over the world. These students promote significant economic and cultural links between their home countries and the countries where they study, do jobs, and in some cases also stay in the host countries after completing their studies. It is a win-win situation for both students and the host countries: the host countries get billions of dollars in terms of fees and a highly talented and educated young workforce, while students get opportunities to upscale their skills, get international exposure, and get better salaries and good careers. We at Edison College highly value the contribution of international students in the Canadian economy and diversity and wish you a happy International Students’ Day!
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