Are you an International Student whose afraid of not fully adjusting to a new environment? Well, I feel your pain. I've listed a few dilemmas international students might face before they set off to their respective colleges.
*Warning: Over-exaggerated insecurities lie ahead.*
1. Language Barrier:
Okay, so I’m fluent in English but that doesn’t mean I want to speak it 24/7! It’s difficult to interact in a foreign language all the time. What if I incorrectly translate a word and end up being offensive? What if I want to refer to something that has a wonderfully easy word in my native language but not in English? You mean I can’t rant at the speed of 500km/h in my native language but would’ve to construct proper sentences with perfect grammar and bombastic vocabulary (SAT effects) to express my emotions? Sigh. *Searches College Facebook Group for other students from my country*
2. Sick Slang:
I remember how one of my future batch-mates called me ‘sick’ after I had boasted about my MUN awards (sorry, not sorry). I was offended. Sick? How does that make me sick? After pondering over this for two hours and giving him a cold shoulder, I realized that sick meant ‘crazy, cool, insane’. (Thank you, Urban Dictionary). Not only do these contradictory definitions baffle me, but the use of abbreviations has had me beyond confused as well. Did you know that ‘HMU’ means ‘hit me up’ and isn’t pronounced himu (I thought that meant goodbye in some foreign language)? I also thought IRL is another word for URL. *Prepares for judgmental stares*
3. What to Bring:
I don’t know how large my room is, so how can I buy supplies for it? Should I buy souvenirs for everyone on my floor? But I don’t know how many people are living on my floor!? At least, I bought some trendy summer clothes for college! Wait, what? Its snowing there? But it’s July…
4. Making Friends and Fitting In:
Relating to teenagers here is easy because we mostly do the same activities, are taught similar syllabuses, watch the same TV shows and have the same restrictions placed on us. Will we be able to relate similarly with our future roommates? Will I be considered cool at parties if I don’t smoke or drink? Will my lame jokes make people laugh? Should I be too friendly or act aloof? So many questions, so little time…
5. Group Divisions:
Will we be classified into groups on the basis of our nationality, courses, activities or background? I’ve never played any sport, will that effect my chances of being popular? I don’t want to be defined as a nerd! But isn’t being a nerd a cool thing? I want to hang out with people with similar interests but at the same time, I want to meet different sorts of students who like different things. How will that work? How will I be defined among thousands? Will I be even accepted into a group or will I be all alone…..
6. Being Responsible:
Do I have to adult now? So I’ll have to do my own laundry, cook my own breakfast, buy groceries, carry a credit card, protect my passport, set an alarm, actually wake up when the alarm rings, eat on time, remember to get eight hours of sleep and memorize my timetable? Splendid. Can’t wait.
After my overly exaggerated take on fears an international student might face, I would like to emphasize that I honestly believe that all of us international students are extremely excited to go to college, experience a completely new environment, interact with people from diverse backgrounds, and become more independent!
Looking forward to the journey ahead!
