As a final year international student, I have one thing that I want future international students to keep in mind.

Not everyone will welcome you, and it's your responsibility to accept that.

It seems very harsh, but I think it is important to know before you leave your country.

I don’t know what made you decide to study out of your familiarity, but I know you wanted something that you cannot get where you are originally from. That's great. But you might want to study with friends from a different background, and they might not. You cannot always expect how you think mirrors how others think. It seems like common sense, but trust me, it’s easy to forget about it when you are too excited about what you do. Once you realize that they may not want what you want, you may feel you are not welcomed. Moreover, you might feel lonely and even miserable.

But I do think, though, that it is your responsibility to be treated like that. That’s how you're supposed to be when you are away from where you are familiar with. In another society, you are the outsider. What you believe and value can easily be less valued.

You may not agree with me and may say that “We live in such a globalized world. Everyone is talking about diversity. People must be interested in welcoming international students!”

I would say, “What do you mean by diversity?” Does anyone know the operational definition? I see and hear the word "diversity" all the time, for sure. Although, I don’t know which diversity they are talking about. Some universities might say that we are diverse because 30 percent of the student body represents international students. But others might say the percentage doesn’t matter in terms of the degree of diversity because diversity is more like the process of exchanging different values and beliefs and mashing these together.

Don’t believe the myth of diversity. Many people around the world use the term "diversity" without knowing what that really means. Ask ten random people about the definition of diversity. You'll get ten different answers.

Anyway, the point is just to know that you understand your value can be naturally rejected by others in another society, and there is nothing wrong with these people who reject you. Also, the rejection doesn't mean that they don't like you. Everyone just doesn't see you as important as you think they are important to you.

I might have discouraged you to go abroad for school, something I didn’t mean to do. I want you to challenge yourself. You will see where your interest stands within the society, and you will experience the relationship with others in human nature.

Here is a tip that might be helpful. When you feel that people don’t welcome you or ignore you, think how you can benefit them. It’s a simple rule of give-and-take in human nature. If you can make them think that they can get something from you, they will be interested.

Good luck!