Study Abroad is all Fun Until It's Not
College life could be challenging, from having to make sure you're well organized for class, catching up with school work, getting involved on campus; being part of a social/ academic organization, making friends and work. It seem easy to think things would fall in place with planners. Well, sometimes planners work other times it doesn't. This process is more difficult for the average international students and it takes a toll on international students. I am an international student so I have had first hand experience with the challenges one face as an international students.
Some Challenges Facing International Students
Understanding and articulating cultural and educational differences
Breaking stereotypes and living freely
Fluidity
Creating meaningful relationships and network
How these Challenges Affect our Wellness
Any of these challenges could affect any of the dimensions of wellness. They affect your emotions, you ability to feel and give the right emotional responses to situations, it affects one mental health, you ability to form concrete decisions. They affect your relational responses, your ability to create meaningful relationships. For one I know all these could impact your level of self confidence. For anyone to function at their highest level of success and to optimize meaningful results, that in turn enhance their lives, self confidence is key. The battle most times is not with the 'other'; your colleagues in school, but with yourself, mostly when you return to your personal space where you face your strengths and inadequacies. Sometimes it could be in form of shame, joys, pains, or any other emotions. This battle for the average international student could feel endless and hopeless. Many have learned to stay silent about these battles.
Ways To Deal and Overcome Challenges as an International Students
Allow yourself to live freely in your new found country: This is important because if you don't live freely, you would constrain yourself from rediscovering yourself, evolving, and the possibilities you can attain as an individual. During my first semester in college, I felt depressed. I mostly was focusing on school work because I was on a scholarship and had to do well to uphold my scholarship requirement. I didn't know who to go to express my feelings to and with that, I live as though the only thing I was here on campus was to go to class, come back to my room, go to the library to study, and go to church. This sort of route worked for me at my home country, but it was absolutely unhealthy for me on campus. I had friends on campus but I was so focused on making good grade that I barely made time to visit and hangout with friends.During the second semester I decided there must be a way for me to not forfeit my grades yet live my life beyond the walls of my school work, so I started to live more freely. I became involved on campus outside school work, I join organizations that ignited my interest such as sports, leadership, and volunteering. The second semester turned out to be a great semester. My grades were great, I had started to make new friends and was no longer depressed.
If you feel overwhelmed and can not deal with happens around you, speak to someone. Sometime you may need to speak with someone to help you navigate the best ways to deal with being homesick and missing loved ones or feeling like an outsider. Usually, the school health centers provide both medical and behavioral support system that can help students resolve health concerns. Utilized the health center, usually the student health insurance cover those services.
Stay connected with loved one back home. This is always a humbling experience for one to feel part of a community where they know you for you, you don't have to put up walls to hid your insecurities and feel appreciated. This boost your immune system. I remember in college whenever I speak with family, in those minutes, I feel so refreshed and after the call I often go out smiling because usually my siblings had told me something that happened that was funny to them and now I am living in the memory feeling alive and whole again. One mistake that I observed some people make was getting sucked up trying to make too many friendships that they feel so exhausted keeping up with family from home. Remember your new country men might not fully understand you and having to explain yourself to them and getting along smoothly might take time, but the ties from home come naturally and almost effortless. While that brews, make new friends, they keep your life interesting and sometimes unpredictably awesome.
Planning is always a helpful way to keep your daily activities organized. The planner should include the activities of your day that are of most importance. This would allow for you to eliminate unnecessarily wasting time on activities that do not align with your goals. It also allows you to be focused to carry out you activities effectively, such as paying more attention to details in class, being present socializing with friends, making better contributions in discussions, and reduced level of feeling exhausted.
Allow room for mistake and make the best of your international student experience. Do not limit yourself