International Students \"There Is Never a Time

International Students

"There is never a time when I miss home the most than when I look outside and I see feet of snow on the ground. I don't think I will actually get used to the weather in the U.S.A. I always seem to forget to bring heavy coats and buy myself thick useful boots. I do have come to really enjoy the snow. Who would have said that about me just two years ago? No one! For me, and I bet for many Mexicans, living through this cold is just not something in our plans," writes Laura Herrejon, an international student in the U.S. from Mexico (Herrejon). The experiences of international students in the U.S. are in the eyes of students in the U.S. quite incredible; but, through the lens of the international students, there are many struggles that people are unaware of. It is important for students to reach out to these international students and help them through the daily tasks that we take for granted. Many people do not see how international students and their lives are important to their own, but by exploring the difficulties that they encounter it may help students empathize with international students and realize that they are taking very basic things for granted.

High school and college students know that there are international students may have their locker next to them or know that they are the student with the funny name on lecture roll call; but, that is only scratching the surface. As students, the importance of having friends, having a great social life, being able to understand exams, what teachers and professors are saying in lecture are all integral parts of having a memorable and rewarding school experience. International students struggle with a myriad of things when integrating themselves in a new environment. When students first arrive, there is the issue of language- "because of the language limitations, it is not easy for international student to fully understand what the professors say or what the professors want at the beginning, not to mention participating in class discussions. And professors may not be able to understand the needs of international students if they do not speak out themselves" (Gao). Many students run into problems in the classroom but others think very little to help them through, a kind of transfer of responsibility occurs and students and teachers/professors may hold someone else accountable for the language barrier. Language is so important in communication- making friends, doing well in classes

Another issue that international students face is the new culture that they have to immerse themselves in. Often referred to as "culture shock," international students face four phases including the "honeymoon stage" where students are "excited by the novelty of the situation," followed by the "disenchantment stage" when facing the realities of the new culture, the "beginning resolution stage" when the international students "try new behaviors in order to fit into the culture" and finally, the "effective functioning stage" when the student eventually "becomes comfortable in the new culture" (Velinova). Moving into a new town, changing schools or starting college- all students have been forced into an environment where they may not know others and may not know the way a school "works" but that "new kid" feeling is a constant for international students when they go to a new country or a new place. That feeling is something that most students and professors can empathize with. It may come as a shock to people as most think that everyone accepts someone who is different but it is a lot harder to find a niche in a culture that is so foreign to these individuals. Essentially, it is starting life all over again, starting from scratch and that is extremely daunting to anyone, especially to an international student who is still getting accustomed to the culture, the people and the language.

Also, the educational system in the U.S. is very different from those abroad and proves to be a difficult for international students. Students in the U.S. are unaware of the differences of the educational system overseas and thus, most would not think it to be a barrier for students but in fact, getting used to a U.S. educational system is very difficult. Results from a study done at Vanderbilt University "indicated that the adjustment to the U.S. educational system…was the most significant issue for international college students" as some of the international students from China said in the study that they found that studying in the U.S. was "much more stressful than that of their home country due to differences in teaching styles, fast-paces class sessions, interaction with professors' and more student participation in class" among other things (Chuan). Could a student imagine not being used to participating in class and all of a sudden be forced into a lecture where it is required to do well? How about a class where they cover a chapter in the textbook per lecture? Students all of the country have been shocked by the teacher, the workload or the subject matter of a class but, imagine when on top of that, there are language barriers and culture barriers that also have to be dealt with. The educational system is something that students in the U.S. are used to knowing the ins and outs of but to a foreigner; it is difficult to master and is something that is taken for granted daily.