The life of an international student - Research Paper Example

? The life of an international al affiliation The life of an international Who is an International An international student is any person who leaves their home country and goes to a foreign country to pursue education. The basic reason as to why most people become international students is that the education standards in their home countries do not meet their needs. As a result, these students opt to learn in other countries whose education matches their expectations. However, in most cases, it is not easy to settle down in a foreign country as an international student. For some, the change is too overwhelming and they may opt to go back home, while others persevere and work towards achieving their goals and dreams. Luckily, some countries like the United States and Canada have programs in their universities and colleges that help international students cope with the new life. The life of an international student The transformation that an international student undergoes once they move to a foreign country cannot be understated. In most cases, being an international student means leaving your family and friends behind and adjusting to a completely new lifestyle. One is forced to learn a new language, learn the culture of the people, adjust to their schooling system and basically learn how to live in a new country. Before getting used to these changes, most international students feel like aliens, thus preferring to keep to themselves as they assess the people around them. With time, however, they start looking for other international student from their home countries so that the latter can help them adjust. Actually, this is the journey I have gone through as an international student in America. I first left Saudi Arabia for Canada where I studied English for two years and lived in homestay for more than nine months. I then transferred to the United States to pursue a degree course in computer networking which I hope to complete, then go back to Saudi Arabia and become a teacher. The challenges of being an international student have been numerous as I adjust to life in America. I have had challenges to do with speaking English as a second language, socialization, food, culture shock, and homesickness among others. Differences between the United States and the Saudi Arabian systems of education One of the challenges that international students face is the difference in education systems between their home countries and their host countries. For example, the education system of the United States differs from that of Saudi Arabia in a number of ways. One of the differences, for example, is in regard to the conduct of students in class. At the beginning, I was always the quite type in class because that is the culture of Saudi Arabian classrooms. The students in Saudi Arabian classes do not speak much but in America classrooms, the story is different as students are very opinionated. They also challenge the teachers directly in case they do not agree with what the teacher says. In addition, whereas Saudi Arabians are very disciplined in class, in terms of modes of dressing and behavior, American students have a lot of freedom. For example, students come to class in casual clothes and some even take snacks and sleep in class. Additionally, being from Saudi Arabia, I was accustomed to official dressing while attending class, and a lot of discipline during sessions. I, therefore, always felt odd when I went to class dressed formally and almost everyone else was in casual wear. Although I have tried to adapt to the American classroom culture, is still find myself being formal in dressing as I attend class and reserving some of my opinions during lectures. In addition to the classroom setting, I was also confused at the beginning because the American system seems to place so much emphasis on education and leaves little space for socialization. Here in the United States, one is expected to either be in class, in a study group, doing research, or participating in other educational activities. In Saudi Arabia on the contrary, classes end in the early afternoon and one is free to indulge in other social activities. Residence In Canada, most international students have the choice of either campus residence or homestay; in as far as residential places are concerned. I chose homestay because it was relatively cheaper and I thought that it would be better to live with a family than with other students in residence. However, the stay was not as smooth as I had expected. For example, back in Saudi Arabia, I was not used to household chores, yet my hosts had a duty roster for each person living in the house. At first it was difficult to do the dishes and laundry but with time I got used to the routine. The hosts were also very strict about the eating and bedtimes hours which were very different from the schedules in Saudi Arabia. Adjusting to these schedules proved difficult, and most of the time we ended up having misunderstandings. After I transferred to the United States, I opted to stay with a friend from Saudi Arabia and the experience has been different. At least our lifestyles are similar; we understand each other really well and get along fine. Food Food is always an issue for international students, since getting used to another cuisine takes time. For me, considering that Canadians love eating hamburgers and barbecues while Saudi Arabians have rice and grilled chicken as the staple food, eating was a problem. The fact that I was taking sandwiches and juice almost every day made me miss the Saudi Arabian food which I consider to be healthier. In the United States, I found that people like to eat fast foods such as steak whole Saudi Arabians prefer taking their meat with rice. The spices used in American foods are also very different from those used in Arabic foods. Sometimes I have looked for Arabic spices in retail stores and failed to find them, or found them to be too expensive. Since my roommate is also Saudi Arabian, we sometimes try to make Arabic dishes but they are not the same as those found back home. I also miss traditional foods such as Maasoob, which I cannot find here in America. English as a second language Communication also posed a major challenge for me as I started college in Canada. Having come straight out of high school in Saudi Arabia, my English was very poor and I hardly understood most English words, forcing me to rely on interpreters or just pretend to know what an English speaker was saying. Listening and understanding American English was a major challenge, considering that I was accustomed to speaking in Arabic. With my host family, since I had to communicate, sometimes we were forced to use Google translator when we failed to understand each other completely. Learning English as a second language in class, however, helped me improve my communication skills and with time I was able to hold conversations in English. Although I cannot claim that my English is perfect, presently I am able to hold meaningful conversations in English and my self-confidence has improved. Homesickness Most of the times, just like any other international student, I got really homesick and felt like getting on the next flight to Saudi Arabia. Luckily, I had been warned about the homesickness and my family encouraged me to carry some souvenirs and memorabilia from home so that whenever homesickness set in, I could remind myself of home. This has actually helped me cope with homesickness a lot as these pictures, music, and artwork help me remember home. However, sometimes, memorabilia is not enough to cure the homesickness, so I use my international phone card to call home and talk to my relatives who encourage me when I am feeling down. Here in the United States, having a roommate who is also Saudi Arabian has helped me cope with homesickness as he reminds me of home and we share a lot of experiences. Culture shock Just like every other international student, I experienced culture shock when I first came to America. The Saudi Arabian culture differs greatly from that of America and so settling in and learning the new culture was problematic. For example, the Saudi Arabian culture is characterized by close family ties, as people maintain very close relations with their families. In fact, most Saudi Arabians gain individual independence very late in life as they are about to get married. In the United States on the other hand, I realized that people gain independence very early; immediately after college. The preference by most Americans to maintain personal space also baffled me. In Saudi Arabia, a person is always surrounded by friends and family, the latter who are considered very important. In the United States, however, I realized that people value personal space a lot and actions such as surprise visits are not very welcome. The modes of dressing are also very different as Saudi Arabians are very conservative but the Americans have the freedom to dress however they deem fit. Nonetheless, I acknowledge that each society has its own culture, and as such appreciate the American culture. Socialization Socialization was hard at the beginning because I felt like an alien amongst all the Americans, and was also very quiet especially because of my Arab accent. I only talked to few Saudi Arabians I had made acquaintances with and tried to avoid the Americans for fear of victimization. I found it hard to make friends with people from other countries, particularly non-Arabs. With time, however, I came to learn that Americans are friendly people and that they did not judge my based on my origin; rather my personality. Nowadays, I socialize a lot with my American school mates who have helped me a lot in adjusting to life in the United States and also helped improve my English tremendously. My self-confidence has really improved and I can be able to clarify any misunderstandings that other people may have concerning people from Saudi Arabia. I feel like an ambassador representing my country and helping others learn about our culture as I learn theirs. Dreams and goals Most people become international students so as to pursue dreams and goals that they could not have accomplished back home. The only way is to pursue studies in countries with better educational systems, thus providing quality education which will enable them achieve their goals. The lack of resources in Saudi Arabia, for example, translates to lower educational standards, a factor that has made many Saudi Arabian students to move to the United States in search of quality education. Personally, my goal is to complete my undergraduate studies and go back to Saudi Arabia and teach students there. Now that I am more conversant with English language, I will be able to teach other young people in Saudi Arabia how to communicate in English. Hopefully, this will make it easier for any of them wishing to go and study abroad, as they will be able to communicate better. Even for those who will not leave Saudi Arabia, the knowledge of an international language will be advantageous as it will open up more opportunities for them. In fact, I would be very happy if most of the young people in Saudi Arabia were to get employment in their country and help build the national economy. My goal is to ensure that every Saudi Arabian student who passes through my class will be able to communicate in English effectively, and that the skills they will gain from learning computer networking in my class will enable them compete globally. Conclusion Being an international student is always a challenging situation since one is forced to adopt a new lifestyle. Everything from food, culture, education, weather, and language are all new. Nonetheless, I believe that personal goals and dreams are what keep international students from going back to their home countries before they complete their courses. The United States government does a lot to help international students adjust to the new life through their institutional programs. In Canada, however, I think the government should be more careful with the homestay programs because some of the host families are not very friendly and can end up frustrating the lives of international students. In general, even though being an international student is challenging, it exposes a person new opportunities, and learning the culture of other people is also exciting. Read More