The Highs And Lows Of Being An International Student

If you are an international student, then you are thousands of miles away from home, and you feel both happy and sad.

For one part, you’re officially independent, you don’t need permission to go out from your house, and still you have to learn to be responsible. Your parents aren’t behind you anymore telling you what and how to do it. It’s a high feeling, being a grownup. At least that was the first thing that I felt when I started living by myself. As time goes by, however, you realize that every high comes with a low. And every low, with a high.

By the tenth time you do your laundry, you start wishing your mom or dad was there doing it for you. Or you really begin to crave the amazing homemade grilled cheese sandwhich from your dad. It’s called homesickness. International students tend to suffer from homesickness every now and then; it’s like a seasonal feeling. Whenever I’m homesick, I order pizza, or eat a lot of cheese sticks. We all dwell differently.

You become a far more understandable person than you were before. You know that you’re not the only one who goes through a rough patch while adjusting to life alone. Yet you manage to build a second family, who are there through the thick and thin of college life. Basically, being an international student forces you to become responsible, and shapes you into a better person. You might not have your parents to give you Tylenol when your head hurts, but you’ll have your friends pressing your hand while you’re having blood taken out. You become your friends’ mom and dad, and then they become yours.

Trying to understand a different culture is also another struggle. You’re like, why are you wearing shorts if it’s snowing? Or what does “IRL” mean? But at the same time, they wonder the same about you. Like when you’re speaking in your own language they’re beyond intrigued to know what you’re saying. You are a mystery for them. Even if they do know the basics of your language, they will barely keep up with the slangs. Its a two-way street. You will learn about culture and you will teach about your own culture, and in time you will see how you grow to appreciate your country more.

Being misinterpreted is another low that international students often stumble upon. Some of us have to think in our native language and then find the logical way to translate it in order to successfully communicate.

Whoever said that with freedom comes great responsibility was right. Being an international student means you’re technically on your own. It’s your turn to not only look after yourself, but to actually get things done. It is your responsibility now to pay your phone bill, your insurance, and to solve whatever problem comes your way. Of course, today we have the advantage of having help at our fingertips. I texted my mom asking how much should you leave the chicken in the oven, or what is a tax refund. It’s important to acknowledge that even though you’re excited to be a grownup, your parents are still there to help you along the way. After all, they know better.

Personally, the highest high of being an international student is the opportunity to explore. We are in a completely different place than we used to be. The world opens several doors, that wouldn’t have opened the same had you stayed back home. Our experiences become knowledge that can be applied once we graduate, and for the rest of our lives. It strengthens out our ability to think critically, and it strengthens our personality.

Becoming an international student sure is hard and has bumps along the way. But it’s definitely worth it.