International students studying in places like Melbourne are often away from home for the very first time and face immense challenges adapting to an unfamiliar environment. In our line of work we've spoken and interacted with hundreds of students from China, Malaysia, Myanmar and Indonesia. They often speak about the following issues that make adapting to overseas life especially challenging.
Food
Food can be very expensive in western countries due to their stronger currency and higher cost of living. Food and beverage businesses also face high overhead costs due to high wages and rental fees. As a result, a hearty and nutritious meal on a school day will set the student back at least AUD10, and that is considering that they are on a budget. Students often have to resort to fast food in order to save money.
In addition, the flavours of food that is widely available and enjoyed by the locals is often very different from what international students are used to back home in Asia. Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian and other Asian genres of cuisine often feature flavourful spices and intense aromas. With the relatively more plain offerings available as daily staples in western countries, international students are constantly reminded that they are far from home.
Language
Language barriers are significant for students who come from countries where English is not spoken as a first or even second language. As such their exposure to the language might be severely limited, shaped only by English language films, songs, or other forms of popular entertainment. That's why when it comes to the classroom or lecture hall, international students might struggle to understand academic concepts or philosophical ideas expressed in English.
Even for students who are conversant in English, writing and piecing together grammatically correct essays or using appropriate expressions and vocabulary might be a challenge. That is why many students yearn for additional help outside of the classroom, especially from someone who can speak their first language as well. When students understand the ideas being taught in the classroom, they have much less of a problem translating them into English.
Style of teaching
It is no secret that the academic culture in Western countries is more open, collaborative and discursive. While international students are bright, hardworking and astute, the classroom environment back home is often not one that has encouraged free-flowing discussions or proactive class participation. This makes the foreign learning environment especially intimidating on top of the language barriers.
As more and more universities across the world place less emphasis on rote-learning and greater priority on synthesising a wider breadth of concepts, international students find themselves increasingly pushed beyond their comfort zone. In many cases, younger students feel intimidated when it comes to approaching instructors one-on-one or booking office hours with them.
Mental health support
Being away from home and struggling with academics, social life, and self-care can be very stressful. International students face unique challenges in having to look after their own physiological, mental and emotional needs. This can result in setbacks having a profound effect on their psyche and emotional well-being. Local mental health support is accessible via subsidised psychiatric care facilities but international students do not have access to those. Counselling support is often not available in their first language and this limits the ability of university support frameworks to help them.
While turning to friends and calling home is always an option, it is far from perfect. Many international students cope with mental stress and depression by building fortitude and learning to manage their emotions effectively. That being said, many also fall through the cracks and suffer in silence until they finish their studies.
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