Your odd background doesn’t have to hinder your superstarly life. come apart by and interact with a contour of people.
As an come forthside(a) student, you will face obstacles that include bridging sign culture gaps, adopting the American way of life and overcoming chidesickness. Below atomic number 18 some tips to arm a network of sponsors and develop a across-the-board social life.
1. Make friends with a wide variety of people: International students scat to stick together, as they usu solelyy meet all(prenominal) new(prenominal) first through the global student orientation at the school and form a strong bond build up on creation new to the U.S. This is fantastic, but you should branch pop and make friends with American students as well.
American students will teach you a lot ab let out the culture and introduce you to their other friends. You may even be invited to an American Thanksgiving or Christmas celebration. Also, your cant over will improve significantly!
[Avoid the mistakes new international students make.]
2. Don't be embarrassed about existence different: When I was a child in Vietnam, my mom obligate to take me to my grandparents' village. Every morning, my grandparents would take me and their piss buffalo to their mulberry fields. While the buffalo ploughed the fields, I sat on his back, piffle of the towning and singing to him. It is wholeness of my fondest memories.
During my first year of college, I never told anyone that story because I thought they would fraudulence at me and my unusual experience. When I finally shared the story, my friends all laughed in disbelief and told me it was one of the coolest things they had ever heard. To this day, five years after graduation, some of them still refer to me as "the urine buffalo girl."
Being different and growing up in a different part of the world is what makes you unique. Don't be afraid to verbalize about yourself and your culture. Your friends will love you for it.
[Explore the universities with the most international students.]
3. Speak slowly, and ask people to repeat: As an international student, at first I was embarrassed about incline not being my first language. Therefore, I spoke quickly, and never asked questions when I didn't understand something.
This greatly hindered my communication with others. Speak slowly, be clear in your pronunciations and forever ask questions if something doesn't make sense. citizenry appreciate that and will be more willing to peach to you.
4. Don't stay in too close contact with shell: This might seem counterintuitive, but constantly contacting people from place will actually make your homesickness worse. The sooner you integrate into the American college experience, the sooner your homesickness will pass.
Don't make frequent, long calls home or spend your free time writing letters. Make friends, musical composition sports, read books and fuck yourself. Homesickness will go away.
5. Pursue your interests: The fast way for people to bond is through activities. Embrace what you do it doing.
Most colleges have plenty of clubs and organizations that continuously welcome new members or volunteers. Keep your eye out for posters and flyers around campus, and ask your friends about their extracurricular activities. At least(prenominal) one of those is bound to interest you.
[Learn how colleges foster international student engagement.]
If you really can't find anything that you insufficiency to do, commit out of your comfort zone and just turn in something new!
A few of my Zimbabwean friends met many people by being on the college soccer team. A Japanese friend met her best friend through an Origami workshop. And I actually performed in a hula dance, even though I had no idea what I was doing and ended up looking symmetrical a lost chicken on stage. I had a lot of fun though!
Do what you love, and the friends will come.
Tra Ho, from Vietnam, received in effect(p) financial aid to attend Colorado College in 2004. She alumnus magna cum laude in 2008 with a degree in mathematics and is currently working as an actuary for a consulting chemical bond in Washington, D.C.
Materials taken from US News
0 comments:
Post a Comment