10 Strategies for Helping You Adjust to Life as an International Student
Studying abroad can be harder than we think, sometimes we may think that our family and friends might not understand the situation we are living in, and it’s hard to convey these thoughts and feelings to them accurately. Mental health is as essential as your physical health, and needs to be cared for. When you are feeling sick, you may want to rest. If you are having any concerns about your health, you consult with a doctor. Perhaps you can’t fall asleep because you’re stressing about an exam, feeling depressed because of homesickness, and experience lowered energy which is keeping you from enjoying life. These are all symptoms to be mindful of, and it’s important to know that there are solutions for those concerns.
10 tips to help you adjust to your life studying abroad
1. Find a therapist to help you care for your mental health while navigating this transition
Being alone in a foreign country can feel like being a stranger to the people and place you’re in and around. When you arrive at your new university to start your education, there may be other barriers you’ll encounter, such as language barriers, cultural clashes, anxiety with working with classmates for group projects, or fear about presenting in front of your peers. These situations may exacerbate your loneliness and homesickness if you don’t have support or a method to cope with these issues. Know that there are mental health centers in universities that offer counseling services that are there to help you. It may be useful to utilize these resources for yourself by seeing a school counselor on your campus, so that you can speak to them about your stressors and frustrations. From there, you and your counselor can explore effective skills and strategies to deal with these concerns. You can also choose to see a mental health therapist who is not on your campus.
2. Build a relationship with your professors
As an international student, you may experience pressure surrounding school work. Normally, professors can help you by providing help with your academic work. If you can develop a good relationship with your professors, they can help you navigate challenges and concerns you may have related to your major or career path. Knowing your professors and them knowing you, both academically and personally (in a professional manner), can help you by allowing them to offer recommendation letters, research opportunities, or even taking on a position as a teaching assistant. These can all help you for future planning if you’re thinking about advanced degrees or career options after graduation.
3. Join a club that interests you
When you are doing something you enjoy, you will likely feel and be happier. In universities, there are many clubs established for and by students, providing a place for students to meet, gather, and get to know one another based on mutual interests and hobbies. By joining school clubs, you can become more open and available to meeting and making new friends, as well as become more motivated to participate and receive benefits from it. Hobbies and fun activities can help relieve stress from studying as well as alleviate the feeling of nostalgia and loneliness. There may even be clubs offered that represent your country, traditions, and culture that can make you feel more at home.
4. Form a close group of friends
“You have your parents when you’re home, whereas, you have your friends when you’re overseas” is a Chinese saying which means that your close friends can help make you feel at home. Studying abroad in a new country and a new place can be challenging. Having the opportunity to meet new people and form friendships will be important and beneficial for you. Friends can help you adjust more quickly to the new environment and culture, and help you enjoy life as an international student more easily.
5. Stay in contact with your friends, family, and support system from back home
Some say that relationships with friends, family, and support systems back home can be forgotten due to distance, and time differences can make it difficult to maintain the relationships you used to have. While recognizing time zones can be challenging, having a regular time to communicate with your parents, friends, or support system back at home, through a method that works for everyone, can create a way for you to get guidance and suggestions from loved ones. Letting them know about your life as well, apart from school-related news, can help you feel better from hearing their loving and caring words of reassurance and encouragement.
6. Practice mindful exploring
Some may agree that exploring new places and hidden gems can help us positively alter our mood. Usually, around finals, students have the most pressure and heightened stress, and the semester is close to finishing. After this, students have either a winter or summer break.
During this time, take a step back from your role as a student and explore the world around you, visit new places with new friends, relax, and enjoy the environment around you. One of the exciting parts of studying abroad is having the opportunity to explore and be curious.
7. Establish a new hobby or interest
While studying abroad, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to try out different activities. By finding a new hobby or interest, you are able to focus on the moment and practice mindfulness. Activities such as writing, music, art, or dancing can be great ways to relax and express yourself. A hobby or interest can be a coping strategy you may use if you are unable to pay full attention to your school work and the stresses of college life. Everyone needs a break now and then!
8. Utilize the campus career center to help with career planning
School work and college life isn’t the only thing students have to deal with; sometimes, career planning and where to after graduation can cause added stress on international students. On campus, there are career centers where academic advisors are able to provide you with some guidance on where to begin looking next. This can be based on your interests, educational background, and work or volunteer experience. If you are unsure about what you want to do after graduation, consider visiting the career center, or speak with a career counselor for helpful guidance and advice.
9. Make time for exercise or other enjoyable forms of movement
When exercising, our brain produces a chemical called dopamine, an element that makes us feel happy. If your mood is low and down, try utilizing the gym on campus or going to a local gym for exercise and other enjoyable forms of movement that can help alter our moods and be beneficial for our health. It is important to know where your university's gym is located, as well as their hours, which are likely able to be found on your university’s website.
10. Learn new skills
Sometimes, missing home may begin by simply missing a particular dish that we always crave that our family member can’t be here to prepare for us, or the ingredients that aren’t available to use. We become aware that we can’t rely on others for what we want or miss, even for something as simple as a traditional, home cooked meal. Learning a new skill can be beneficial for us to develop in the long run by encouraging us to be more independent. This can include learning how to cook, managing time better, creating a budget, and setting boundaries.
The beginning of a transition can be hard at first; but once you begin, it can help you in the journey to reach your goal. Knowing that when you are having challenging moments or facing difficult barriers in life, these strategies may help you better navigate your life as an international student living away from home. With the right coping strategies in place, you can navigate studying abroad while also taking good care of yourself.
Search Our Other Blogs!
Interested in Multicultural and/or Bilingual Counseling for International Students/Workers?
If you’re a Marylander who knows that counseling is the direction you need to take, the therapists at LifeSpring Counseling Services are here to help. We offer online counseling services for mindfulness, depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief and loss. We also offer Brainspotting as a specialized service, and Brainspotting can be done online, too!
Here’s how you can get started! Multicultural and bilingual counseling services for international students and workers aren’t the only services offered at our Maryland office
The counselors and social workers at our Maryland office also offer counseling services for trauma, grief and loss, boundary setting, communication skills, and difficult life transitions. We also offer specialized counseling services including Brainspotting and spiritually-integrated counseling. Because we are located next to several local universities, we also work with college students and international students.
Written By: Alice Zhao, LCPC
Photos: cottonbro, Vlada Karpovich, Burst, Ketut Subiyanto, Julia M Cameron, and fauxels on Pexels
Date of Download: 10/14/2020
