Moving to study abroad can have a lot of benefits. Among other, you get to experience the world while studying for the future. That said, studying abroad comes with its own challenges you should be aware of. To this end, we have put together a list of the biggest challenges international students face.
Cultural shock
It is common for the excitement of studying abroad to disappear as soon as you land. Why is this? To put it simply, it’s because of cultural shock. Cultural shock is what happens when you find yourself surrounded by a different culture, different customs and general communication to what you’re used to. Integrating with a new culture isn’t easy, and cultural shock can’t be dealt with easily. The way to solve this is to, simply, make some friends. Communicate with new people, and try to integrate. Of course, it also doesn’t help that some items can’t be imported to the U.S.
Language barrier
One of the biggest challenges international students face regularly is facing a language barrier. This doesn’t mean not understanding a language completely. Simply not being fluent in a language can cause a language barrier, and leads to difficulty with communication. However, this problem is one that is fairly easy to solve. Taking language classes can help you overcome the language barrier relatively quickly and easily.
Moving
It might seem obvious, but moving overseas is very challenging for most people, students or otherwise. As such, it is important to organize your move well and find a convenient solution for your stuff. For example, door to door delivery services are one of the best ways to go about it, as it will ensure that your belongings are delivered directly to you, wherever you might move.
Difficulty understanding lectures
Another common issue for international students is having difficulty with following lectures. Unfortunately, this can be cause both by a language barrier and by generally not being used to the new culture. Just remember, it takes time to get used to your new surroundings. Don’t get disheartened and keep trying your best.
Finances
Of the biggest challenges international students face, finances might be the worst. Being a student, your budget will most likely be tight. Between the need to explore the new country you are in and the money you will inevitably need for assignments and guidance, you will unavoidably be short on money. Experts from movingtransparent.com also note that, depending on where you move from, moving can drain your budget pretty quickly too. The solution to this particular problem is: finding a part-time job, and only spending on things you absolutely need to.
Academic writing
Meeting writing standards in your new university can prove to be incredibly difficult. Academic writing is something that even native students struggle with. So, for foreigners, this can be especially difficult. Initially, it will be almost impossible to meet the university standards for assignments. The solution here is to practice. A lot. Preferably with the help of a research writing service.
Moving stress
Moving stress is common even when not moving overseas. After all, organizing and executing a move is incredibly stressful, and it shows. As such, knowing how to deal with moving stress is very important for international students.
Afterword
International students face a lot of challenges over the course of their studies. However, dealing with them isn’t impossible. And, once you do deal with these challenges, you will find that it was worth it. We hope you found this list of the biggest challenges international students face helpful, and we wish you luck.