A New Adventure, A New Challenge

It is August—time for school to start again. For international students just arriving in the United States, it can be overwhelming.  

First, there is the language. Learning a language in a classroom somewhere else is not the same as immersion.  Also, there is the new educational system. What do you call your professor? How much should you participate in class? Should you wait to be called on or volunteer? And why all these homework assignments? Do I need to attend class often?

Then there are the challenges of finding an apartment, understanding the lease, adjusting to a roommate, figuring out how to bank, and how the transportation works.  It’s a lot.

Lisa Espineli Chinn’s book, Think Home, suggests the 3 “I’ ‘s.  The first “I” is Imitate, meaning, do what everyone else does. Don’t invent or do what you did back home.  Follow the educational rules. Listen to how others speak and when. Ask questions about what you don’t understand. 

Next is Isolate. This doesn’t mean we hide away or not participate in activities around us.  It does mean we notice and resolve difficult emotions we experience like sadness, loneliness, and anger. You might take a walk and give yourself a break from stress.

Finally, we Integrate, we use skills that have helped us in the past to feel more at home in the present.  This could be telling ourselves to be patient or reminding ourselves of past successes we have achieved through patience and hard work.  

For those of us on the receiving end of these marvelous, talented, and brilliant international students, a bit of kindness, a smile, and a helping hand goes a long way.
In the end, the blessing is all ours.