The Reality of International Students’ Life

The Clear-Eyed Look at the Life of International Students

While you are looking for the right university abroad, you have tempted with lots of attractive deals: a nice area, modern facilities, a friendly environment, progressive disciplines and so on. But when you face the reality, it is not always as you have imagined it. Thus, it takes much time for you to get used to a new place, language, culture, and people around you. Here is an essay by BuyEssayFriend about International Students and their life.

In 2016, the number of international students in Canada reached almost 500,000. Thus, the national GDP was increased by almost $13 billion, which is more than revenues generated from the aircraft or automobile manufacturing sector.

Slowly, Canada has turned into one of the most popular educational destinations worldwide due to its high standards in all spheres of life. Many students come here to see the world, while others try to get better opportunities in life. Being far away from your family and friends is not an easy thing to handle but many young people take this try. The fact that international students coming to Canada have enough finances to pay high tuition fees doesn’t make their life any easier. In the end, it is not all about money.

Feeling Pressure

Today, education is a luxury that not everyone can afford even in a home country. Meanwhile, studying abroad is a unique chance to be caught by the luckiest of you. With an immense amount of money spent on your education abroad, you will be expected to build up a successful career or do something really big in your life. Your family, relatives, and friends will want much more from you due to the initial investment they have made into your studies. If you fail to meet those expectations, you won’t manage to escape from psychological discomfort.

Feeling Isolation

Once you have moved to a new country, it will need some time for you to settle down. If you are not a people person, it will also take a while to start a new friendship. No wonder that many international students have to go through periods of depression and isolation. Young people are afraid to demonstrate that they are struggling to handle the loneliness. In most cases, to not demonstrate weakness, you start hiding your fears and anxiety from the others. So, complaining about something may turn into sounding ungrateful.

Canada has a diverse culture that has been established by immigrants and international students. The educational programs and governmental financial aid offered to international students prove this claim. Still, despite all the best intentions, these programs result in a few other problems. Thus, students that come from other countries have to integrate and become a member of the Canadian society within the shortest timeframes. At the same time, you become a subject of skepticism in your home country. The integrated aid and resources happen not to be able to fill the gap left by missing family and friends back home.

Even if you realize the things you are about to miss from the very beginning, you can’t be prepared for the magnitude and importance of those things. There are lots of stories revealing the family dramas of international students that left their families and friends behind. Occasionally, you will feel confused about not being able to physically contact someone you love.

No matter how depressing it may sound, you have your goals and you should follow them. Your loving family and friends should appreciate your decision and support you in it.

Being the Victim of Stereotypes

The most common stereotype you will have to face is that international student always some from rich families. Obviously, this is not the case for everyone. Although most international students pay high tuition fees, it doesn’t mean they have extra money to be spent here and there. In some families, the decision to send a child abroad for studying has been a long-term plan so that these financial resources can be a result of many years of hard work. Some parents even have to sacrifice their pension finances or get into debts for the sake of their children’s well-being.

Suffering from Dilemmas

Receiving education in a country with totally different cultural norms and ethical values can be a real challenge to be taken. Logically, you might be eligible for some common dilemmas. Thus, it can be very difficult to get used to a new social life, especially if it goes against your personal identity and the values your country and parents imposed on you. Do you have to adopt the local mindset and approach to life in order to integrate into Canadian society? Or do you need to stick to the principles you were raised with? Oftentimes, it is difficult to find the balance no matter how hard you try.

Eventually, you will notice that most international students try to stick to the community only comprised of people from their own nation or at least region. It makes sense for them because the burden of a foreign culture becomes less heavy while you are speaking your native language or solve the academic tasks from the same angle. At the same time, you can hardly find international students who come back home because of their inability to get in touch with their community in Canada.

Why do you need all this?

With all the bad and good things, universities try to do their best to help young people to get the maximum out of their time on campus. You come here for self-actualization and this is something you should keep in your mind. As soon as you manage to overcome the depression, isolation, and all the other difficulties as an international student, you will notice all the changes inside yourself that make you feel like a better person.

Remember that you are not alone in this. There are hundreds of other local and international students in the exact same situation as you. So, you will surely start good friendships here that might last for years. Just stay positive and patient no matter what.