The journey ahead

Beyond the excitement of shopping, packing and boarding that airplane, make sure you leave for college in the right frame of mind. BT points out how international students can experience a weakened sense of identity once the exhilaration settles in. Excitement , ambition, eagerness and hope - pretty much what you except a young adult to feel as he or she is preparing to study at a much sought- after foreign destination such as the United States, England or France. Tell someone you feel sorry for your friend preparing to study abroad and get ready to face a round of bewildered stares. The fact is, the euphoria of studying abroad can be so consuming for both, the student preparing to leave and the friends and family that they leave behind, that the deeper, psychological effects of moving away from home, and finding one's place in an alien environment are commonly overlooked. Once the initial euphoria of a new life settles in, international students are faced with quite literally, a sea of new adjustments. Strange faces, and fresh course work taught by a new set of professors is a normal experience for any new student. But add to that the exposure to an entirely different culture, by way of a different cuisine, language, way of dressing or even a different thought process, and even the most adventurous of international students can feel overwhelmed. ……………... Food is just one example of the many other factors that can make international students feel like they do not belong and eventually develop the sense that they belong to two distinctly different worlds, one in which they are comfortable but no longer exist and the other which they are a part of, but do not necessarily belong. [View Full Article]