By Shivangi Gupta
While acquiring education from a recognised institution overseas can lend you a competitive edge, moving away from the life you have always known can prove to be a draining experience. Students often have to face a range of psychological challenges in their move abroad and coping with them is essential for the maintenance of a good academic record and subsequently an upward scaling career growth chart. Through this article, we have attempted to list out some of the common issues faced by international students and have also suggested ways in which they can deal with them. So, if you are a prospective international student and are planning you education abroad, this guide has been curated especially for you, read on!
Homesickness
One of the most prominent challenges of moving abroad for education is homesickness. There is an inherent sense of attachment that we share with our homes and our hometowns which makes moving to a new place incredibly hard because we essentially lose that sense of familiarity and security. Added to that, the pressures of being away from your family, friends and everyone you know can give rise to a lingering feeling of homesickness.
How to cope: If we were to recreate a sense of belonging in our new city similar to the one that we share with our home city, the feeling of homesickness can be blissfully avoided. Discover the city with an open mind, visit new places and try to connect with new people. You can also take small day trips to explore the places nearby and build beautiful memories on the way so you can associate a sense of belonging with the area and that is what will help you in overcoming homesickness.
Stress
Moving abroad to study does not just familiarize you with the intricacies of your craft but also acquaints you to the process of leading life as an independent adult. Along with taking care of your academic responsibilities, you also have to manage your finances, your chores, groceries, social life, safety and your overall wellbeing. When the responsibility of managing all aspects of your life, big or small suddenly falls on your shoulders, feeling stressed is absolutely normal but you must make conscious efforts to avoid the translation of this stress into anxiety or even depression.
How to cope: Begin journaling to avoid feeling overwhelmed. When you have all your lists and expectations put out in front of you, it will be significantly easier to complete them all without missing any deadlines. Alongside that, you can invest some time into activities that can bring you peace. Meditating, practicing slow breathing exercises and indulging in workout sessions often prove to be immensely helpful in keeping one grounded and in a balanced state of mind.
Isolation and Loneliness
The feeling of loneliness is almost inescapable, at least during your initial days in a new city. If you are an introvert, it can be even more difficult to connect with people and make new friends instantly. If you are moving to a new time zone, your contact with your family or friends might also become minimal, thereby igniting feelings of isolation.
How to cope: It is important to absorb that each student is going through a similar ordeal and is therefore looking to make new friends at the university. Making the first move and approaching people can lead you to make bonds that can help you defeat the feeling of being isolated.
Culture Shock
Moving to a new city and being exposed to the differences in lifestyle is often enough to give you a bit of a culture shock. As values from one region differ from the other, your move abroad can lead you to discover how some things unacceptable in your hometown are absolutely normal in your new city and vice versa. Alongside that, when you are placed in an international study environment, you might also come across people from different cultural backgrounds and the nuances of their values and lifestyle which could sometimes put you in a spiral of contemplation and confusion.
How to cope: Use the experience to soak in the spirit of multiculturalism. Expand your perspective by visiting global fairs and attending cultural events. Make active attempts to learn about your fellows’ beliefs and ideologies and partake in their festivals to make your stay more vibrant and eventful.
Braced with the knowledge on how to address these common psychological concerns, we hope that you can make the most of your study abroad experience without feeling overwhelmed. Good luck to you for your move abroad!
The author is founder at Intelligent Education. Views are personal.
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