International students make up a sizeable percentage of Pace University’s student body. But are our stories heard? We come from many countries to get a first-class education, but happen to struggle with building community and coping with homesickness.
Community is something that a lot of international students have and lose while moving to the United States. Once getting here, it seems common to feel eager to study, achieve great results, and integrate. It is exciting to be at a new place, meet many new people, and get the boost of independence, as if there can be no space for sadness.
However, when time goes by, we get kicked by the reality of being away from home. It can feel isolating to become a part of a new society so quickly because of the language barrier (even though many international students come to college already knowing English), newcomers can feel not fully welcomed, understood, and accepted in the new society they are in.
Once a student reaches the classroom doors, there are other obstacles: What are the expectations? What is expected from the student can take time to fully understand, as there are different teaching styles, and it takes time until a student can just “go with the flow.” Language struggles have a place to be, regardless of fluency, and it happens due to the lack of assurance, and maybe even confidence! For some, dynamic and fast classroom discussions can be a new element of education, intimidating an international student.
The social integration into a new place can lead to international students questioning themselves. We need a balance between adapting and maintaining, as a disbalance can lead to “third culture shocks”. Third culture shock is a feeling that people who change places have when they don’t feel totally at home at either place- a home place or a new place. It seems important these days to maintain cultural identity, as well as to feel connected to a larger, global society. Such experience can relate to any person, but international students might feel it more drastically.
Pace University offers support and help for international students, as well as there is an ISS (International Students Services) office. There are many questions that it can answer, but some of the questions require international students to be on their own. Being an international student is a journey, and Pace University has resources to be even better.