Every year many students pursue higher education and relocate themselves to enroll in colleges and universities around the world. Some students move to other countries such as United States, Canada, UK and Australia, while other students relocate themselves to new places in their home country. “In the United States, there are nearly half of a million international students who attend university and college” (Hechanova 458). International student sojourners are foreign people who are enrolled in colleges and universities away from their home country; usually they have a temporary student visa and do not speak the host culture’s language (Snow 134). Domestic student sojourners are local or resident people relocated in a new place inside their home country and who are attending a higher education institution. International and domestic student sojourners usually face problems such as adjustment to the new place, socialization with other students, mental health issues due to stressful academic life, and some problems over their academic performance. Adjustment is the capacity for fitting in a new environment; socialization is the act of meet people, share with them and establish a friendly relationship; mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being, with which we deal every day in our life, and academic performance refers to how well students perform their activities at the university and this is directly related with the grades reached. Domestic and international sojourners face common challenges when they begin their student life in a different place, however “international student sojourners are likely to experience more problems than their local counterparts who go to college away from home but do not ...
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According to current estimates approximately 75 percent of college students are now nontraditional students – older than 25, attending school part time, and having delayed entry or reentry into college for a variety of personal reasons. Post secondary education is needed by such students to develop their careers and to acquire new skills and knowledge in a global society where they are likely to have longer life spans than did workers in the past. This trend is not restricted to North America; it is a worldwide phenomenon.
A sojourner is often described as a short term visitor to a new place or culture, where permanent settlement is not the eventual purpose of the trip or sojourn. Bearing this in mind the term sojourner has been applied to many different groups throughout the years; military personnel, aid workers and students or scholars all fall under this broad umbrella term. In the literature concerning students there is some confusion, as various researchers have failed to make the distinction between ‘International Students’ and ‘Student Sojourners’. The term ‘International Student’ , particularly with respect to American, Australian and Asian research,is often used to describe students that have roots in a minority group (such as Asians or Latino Americans) but have actually been born in the ‘host country’. These students are usually resident in the host country for the duration on their academic program and longer. ‘Student Sojourner’ on the other hand is a term that describes students who may move to a new place or culture for the purpose of academic ad...
The goal of this research is to find out why the immigrant students have to face more challenges in the level of education they achieve, the high level poverty that they face in their daily lives and all the confusing networks they have around them which they have no clue of how to utilize it. Also, the research focusses on the fewer resources immigrant students have while achieving their goals. The research question is important as it does affect all immigrant students and their respective families and not limited just to the immigrant. I am sure many families move to a different country to achieve better education and to make a brighter future for themselves and their loved ones. These families come with so much hope and faith, but in return they are bombarded with so much confusing information that it’s very easy for them to get lost and give up. At last, children are the future and if from being they don’t have the correct resources then how will they achieve their goals.
4. Pedersen B. et al. (1996) ( ed.) Counselling Across Cultures, Sage Publications Inc.: USA
In addition to spending more on the actual education and university fees, the international students also have to spend on boarding and food. Finding a place to stay that is conveniently near to the university and other places of interaction, is affordable, accepts immigrants, and suits the basic requirements - is hard, sometimes impossible. A compromise on at least one criterion of the above is required to sustain in the new country.
Away from family and alone in a new environment with limited communication skills are imaginably challenging for most people. Missing families far away can be best compensated with new meaningful relationships established in the strange environment as soon as possible. Asian students are not only the largest international population studying in the United States, but also the most struggled ones to adjust to the U. S. education system and campus life (Talbot &Geelhoed, 1998) Asian students are not only the largest international population studying in the United States, but also the most struggled ones to adjust to the U.S. educational system and campus life (Talbot & Geelhoed ,1998). A strong social support network seems to improve international students’ abilities to cope with this stressful situation (Wan et al., 1992). Poyrazli et al. (2004) found students who perceived from higher levels of traditional and online social support experienced lower levels of acculturative stress and thus more satisfaction. Most of our participants experienced loneliness and helpless at the beginning of their new lives here in the United States. But they learned to cope little by little. All our participants expressed their gratitude to those who had helped them to adapt to this new culture. They could be a close friend or nameless people from church.
College is a new setting for most students, especially the ones no longer living at home. The transition can be easy and worry-free, or a challenging and stressful time. Brougham states, “Growth and change were often accompanied by the experience of stress. The cause of stress varies from person to person. Overall there can be similarities such as ’academics, social relationships, finances, daily hassles and family relationships’ (Brougham, 2009, pg 86). As student, academics is the reason why we are in school; we are aiming to get educated and to learn. Family relationships vary from student to student depending on how close the family is. My immediate family and extended family have such a close bond that when I am needed at home, I drop everything for them. Social relationships are smaller support systems individuals can count on. Finances all come down to economic status and a person’s unique financial aid package. Daily hassles range from what I should wear today to not having enough time in a day.
Going to study in a new country can be a stressful experience, from learning the culture norms to new foods. Culture shock is common with international students. Culture shock can include, meeting new people, language barriers, social behaviors, and a sense of community. A students comfortability with the culture of their new home can determine their learning experience. It can be an emotional rollercoaster, being so far away from family and friends. American culture is difficult to understand. International students find Americans to be confusing. Social norms vary depending on the part of the country a person is in.
International students face many different challenges when studying abroad. This is due to many factors. First they are living in a country very far away from their own. The country they are studying in also has a very different way of life than theirs. Also the laws in foreign country are much different than the laws in their own country. Due to that they face a lot of problems trying to adapt to this new culture. Me personally as an international student in the US studying in ASU have faced three particularly difficult challenges that I was able to overcome through time. In this essay I will explain how international students can overcome tough challenges and situations.
Changing can be the biggest obstacle many student will have to face while attending a University. Students will have to learn how to be on their own, and on top of that learn around what people to associate them self with. In Alfred Lubrano essay “The Shock of Education: How College Corrupts”, he explains how many students struggle with parents and friends while attending college. However, Lubrano goes on to say that depending on cultural ethnicity will determine how the years at college will change a person. Parents have spent about 18 years to mold their children the way they want, but the moment they enter college it seems to deteriorate into pieces, because of all the new material the students are learning.
Going away to college is characterized by two big changes: moving out and living independently without the comfort of parents, siblings, and old friends. Students are forced to make new acquaintances, care for their own needs, and adjust to new situations, routines, and most importantly a different environment. Although many students do not confess this, about 60% to70% of those who reside away from home for the first time develop feelings of homesickness (Van Tilburg, Vingerhoets, & Van Heck, 1999). Of that, about 7% to 10% develop a serious form of homesickness (Eurelings-Bontekoe, Brouwers, Verschuur, & Duijsens, 1998). These studies suggest that homesickness is a prevalent problem for college students. The purpose of this paper is to research
The majority of students will be living by themselves for the first time, away from the support of their parents and siblings. Furthermore, living alone ensures that students must monitor and manage finances, clean their living quarters, and cook for themselves. The continuous practise of these skills ensures that students are equipped with abilities they will need for future living, thus improving their independence. Moreover, students often share a flat together. Living in close proximity to one another ensures that students develop their social skills. Aside from living away from home, the constantly monitored work, paired with the necessity to attend lectures, means that students learn to be organised, furthering their independence. In conclusion, a university education entails far more than simply attending lectures, completing coursework and taking exams. Students benefit from the diversity of social interactions offered in a university setting, and may encounter more opportunities through the social networks they develop. In addition, the ability to work independently and solve a range of problems will make them far more attractive to future employers. In short, gaining a degree entails far more than simply acquiring another
I always want to be an international student because I believe that learning in different surroundings will offer me a chance to explore the world. In order to become one, I have been preparing myself for this upcoming challenge. Long years of studying and paying most of my attention to school work made me wonder whether it is worthwhile to spend so much time on textbooks and became curious about what it is like to study in another country. In 2011, I seized the opportunity provided by my senior high school and became an exchange student in the U.S. . I didn’t fit in perfectly in the beginning, but throughout my exchange year, I had learned to adapt m...
A Student 's life on University campus revolves around going to classes, studying in the library or in their own room, getting involved in co-curricular activities made compulsory by the university and sometimes hanging out with their friends to have fun after an exam. For many students who live in students accommodation being away from their family will require them to be independent and some students need quite some time to get adjusted to their new environment or they will be homesick or stressed. They need to practice housekeeping, to manage a budget, and to find their way around new place. Stress is also a part of every student’s daily life. It can be very damaging for students when stress becomes excessive. It can harm student 's health, happiness, work performance, relationships and personal development.