International Student Transition

College students as a whole face the hardships of having to transition into adulthood as well as adjusting to life on their own. For some students that transition comes naturally, but for others, like international students the transition takes a very long time. This elongated briefing period can be due to many differences, most notably cultural changes. In most cases, international students never really adapt to life away from their home country, they end up living two separate lives. One is geared towards college and the friends they have and the other for their home lives. In order to have a more connected student body, colleges have to promote programs that makes international students more welcome and at home with all students that they

Most colleges set an entire week up for international students to showcase things that make up a culture from a set country or area. In addition to this they have a calendar on each international student webpage that displays other various events that focus on a group of people. The University of Kansas, for example, has a page set up for their International Student Services as well as a page set up for just international events. The calendar that displays events is only on the latter page, whereas the first page has all of the tools that are intended to help international students. One event that I remember going to was during KU’s International Awareness Week. Everything was set up on the fifth floor of the Kansas Memorial Union and there were many booths arranged to display key aspects of different cultures. I was given the opportunity to eat and drink unique foods from all around the world, an opportunity that I would have never had outside of college. While all of this is done with good intention, most students feel that the International Student Services at KU don’t do much to help international students feel more comfortable in the United States. All three of my interviewees felt that this organization cared more about money than

We as a unified student body cannot let our international peers be alienated. We must act now to ensure that the future for international students allows them the access to an education in a country where it is believed that anything is possible. It is essential that colleges implement new techniques that better help generate the feeling of want and togetherness. An education is not a privilege, it is a human right, yet when it comes to international students it does not matter. What deems them less worthy of the same quality education as