Living your first years as an independent adult in another country is tough, but experiencing the cultural diversity we have here is worth the hardship.
Being part of the international student community is something to be proud of. Even though I was worried last semester with the visa cancellations and stricter law enforcement, international students still come to school in the U.S.
The main challenge international students struggle with is adapting to the environment and speaking English well enough to socialize and understand the coursework.
For me, language wasn’t difficult. Growing up surrounded by different cultures and languages —especially with half of my family being Swedish — made English easier to learn. Still, adjusting to the lifestyle of people in St. George took me a while.
The people here are very sociable and extroverted. At first, being from a little island in Spain, I found it intimidating when faculty or fellow students struck up a conversation out of nowhere.
But those interactions, while overwhelming at first, will make a positive impact on your life as a student. Many of us don’t know anyone when we arrive in this country, so making new friends helps us past that awkward phase.
Getting to know people from not only different parts of the United States, but also different parts of the world is the best part for me because there is so much to learn about other cultures.
The socializing part is the most exciting part about college, but we still have to study and get used to how subjects are taught in this country.
Academically, the workload and exams are manageable if you have the right strategies. Keeping up with all of our classes is paramount for success, and, especially if you are struggling with the language, taking notes and asking the teacher any questions during or after class.
None of us should feel ashamed about having an accent or making mistakes. I have had many friends talk to me about their worries with their English level, and I have told them that as long you make yourself understood, keep practicing and stay respectful, those concerns will go away sooner than expected. At the end of the day, we are here to learn and develop our language skills and/or a professional career.
It’s normal for us to be homesick; our homes are plane rides away from here, which makes missing our family, friends and pets even tougher than it already is.
Keeping up with our family and friends is always a good way to connect with our home country, but also getting to our country’s community at the university can help. Unfortunately, this might not apply to everyone since there are students who have few or no other people from their country.
One of the things international students miss the most is their country’s food. We all feel like the food here is never as good as it is back home. Sometimes, we can’t even buy the ingredients to make the dishes we eat in our countries. It is normal for you to feel nostalgic about the place that you call home, but you have to adapt to where you are right now.
I might be biased, but Spanish cuisine is one of the best in the world, with tapas being one of my favorite dishes. I can make something like a Spanish omelette with the simple ingredients it has. However, tapas, although it’s basically a plate with ham and cheese, it’s very hard — and expensive — to find a good Iberian ham or a selection of cheese that can make this dish worth serving at home.
The food here is very processed, and the standard is low compared to how it is in Spain and Sweden, but this can be adjusted to. Learning to make food yourself and invent or recreate recipes that have accessible ingredients is the best way to battle this nostalgia. This way, you’ll enjoy the food more when you get back home while still experimenting with new dishes while you’re here.
To get the most out of your time abroad, you should make yourself a new place to call home, new friends to spend the time with, and get to know people that will make you grow in your future job field and in your personal life.
We should take the opportunity to experience studying in another country and get to learn as much as we can from all the cultures that we have at Utah Tech University, all while we pave a road toward a better professional career.
