Social Life And Making Friends On Us University Campuses

Making friends on U.S. campuses could be challenging for those who are an international students. It’s not easy to make friends with American students because they tend to be independent and keep distance from others. In Rebekah Nathan’s book “My Freshman Year”, Nathan claims that social life and developing friendships on U.S. campuses is difficult for international students because American students would make them feel uncomfortable and invisible at times. Nathan’s argues that American students don’t put any effort in talking to students from different race, ethnic, and background. International students are usually on their own or be with their friends since Americans wouldn’t make friends with them. In nathan’s book, she discusses about the

She had missed out the university social experience which contained more connections. These included friendships, clubs, and living on campus. She explained that the all of these components of education come together and make it really valuable. “A job may be the starting point for the good life, but it shouldn’t be the end.” (Hrabowski 260) College puts students in many different social and academic situations. These scenarios prepare young students for not only a job, but life when these day to day interactions take place. I relate to Hrabowski’s article because in the first semester of my college career, I would often stay inside because I would be focused on school all the time. My mom would often remind me how lucky I am because the people I meet while have the time I have on campus will become my best friends. Although I am still working on making lifelong friends, I feel I still make connections with others on campus on a day to day basis that are really important. Hrabowski relates to my experience because although I am pursuing a degree, I believe that much more aspects going into a full and happy life. Having these social experiences will give me the upper hand of handling professional and casual social situations better. This will allow me to have better connections and more opportunities which will only positively affect my

In the article, “Colleges Adapt to New Kinds of Students from Abroad,” Karin Fischer (2011) explains the increase of foreign students in U.S. universities leads to make more problems in campus and how universities are trying to overcome those problems and help foreign students to adapt to campus. Fischer explains the increase of the foreign undergraduate students due to the support from foreign governments. Fischer quotes Wesley Young, the director of services for international students and scholars at the University of California at Davis, to discuss that the increase of foreign undergraduate students especially requires more care and help than graduate students. While older students know what they need to do and what to do in U.S. university,

As the widespread population of teenage international student body growth, many more promising and upstanding students came to America to develop their better selves. When the first year they come, the very different environment would be a challenge for this young generation of student who just left the protection of their parents and familiar teachers and friends. The adjustment of academic will be a fundamentally challenging for them in many different aspects.

When a young adult gets to go to college or university, they stray a new path in their lives away from their parents and into a good taste of freedom on campus life. It is here where you try to find your identity and seek significant others to construct your daily life but it can be through those same friends that you have common interests that tensions can occur with others who are in different sub cultures than you.

College for an incoming freshman is exciting, however, it is often focused on the social aspect such as the connections that can be attained through Greek life, parties and independence. Due

Maureen Andrade article, “International students face academic and social transition issues in their first year of university” (P.135), so, students will face hard times at the beginning because they came from different countries which have different traditions and believes so, they will need time to adjust with the new environment depends on the student’s personality if he or she is extroverted or introverted. Accordingly, social adjustment issues present an obstacle for the international student; they face new life style, and sometimes the social support they get is less than what the domestic students get. Language proficiency can be the biggest obstacle for the international students, sometimes they feel shy speaking to native speakers because

The social challenges that international students face include international students only relating to other international students. According to Macalester College, a group of Chinese students were already bonded altogether within themselves even before they came to the campus (Fischer, p. 100). Usually, American students find other students, who are planning go to the same school, on social

Traveling half the globe does not seem to be that big of a deal anymore. This opens up many opportunities, especially for students, to go to a different country and learn their culture. I am an international student and from my experience, cultural differences are the most difficult challenge for two people to become friends. Most of the situation that I had faced are very similar to the story in “Laughing Without an Accent” by Firoozeh Dumas.

When international students study for the first time at a university in the United States, the first challenge almost is study. For instance, students’ communication and writing skills, the grades in each class and so on. When the student decided to study abroad, parents place great hopes on the students. Almost international students were having a bit afraid to talk with native speaker, when they first time at the university in the United States. Also, international students could not write really like the native students writing. At the same time, students must want to get a good grade in each class, but different countries have different education system.

Students from different parts of the world travel to the United States to study. International students see that there is a wide difference between U.S. colleges and colleges in their home countries. Rebekah Nathan, an anthropology professor, covers the topic in her book My Freshman Year. Where Nathan pretends to be a student in an unnamed university in order to obtain knowledge for her research about college life in the United States. Nathan, from asking multiple international students, made claims about how international students look at the teaching system in American colleges. Claims such as American students behave disrespectfully to class etiquette, Professors in the U.S. are more lenient than professors in their home countries and that

However, the change from home to college can be difficult for international students (Mesidor & Sly, 2016). While some international students find it easy to adjust to the transition, others international students find it challenging to adjust to the transition (Mesidor & Sly, 2016). Studies show that international students experience many challenges as a result of language and cultural barriers, academic difficulties, financial difficulties, medical issues, housing concerns, food differences, alienation, homesickness, lack of social support system, racial discrimination, and cross-cultural loss) (Akanwa, 2015; Guzman et al., 2015; Mesidor & Sly, 2016; Sherry et al., 2010; Smith & Khawaja, 2011; Tung, 2011; Zhang & Goodson, 2010). According to Prieto-Welch (2016), international students as a group are regarded as a main minority population in campuses

I have learned that retaining global relationships are a unique, enlightening and a significant experience. In College, I have had the privilege to encounter with many international students. Consequently,

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 at has a very different way of life than theirs. Further more, the laws in that 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 at 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.

This results in few friends and international students tending to isolate themselves or keeping to a group of the same language. Depression comes into effect for those that cannot find peers of the same language. Therefore being forced to have very or no friend which leads to loneliness and depression. The barrier between international students and English speaking students create obstacles that impede the building of interpersonal relationships with fellow students. International students not fluent with the English language experience difficulties that students who are fluent do not. They difficulties include needing extra time to read assigned reading, difficulties understanding class lectures and discussions, and difficulties communicating concerns and view points (Tam. K, Donghyuck. L, & Huang. L, 2007) International students tend to disconnect from their previous social life and find new connections to develop new social Support networks in their new host country (Tam. K, Donghyuck. L, & Huang. L, 2007). Pedersen (1991), point out that a loss of social support as an impact on the psychological well-being of an international student. The unpleasant experience of forming new support networks in host country leads to feeling of disappointment and discontent. Overtime, these feeling lead to social isolation (Mallinckrodt and Leong 1992).