Help out your fellow international students

Foreign students may need support acclimating to a new environment

Help+out+your+fellow+international+students

Everything at Oak Park is so new to me. It’s not just because I am a freshman, but because I am an international student as well.

I moved to the United States from India about three months ago with my family because I wanted to experience something new and study in this kind of learning environment. Most international students come here for the same reason.

But regardless of all this, can you imagine how hard it is to leave your country, your friends and sometimes even your family behind?

Tell you what: maybe I can help you understand, and maybe you might be able to help some of the international students at our school.

But even after three months, the small, everyday things Oak Park students do still leave me feeling dazed and confused.

In education, some of these students will inevitably have trouble keeping up with your typical Westernized standards. They are used to the standards of the country they consider home, so it won’t be easy to experience different ones. Some of the subjects will be too easy and some too hard. Personally, I have a lot of trouble with English; Math, on the other hand, is quite easy for me to learn.

So, what can American students do? Well that’s simple: Ask us what we’re having trouble with, and then help us out. In return, we can help you with the subjects you’re having trouble with.

But that’s probably not the only problem international students will face. Have you ever traveled to a different country or state and felt like everything was similar and strange at the same time?

You guessed it; That’s another one of our problems. When I first came here, it was normal to feel strange because of the unfamiliar surroundings. But even after three months, the small, everyday things Oak Park students do still leave me feeling dazed and confused.

The most striking difference would be with driving and walking. Most European and Eastern countries drive and walk on the right side, whereas with America, it’s all done on the left. It might seem like a simple difference at first, but I often have to shout in my dad’s ear to go left and not right when he’s driving.

Things like that, no matter how trivial they might seem to you, are still confusing to me and the other international students. Simple things do take us a long time to adapt to.

That, too, is where American students (like yourself, I assume) can come in. Even befriending us and answering any questions we might have would work. That would be the easiest and fastest way to help.

Even befriending us and answering any questions we might have would work. That would be the easiest and fastest way to help.

Finally, there comes the homesickness. Although I’m not a foreign exchange student — I do live with my family, after all — it’s important to understand that these students have to live with host families. And most of the time, host families will end up becoming a second family to them. But that does not change the fact that they will miss their real family.

You might be able to relate, because homesickness is normal for any person. Maybe you once left home for a summer camp. While you were away, you probably missed your family and friends. You might’ve even felt that you weren’t supposed be there, and felt left out as a result.

It’s the same thing for foreign exchange students, but it’s just a little harder for them because they’re leaving their entire country behind. They’re miles and miles away from home.

But that doesn’t always stop them from having fun, especially if you talk to them, and befriend them.

And lastly, to all foreign exchange students out there: I know living without your family might be hard at first, but remember that they are not going anywhere. They will still be waiting for you to come back to them when you finish school here. And there will always be someone here to help you, whether it’s your host family, new friends or new teachers.

All you need to do is ask.