What does it feel like to be an international student? I guess the best way to explain it is that it feels like opening pandora’s box, on stage, with thousands watching, while your mom is constantly calling you every hour. I know this sounds like a lot to take in, which it is, but it’s also one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.
Leaving home is hard, or at least it was for me. I still remember the day my mom and sister left to go back home, officially leaving me to fend for myself in college. This wasn’t the first time I would be away from home, though, having already spent a gap year studying Mandarin in Taiwan, but this time it would be a little bit different. I would only be a few hours away from home by plane, but this time around I wouldn’t know anyone. It’s safe to say I was terrified – but also extremely giddy.
One of the first things I did was join as many clubs as possible. I thought it would be a good way to get to know people and to be exposed to new experiences. As I started going to class, sorority and other social events, I started realizing that I had as many questions about my new classmates as they had about me. Here’s a small summary of the struggles, the joys and everything in between:
1. Time zones: I’m from Panama, so this doesn’t really apply to me, but getting through syllabus week is a little harder when your body is still in a different time zone. Not to mention, how hard it is trying to keep up with phone calls, sleeping schedules, and free time. All I have to say is, thank God for Whatsapp, Skype, Viber and all the other apps we have on our phones that help us keep in touch with our friends and family.
2. Paperwork: Oh my god, so. much. paperwork. We have to deal with things like I-94, I-20, F1, J1, OPT, H1B, which honestly all sound like smartphones/toys/robots to me, but happen to be different types of visas, certificates and forms. Basically, these are the things that need to be issued during school, and post-school, that keep you from being deported while trying to, you know, work, so you don’t die or whatever. In reality, they aren’t that hard to fill out, but I don’t know what it is about us internationals, that wait until the very last week to get all of this done, which can be truly stressful. Pro-tip: Get your paperwork done as soon as you get an email about it, trust me.
3. Setting Up: I didn’t realize how much stuff i had to buy until I got here and realized i didn’t have the luxury to go home if I forgot that cute blue cardigan or my hair straightner. All the pride I had on being an efficient packer lasted about a week. I then threw that pride out the car window on my way to Target.
4. All the Questions: Oh, so many questions. I personally think curiosity is a healthy thing, but I’m always a little flattered and amazed when people find new questions about my country and culture.
5. FREEDOM: There’s no curfew. No grounding. No one that will yell at you for not doing laundry for 3 weeks. You can stay up as late as you want – which you probably are doing because of all the homework and studying you need to do. You can also come and go as you like, with no one reminding you that this is a household, not a hotel.
6. International Food Aisles: You can check with anyone who knows me, nothing makes me happier than going grocery shopping and hitting up that international food aisle. The best way I can describe it is as pure joy, because no matter how long it’s been, it will always feel comforting knowing you can make a traditional dish far away from home! It may not always taste as good as your mom’s, but it’ll have the same sentiment to it.
7. Being Bilingual/Polyglot: Now this is an actual struggle. Sometimes if I’m caught off guard, I’ll start speaking in Spanish without realising it, or I’ll have to gather my thoughts because I’ll be trying to say something in English, but thinking in Mandarin. It’s a blessing and a curse.
8. Food Cravings: There’s nothing worse than waking up one morning and craving patacones with chorizo and chimichurri but not being able to satisfy that craving. We will go through great extremes to try and find a restaurant that might provide a version of the food we’re looking for, or even make a huge mess in the kitchen just trying to recreate it. Either way, you get yummy food in the process and it’s always a good time!
9. A Home Away From Home: I know how incredibly cheesy this sounds, but this is the best part of studying abroad and being an international student. You get to create memories and share them with people that come from different places and with different backgrounds. You get to create friendships for life and live through exciting moments with all the wonderful people you’ve met.
I hope that if you got one thing from this is that we, international students, are just like you! We might sound a little different or look a little different, but at the end of the day we procrastinate our homework with Netflix and Instagram, and we’re just trying to find the strength to make it to that early morning class we insist on scheduling every semester.