International students adjust to new life in US

Visiting a foreign country where the language is different and the culture is unfamiliar presents unexpected challenges. Yet the international students at GCSU go beyond visiting, choosing to pack their bags and leave their lives thousands of miles away to come to the United States and immerse themselves in a different culture.

Their hope in doing so is often to further enrich their lives.

One of the main goals of international students is often to experience American culture first hand.

“I came just to be socially aware,” Christopher Chenga, a senior accounting major from Zimbabwe, said. “The education is good, but I also came for a social experience.”

Yacoub Alou, an English literature senior from Niger, had a similar goal in coming to the U.S.

“I want to know what makes America, America. What makes the people (who they are),” Alou said.

But as anyone who has visited a foreign country knows, there are obstacles to overcome and some aspects of a new culture that take some getting used to.

For some international students, there is the process of getting used to speaking English most of the time. Getting used to the different accents and American slang can also prove to be difficult.

According to some students, one of the biggest changes to get used to is a lack of public transportation. Libby Davis is the international student adviser on campus. One of her roles is to help international students adjust to life in the U.S.

“International students often take mass transit for granted,” Davis said. “It makes it difficult for them to feel independent.”

There is also the difference in cuisine, which can take practiced acculturation.

“I was shocked when I saw fast food and that everything here is so big,” said Anita Pristyak, an English literature/black studies senior from Hungary.

The differences in culture also go significantly beyond food.Alou was shocked to learn that his classmates own guns.

“(In Niger), only the military own guns. Students admit to having guns here,” Alou said.

For many of these students, they notice a distinct difference between the people they left back home and the American students.

“People are a bit more reserved,” Chenga said. “You just kind of keep to yourself here.”

This aspect of our culture can translate into coldness on the part of Americans for some international students. Other international students’ perception is quite the opposite.

Likai “Scott” Zhang, a sophomore computer science major from China, finds the demeanor of Americans to be to his liking.

“People here are more warmhearted, more laid back, relaxed,” Zhang said. “I really like the Southern hospitality.”

The international students also have the advantage of a varied viewpoint from the American students, having grown up outside of our culture, which can help fuel and round out class discussions.

Ryan Walker, a sophomore environmental science major, appreciates the presence of international students on campus.

“They help show students here that people from different parts of the world have a different perspective,” Walker said.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 11 2009. Filed under Perspectives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry