Going to a college with a population of over 40 thousand students never failed to make me feel small at the beginning of freshman year. Nothing kills confidence like the crushing feeling that you’re insignificant. Along with the constant thread of advice from family to join a club or to go out, I was having trouble making friends, and it was was very aggravating. Now that my second official semester being a part of the Spartan family is coming to a close, I can confidently say that some of the best friends you can make during college are international students. Make some time to approach someone whose language isn’t your own, and I promise, the reward is priceless.
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Learn about a different culture
With the whole world getting swallowed up into this global Westernization, and with every product and television show having some sort of English subtext, it’s nice to take a step back and appreciate what makes another country distinct. (Peanut butter is truly an American thing!)
2. Become a better listener
If you feel like an outsider at your college, imagine how someone who barely understands the culture feels. One of the most rewarding things that I experienced was to watch my friend, who was a foreign exchange student from France, learn to speak almost perfect English in less than a year! The more I talked to her, the better her grammar and speech fluency got. It was one of the most humbling experiences to witness that transformation. Plus, I learned some French words and phrases along the way.
3. Free vacation hot spots!
I’ve always had this compelling wanderlust to travel far and wide. Now that I have two best friends hailing from the romance capital, France, and the historically rich, Turkey, I can go and enjoy parts of these countries the average tourists don’t know to see. Plus, it’s very cost efficient to stay with friends versus renting a hotel room.
4. Establish life-long friendships
For someone to feel comfortable enough to practice their English with you, it takes a lot of mutual trust. A lot of my native friends claim that the international students just cluster together, but I have found that they need that support from others going through the same transitions as themselves, and sometimes they’re afraid to speak to us for fear of judgement. If you build a base of trust, I have found that international students are some of the most loyal friends I have ever had.