It’s an oath to yourself, it’s an oath to everyone you love and have left behind, it’s an oath to that self-respect that suffered when they said, “You won’t make it” and more than any of that, it’s an oath to your future. It’s no denying that the United States of America as a first-world country has arguably one of the best educational systems to offer to students from all around the world who might or might not have access to similar resources, materials, and equipment that can chisel out the competencies of the students, making them better versions of themselves. A western, interactive, and inclusive school often proves to be the catalyst in determining the destination that the student might end up reaching. But, with great opportunities, come great sacrifices. While talking about moving to a developed country for further education, we hear relatives, friends, and neighbors mentioning how the children get a positive academic environment to explore their abilities, how smart and adaptive they become, how the courseworks from the latest findings makes it easier for them to stay one step ahead of their local academic nemesis from high school and so on. What anybody seldom speaks up about is the non-romanticized reality about beginning college in an unknown place, a place full of surprises but not without terrifying mysteries and mind-jolting shocks. The sacrifices often feel like major losses in life especially in the early months, when you are starting from scratch in a new country, unbeknownst to the culture, the laws and regulations, the lifestyles and etiquette, and in most cases even the language! To survive and thrive in such a setting is burdensome and hard-won; but that’s exactly what we have set out to do!
Despite the nerve-wreckage and broken backs, we are making space for ourselves in the seemingly alien community while making space for that alien community into our heads and finding our hearths to come home to. In the process of transitioning and adjusting to a college—not just as an international student—one of the most steering moments is when you find that one place, that one corner, or that one bench that just feels yours. To give an instance, for me the hammocks of my residence building at Lynn are my hearths. In times of distress, often chilling with my friends, or just late at night entertaining my contemplations, those hammocks are the space for me to be myself. Personalizing parts of or around your dorm or university plays a major role in rewarding you for making it through this challenging process. It might be age-old advice, but unfortunately it still significantly applies to a lot of students that you should drink water. Staying hydrated and eating healthy are the two basic things that a large number of people have difficulty with. Giving yourself as much of a good quality of life as you can during your degree years goes a long way. This ‘good quality of college life’ comes in a lot of forms, like abstaining from strong intoxicants, trying to make friends and find real connections, reaching out to your mentors and advisers in-case of academic and non-academic concerns, taking necessary breaks and making sure to not over exhaust yourself with work, indulging in little self-treats at times, and many more. A very sure path to success at any university lies within the balance between self-discipline and self-care. It is only after moving away from your home that you realize the importance of a productive routine, avoiding procrastination, not leaving the dishes to “do tomorrow”, staying on schedule for in-class and out-of-class participation, etc. If not to be one of the A-students, then just for the sake of keeping examination anxiety and performance anxiety at bay.
The lesser talked truth about moving out of your homeland is the guarantee that a lot of times you will be restricted to only your own company. These are the times that will force you to enjoy it—and with that—to become more independent and self-sufficient. This journey covered in thorns, rocks and inner confrontations will inevitably lead to the realization that you possess so much more potential than you ever imagined to be even possible before!