Living the life of an international student has its perks and downers, as not every person has the luxury of holding the title as an international student. UT is diversified with so many students from around the world and it makes it interesting to see how they move about in their daily lives as they live in the United States. Here are some of the common things that every international student will have to face.
1. The classic “Where are you from?”
When you are an international student, you stand out from the crowd and the first question everyone asks, “Where are you from?” International students are proud of their heritage and they are more than happy to tell you where they are from. However the world map is huge and it is never easy to explain where a certain country is located. Sometimes there is the occasional slight pause and a little white lie that people make of knowing where that country is. Have no fear, we pick a country that is highly known and move our way around to explain where our hometown is.
2. International cuisines will never taste the same as home.
What is more important than having good food? Home is where your stomach is and no matter how hard another country tries to create authentic food, it will never taste the same to an international student. It can be close, but food is a country’s pride and joy, so it is placed on a high pedestal. Gordon Ramsay and Bobby Flay could not even make the mark if they were up to the challenge.
3. Holidays are a blessing.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are always the breaks college kids look forward to. The definition of holidays for international students is the fact of just going home. You are thousands of miles away from home and at that point, short breaks are not considered a holiday when the dorm is your second home. Going home is like winning the golden ticket out of a Willy Wonka Chocolate Bar. It is rare and beyond amazing. As winter and summer breaks come around the corner, those expensive coach flight tickets are worth paying for to be back home.
International students live the jetsetter life when it comes to studying abroad. Going places and having to endure the changes in every environment. It may seem like a struggle but believe it or not, that struggle is what makes it unique to travel to a different country and share what some people do not get to experience.