Leaving your home country in your 20s is a unique experience that makes you feel a lot of adrenaline. Sometimes, just the fact that you have to order a coffee in a different language is enough to make you anxious. You create so many expectations for yourself with the feeling that your life is starting over that when you start to actually experience the change, you realize a side they never told you about being an international student: the fear and, sometimes, the loneliness feeling.
The fact that I lived the first 19 years of my life in Brazil definitely did not prepare me for everythingI experienced in my first month at Texas State University. When you’re an international student, it is not easy to adapt. This is not only because of the feeling of homesickness, but also getting used to a culture and language that you are not familiar with. It’s normal to feel scared and alone at first, but it’s not impossible to survive all of these feelings. Here are my learnings from that short period of time living here:
Get involved in the culture.
Don’t be afraid to discover something new! During my first month of being in the United States, I took advantage of a university opportunity to go to a summer camp organized by college students themselves and had the opportunity to meet some people before classes started. Summer camps are not common in Brazil and even though I’m the type of person who prefers to stay indoors, it was incredible to be able to meet new people and learn even more about American culture such as the party dances (I didn’t know about line dances) and about the college rules and its lifestyle. So, I strongly recommend you to access your college’s website and follow them on social media to receive this type of information and see if there are events before the semester starts.
It’s normal to feel afraid of participating in events like this when you don’t know anyone, but there are many people who are going through the same thing, and who also don’t know anyone yet and are willing to make new friends! Remember: this is the first semester for everybody.
The simple act of saying “yes” to new experiences helps a lot with socialization and adaptation!
Attend all university events and lectures at the beginning of the semester.
Reception week in the United States is usually full of events and lectures that help all new students understand the college system and how things work. The information discussed covers topics such as what exams are like, how to park your car at the college, what “GPA” means and other important information! And believe me, if you come from another country, these “little” tips will be essential for your day-to-day survival. In Brazil, for example, the grading system is completely different fromAmerica!
Usually, the college will also have a few programs to help international students and a personal advisor to help you choose your schedule. So don’t worry, there definitely will be someone atthe college willing to help. Check your email everyday to have access to this information.
Join clubs, orgs, or any other group the college offers!
It is very common to have several clubs that you can join as a student in the U.S. For many of them, you do not need to go through interviews or selection processes. In addition to this being a way of learning, you can also meet more people and understand more about the subjects you like! Another interesting thing is that there are clubs that represent your culture and the place you come from. For example, at Texas State, I found three different clubs about Latino culture.
Joining Her Campus in my first month was essential for me to discover and improve my passion for writing, as well as meeting more people who also study journalism!
And once again: Don’t be afraid to venture out and say yes to the opportunities that your university offers even if you are alone!
Don’t lose touch with your home and friends.
You may be experiencing new opportunities and adventures every day, but it’s normal to miss home and your friends in the midst of it all. It’s normal not to adapt at first and not get used to the people and the new culture you’re a part of. The best way I found to not let this difficulty affect me was to continue communicating with my friends in Brazil and updating them as if we were physically close. This is a way of not letting this new change be so sudden and abrupt. Try to schedule a day in the week to facetime them.
Respect your time.
I know this may sound very obvious, but sometimes in everyday life with so much new information, we forget to look at ourselves and think about how this new experience is affecting our mental health. Perhaps, at the beginning of your journey in a different country, you will experience difficulties in classes and exams that other students will not, such as having to deal with a different language or subjects that you are not used to. For example, in my first month here I had to deal with two exams about American/English literature and American government, subjects that I knew very little about in Brazil and I had to study twice as much when I got here.
Unfortunately, getting used to it is just a matter of time and adaptation! But, mostly important: remember that your experience is not the same as the other students in your class.
Lastly, have fun and try to discover the area!
As soon as you arrive, don’t forget to get to know the place and the surrounding cities. It may seem silly, but my first time hanging out when I arrived in Texas was going to Target and Walmart. It’s important to know the places surrounding you and become familiar with your new home, discover new brands, new foods and even new products that you didn’t use in your home country. All of this will make your experience easier, especially when classes start! And even if you haven’t met many people yet, don’t be afraid to discover and explore new places alone (I’ve done that)! The most important thing is that you try to find ways to cheer yourself up at the beginning.
The experience of traveling to a new country for your education at the beginning can be very intense and challenging. These small steps I took were essential for me to become more familiar with American culture and college. I miss home every day, but it’s important to stay focused and remember why you accepted this experience! As I said before, don’t be afraid to be alone and take advantage of every opportunity. Regardless of the moment you are living in now, I hope you don’t get discouraged!