About a year ago, I wrote an article about the struggles of being an international student. This entailed not having a car, being sick without my parents to take care of me, and getting help with things like moving out of my dorm. While another year of happiness, growth, and success have passed, I’ve struggled with a few other problems as an international student that I wanted to share.
Trying to gain work experience
A lot of international students try to get part-time jobs to help fund their university fees. While many of US students do this as well, internationals are only allowed to work on campus, which minimizes the number of jobs available to us as well as the type of work. We are also restricted in the number of hours a week we can work. While I’m grateful for an opportunity to work in a country I’m not a resident of, it’s a bit tough trying to compete for an on-campus job as it drastically lowers our options. This struggle goes one step further, something I’m experiencing right now. Being an engineering major, we’re required to gain internship experience in our field of study before graduating, preferably the summer of junior year. After attending one of the biggest career fairs for undergraduates and completing over 50 applications to companies, there’s one question I always dread: “Do you or will you require visa sponsorship now or in the future?” There it is.
After answering the behavioral questions to the best of my ability and inserting my resume that I edit daily just to make sure it’s perfect, this sentence defeats me. While a few companies hire internationals and are willing to sponsor us, about 80% don’t. Before companies at the career fair even asked my name or even glanced at my resume, they asked me this dreaded question and sent me away saying, “Sorry, we don’t sponsor, but all the best.” Spending hours making sure my application to my dream companies were perfect only to get automated email responses stating, “U.S. citizenship required to work at this company.” It’s demotivating thinking of the all-nighters at the library, tireless nights working on projects or juggling multiple leadership positions so I can stand out, were in vain. While I certainly have not given up on trying to get work experience, it does get draining when I’m trying my best and feel like I’m being rejected for something out of my control.
Being alone on U.S. holidays
I’m very thankful that I’m fortunate enough to be able to travel home for Christmas. I know other internationals who cannot afford to, or the flights are too long to go home for winter break, and I can’t imagine how lonely this can feel. I’ve only felt a touch of this for Thanksgiving break. While Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated where I’m from, I’ve realized it’s a big celebration in the U.S.. As the break is only four days long, I don’t go back home, however campus and even my apartment building turns into a ghost town. Everyone posts their Thanksgiving pictures with their family and their lovely meals while I’m making pasta for dinner or struggling on Uber Eats to find a restaurant that’s open. While it seems like a very cute holiday and it reconnects students with their families, I tend to spend Thanksgiving break catching up on studies or feeling a bit lonely.
Feeling very uncertain about the future
While everyone is uncertain about the future, I’ve constantly had this feeling of not knowing where I’ll be once I graduate. As much as I would like to pursue additional studies or find a job here, it’s very tough with a student visa and now that I’m graduating next year, I’m struggling with the fact that the little life I’ve built here for myself that I love so much might be coming to an end. While everyone usually goes on their own path after college, I’ve found myself living such a different life here than back home that I’ve gotten so accustomed to. The thought of leaving the friends I now call family here makes me so nostalgic and a bit sad. However, I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity and no matter what happens, as a great scholar (Winnie The Pooh) once said, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”