For college freshman, seeing their entire lives packed away into the back of one car can leave a bittersweet in their mouths. The excitement of being on their own for the first time overpowers the crippling anxiety that comes with the experience of actually being alone. The adjustments of a new town, new people, and a new way of life for the average incoming freshman at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) are nothing compared to the adjustments international students make when coming from abroad. Language barriers, dietary differences, and culture shock all while being homesick can cause unneeded stress for international students. College years are supposed to be filled with exciting stories of late night coffee runs and entertaining
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Homesickness remains an exceedingly real problem among first time college students, although several students tend to hide it. “Although international students also experienced homesickness and loneliness due to missing their family, friends, and home country, they reported higher levels of homesickness than their U.S. counterparts and that homesickness was likely to increase their adjustment problems in the new environment” (Baba and Hosoda). The whole point of traveling to a new country for the first year of college is to experience different cultures and when international students are faced with homesickness they tend to shy away from others. By being able to explore their surroundings and learning how to navigate the city, students can being to make Monroe their home. Discovering attractions such as; festivals, restaurants, clubs, and shopping venues within Monroe would assist international students in adjusting to the culture and allow them to create memories, experience new aspects of American culture, and establish lifelong friendships in the …show more content…
Local students would be able to show students from other areas common hangouts, essential stores, and restaurants that are student friendly which can relieve the tension of their classes. The report by Yoko Baba and Megumi Hosoda, Home Away Home: Better Understanding of the Role of Social Support in Predicting Cross-Cultural Adjustment Among International Students, stated there are numerous causes of stress within international students that lead up to the inability to adjust to their out of the ordinary surroundings. They conclude that having strong bonds with host friends enable international students to receive the emotional support they need in a learning setting because, unlike Asian countries, who encourage interdependence amongst close groups of friends, Americans practice independence and are open to each other, as well as professors in classroom settings (Baba and
Homesickness remains an exceedingly real problem among first time college students, although several students tend to hide it. “Although international students also experienced homesickness and loneliness due to missing their family, friends, and home country, they reported higher levels of homesickness than their U.S. counterparts and that homesickness was likely to increase their adjustment problems in the new environment” (Baba and Hosoda). The whole point of traveling to a new country for the first year of college is to experience different cultures and when international students are faced with homesickness they tend to shy away from others. By being able to explore their surroundings and learning how to navigate the city, students can being to make Monroe their home. Discovering attractions such as; festivals, restaurants, clubs, and shopping venues within Monroe would assist international students in adjusting to the culture and allow them to create memories, experience new aspects of American culture, and establish lifelong friendships in the …show more content…
Local students would be able to show students from other areas common hangouts, essential stores, and restaurants that are student friendly which can relieve the tension of their classes. The report by Yoko Baba and Megumi Hosoda, Home Away Home: Better Understanding of the Role of Social Support in Predicting Cross-Cultural Adjustment Among International Students, stated there are numerous causes of stress within international students that lead up to the inability to adjust to their out of the ordinary surroundings. They conclude that having strong bonds with host friends enable international students to receive the emotional support they need in a learning setting because, unlike Asian countries, who encourage interdependence amongst close groups of friends, Americans practice independence and are open to each other, as well as professors in classroom settings (Baba and