Problems Of International Students Essay

Adjustment Problems of International Students in their New College Community

When international students arrive in a foreign country, the first thing they do is to find a place to live. They have to register classes, know where to get their food from and learn the names of places and buildings around the university. International student, as compared to their domestic counterparts, tend to experience bigger adjustment problems and more suffering during their orientation into the university. They face a lot of challenges trying to adjust to new learning and living environment. Adjustment problem may vary by race, ethnicity, country of origin and language proficiency. The means of finding food as well as other essential commodities needed for

Knowledge of the foreign language is important even in understanding what the teachers say in class and when communicating with other people. If a foreign student does not know the language of that country, he will have many problems communicating with other people and understanding the teacher in class. When Riyad came to study in the U.S some years ago he could not understand English language. He had not learnt how to write even his name in English or say it. He only knew Arabic. He thought that he will learn English very fast and continue with his major which was taught in English. His problem started when other Saudi Arabians he had travelled with were given a different hostel from his. No one could understand what he was saying because only few people understood Arabic. He had to use sign language. He could not even use a translator. This disappointed him very much and knew that he would have more problems in class. He had to drop the courses for that semester and take some time to learn Basic English language. An international student will have many problems with learning foreign language like English in America but if they have no confidence, they cannot use even the simplest styles to learn how to speak the basic language from others or from sign language or get help from an international student

Adjustment problems can be caused by the student’s lack of confidence. Lack of confidence makes the student feel weak and not able to avoid problems such as asking for directions, borrowing money from other students and how to handle discrimination and other personal problems people experience. International students may encounter discrimination that may prompt lower self-esteem and other emotional health issues. Halima had a hard time in her first year of college when she realized that she was the only African student in her class. Most of her classmates were from wealthy backgrounds in the U.S. and they looked down upon her. This being her first time in a foreign country, it stressed her up so much because she did not know how to handle discrimination problems. This made her life very hard and she always felt uncomfortable in class. She feared other students were better than her. This really lowered her self-esteem and at some point she had to see a psychologist to help her have some confidence in herself. International students normally have adjustment problems because they lack confidence in themselves which make it hard for them to interact with other new