What it means to be an international student

Take a look around in your lecture hall. What do you see? Considering that all of you are studying at Imperial College, there will probably be people of different races, nationalities, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds all packed into one room. Now take a closer look. I’ll wager that there will be a group of Chinese students bunched together in the front. the Indians will have congregated somewhere around the back. There will be a whole bunch of Europeans scattered around the room, sitting together according to their nationalities, and the English will probably be found all around the room in two’s or threes.

Although the arrangement of the different nationalities might vary from class to class, there is one thing that will not; people from the same country will invariably end up sitting together. This national unity will not be confined to the lecture hall; students will usually eat, live, go out and in general spend their entire university lives with a small number of people and these people will in all likelihood be from the same region, if not the same country. Don’t believe me? Look closely at your own circles and you will know that I am right.

The single most important selling point of an international education is the opportunity to meet and interact with people from different backgrounds and cultures. It is the promise of making friends with people from all around the world and opening your mind to different to things that you would never have considered before and experiences that you would not have otherwise have had if you hadn’t come to live abroad. By interacting only with people from our own countries we are greatly reducing our chances to grow and develop.

I get it. Living thousands of miles away from your friends and family is scary and you are seeking comfort in the familiar. There is nothing wrong with that. Let’s face it, it’s easier to make friends with people from the same culture as you because you probably have experienced the same things, celebrate the same holidays, have watched the same movies or shows, eat the same kind of food and probably have similar worldviews and opinions. Given all the similarities it’s easier to bond and talk to people from the same country.

After a point though, by spending a point with a homogenous group of people your worldview becomes limited and narrow. To really make the most of your education you have to make an effort to overcome your fear and anxiety and move out of your comfort zone to talk to people who are different from you. Even if we put personal growth aside for the moment, the world of work today is becoming increasingly globalized. If we are even to survive in a global work environment the ability to work and make friends with people who are different from us will be an invaluable skill.

Now that we have the why covered let’s move on to how you can make friends with people from different backgrounds.

The first and easiest way to meet new people is by joining a society. Societies are usually organized around an interest or hobby, allowing you easy access to people from all around the world with whom you can bond over your shared love of whatever it is. Societies also tend to organize fun mixers and socials to make it easier for their members to get to know each other in a relaxed environment.

If you are feeling particularly brave you can even join a cultural society of a completely different culture. I once knew an Indian girl who joined the Cypriot society simply because she was curious about Cyprus and its culture. She got on so well with the Cypriots that she eventually went on to become the social exec for the society.

The second way to meet new people is to not form a group with your friends for class group work. Opt, instead, to be randomly allocated to a group. When you enter the world of work, you are not going to be able to choose your team so why not try and work with strangers and see how you handle the challenge.

Lastly, and this is my personal favourite, travel! Go to a new place and explore its history and culture. Try local foods and learn a bit more about its folk art and stories. If money is an obstacle there are plenty of cheap deals for students that can be found on the Internet. It doesn’t matter really where or with whom you go but only that you do go and visit as many places as you possibly can.

It’s human nature to be scared of the unknown and the unfamiliar, but don’t let that fear stop you breaking out of your comfort zone, I can promise you from experience that you will never be the same once you do!