Thorny negotiation of student life

IT’S me again, and I have another topic to rant about. So are you ready for this? Drum roll, please?

Expectations versus reality of the life of an international student.

Yes. The life of an international student in a different country, a different environment, different everything.

My life. The life of everyone of the 554,179 (and increasing) international students in Australia.

NASA may be trying to find life on Mars but let me tell you that for every international student coming to study abroad, life away from their country is no different from living on a different planet.

The process of choosing a country to study in starts from visits to the 100 education fairs conducted by universities from all over the world.

Once the major decision of where to go is settled and decided and the formalities are done and over with, the next step is the wait and the excitement for the new (amazing) life to start. Don’t be fooled, though, no matter where you go, which university you choose, the first few weeks are exactly the same. The first semester/ trimester is all about settling in, trying to get used to the new environment and mostly trying not to cry every time you miss home. Seriously. Unlike the picture that is painted in the head of every international student, one does not make friends easily and especially not friends from all over the world. Sure, you are surrounded by people from various nationalities at all times but the first initial weeks pass by in going beyond the usual, “Hey. Where are you from?” etc.

Not every person you meet becomes a friend and not every friendship lasts.

The only friend you really have is Google. No jokes. As a person who did not know how long you boil an egg and had to Google it to someone who can cook various dishes, all thanks to my dear friend again, we have come a long way.

The egg, though, I still don’t know how long you boil for.

As an international student you have to learn to pick yourself up every time you fall and create opportunities for yourself.

The emotional burden along with the academic pressures are sometimes too much to handle, but in the end it is all worth it. So, life is not a bed of roses but then again even roses have the usual thorns, right?