Starting life all over again. Basic things that people associate with familiarity, comfort, and routine, such as a place to live and food, are unfamiliar and new to you. You may have problems with eating, sleeping and other normal daily activities, especially in the beginning (Ryan & Twibell, 2000).
Financial problems. Living in a foreign country can be really debilitating if the financial situation is inadequate (Sam, 2001). You and your family may lack financial resources. Moreover, you may not be allowed to work outside of campus and you do not qualify for loans and most financial aid options available to domestic students.
Health. Health problems may impede your ability to participate in learning activities and may augment feelings of loneliness, frustration, and overall stress (Ryan & Twibell, 2000).
Safety. (Ryan & Twibell, 2000). Certain ethnic and religious groups may feel particularly uneasy after the September 11 events.
“Ambassador” role. You may feel like you are an informal cultural representative of your country. This could be overwhelming, tiring and sometimes frustrating, especially when what you say or do is attributed to all members of your culture. Also, you may have to dissipate horror myths about your country (Sam, 2001).
Adjusting to being a visible minority. This may be very difficult, especially if you have identified yourself with the majority group in your home country (Lewthwaite, 1997).
Separation from family and natural support system. You naturally worry about the well-being of your family, relatives and friends. You may express homesickness in a variety of ways, such as becoming sad and crying a lot, worrying, or denying the homesickness and keeping yourself busy (Komyia & Eells, 2001). You may also be bothered by fear and guilt that you are losing touch with your family and home culture (Lewthwaite, 1997).
Social isolation and difficulty establishing friendships with Americans. You may find yourself making friends mostly with other students from your country or with other foreigners. One thing you may want to consider is the fact that international students who make satisfactory contacts with local people seem to be more satisfied with their academic experience and overall adaptation (Sam, 2001).
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