If you guys have been following my blog, you know Iβm an international student. I come from Peru and came to US to go to college. Iβll be a sophomore next school year and if you want to know more about me just read thisΒ or follow me on Instagram! I wanted to share my experience with you and let you guys know how is it like to be an international student.
Moving abroad means getting out of your comfort zone and it can be scary but exciting at the same time.Β It took me some time to get used to being away from home. And having studied abroad before moving abroad helped me a whole lot. So here is what itβs like to be an international student.
There are so many stereotypes and misconceptions
Those are two things Iβve always experienced while studying abroad. While I was in Germany some people actually asked me if I rode a lama to schoolβ¦ As ridiculous as it sounds some people actually believed we lived in the middle of nowhere and used lamas for transportation. And when people ask that type of things, you can whether tell them the truth or tell them that theyβre right until they realize they are not. It is sometimes disappointing and funny at the same time.
In the US, people donβt usually think that we (Peruvians) ride lamas, but as long as you look Latina and speak Spanish, people thinkΒ you crossed the Mexican border illegallyβ¦
Of course, not everyone thinks that way, but as an international student, there will always be some misconceptions and stereotypes youβll have to deal with.
Sometimes people areΒ surprised you speak English well
People tend to think international students have a difficulty speaking English. But while some students might struggle, the majority are fluent English speakers. Most international students learn English since they are like 5 years old and we take so many exams and test to prove we actually speak English proficiently. It is sometimes quite annoying to hear βOh, your English is greatβ. Because sometimes people assume that just because youβre an international student, you barely speak English.
You donβt know where home is anymore
I go to school in Cincinnati, I spend the summers in Florida and some holidays in Kentucky but I was born in Peru and pretty much lived almost my entire live there. I honestly donβt know where home is anymoreβ¦
Google translate is your bff sometimes
Even though, my English is not bad at all, sometimes there are words I donβt understand and sometimes there are words I donβt know how to translate to English. So google translate is sometimes my best friend and a life savior.
Sometimes you get confused with both languages
Sometimes when youβre talking with someone in your native language and then someone talks to you in English, it can take a couple seconds or minutes to switch your brain from one language to another. I donβt know if it happens to completely everyone, but it happens to me all the timeβ¦
You make your American friends proof-read your essays
Shoutout to every friend, who has ever proof-read an essay, an application or something for me. It doesnβt matter how proficient you can be in English, sometimes you can make small mistakes you donβt notice. I always always ask my friends to proof read everything before I hand it in, just because I donβt want to lose points over small mistakes.
While studying abroad you defend your own culture. But when you are in your hometown you defend the culture of the country youβre studying at
As I said before, thereβreΒ some stereotypes about Peru and some people ask stupid questions, and as a Peruvian I canβt help but get defensive about it. But just as thereβre stereotypes of my country, there are stereotypes of the country I study at. And just as I defend my country from every stereotype possible, when I hear stereotypes about the US, I get defensive about that too and explain theyβre just stereotypes.
Some people wonβt know where your home country is
It is always funny when I tell people where Iβm from. Sometimes they know straight away where my home country is located and sometimes they look so confused until I tell them that Macchu Pichu is there and they are like βOMG, right, Lamas!β
You wonβt be able to go home that often
Because flights are long and so expensive. Itβs not like you can go home over the weekend.
No matter what you do, youβll get homesick
Moving to another country can be challenging sometimes. Itβs another culture, and you might miss somethings about your country and of course your family. No matter how hard you try, youβll get homesick at some point.
The thing I miss the most about Peru is the FOOD! Iβm honestly so jealous of Chinese and Mexican people. They can findΒ their food literally everywhere. While finding Peruvian restaurants is so hard.
Also, it can be hard not to compare you country to where youβre at. I took me sometime to adapt to a new culture.
