Editor’s Note: This is a guest commentary. The opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board.
Have you ever been abroad? Surely, it is always a pleasant experience to dive into a new culture. Would you ever consider immigrating? That may be a different story. International students are always the ones who have to live up to new standards and societal expectations, constantly challenging themselves to fit in and find a sense of belonging. They do that all while speaking their second language and missing home deeply. Behind a happy face, there is always the feeling of putting your past life behind and moving forward, with a bittersweet aftertaste of leaving home. While Ithaca College provides many resources for the international community, the question is, how effective are these resources in actuality? Let’s explore it.
I became an international student at the age of 15, after growing up in Odessa, a city in southern Ukraine, my whole life. It was my conscious and well-thought-out choice to try pursuing the “American Dream” because deep down, I always knew I was capable of doing more. However, in time, you start to doubt the actual existence of that “American Dream” and the possibility of ever achieving it. As my mom used to say, “the strongest will get through it,” and that is definitely true.
When you become an immigrant, you go through a multiple-step process of getting your visa or a citizenship, applying to various schools, writing essays, preparing financial documents and most importantly, taking language exams. Throughout that process, many people rethink their decision, head in the opposite direction or simply get sorted out, so every time you see an international student walking around campus, remember that they are the ones who made it this far.
Another issue that, in my opinion, gets overlooked, is the language barrier. It is no secret that foreign students tend to speak more than one language, and most of the time, if they made it all this way, they are almost fluent in them. Usually, those students take language classes or dive into the environment from their childhood, so in the future they can have the opportunity to gain higher education elsewhere. Yet, we tend to forget that no matter how much you learn and try, you are never going to be as fluent as the native speaker. And sometimes this thought hits you hard.
I, myself, was mistaken for being unintelligent or slow, because I would take longer than my peers to process a phrase in English. Sometimes I wish people could see how funny and smart I can be in my first language, when I can just relax and speak without putting second thoughts into it. As a journalism major as well, I doubted myself many times because of my lack of professional vocabulary and writing skills, and I can assure you, I am not the only one who feels that way.
While the college is a great provider of academic and emotional support, that feeling of not being enough may still follow you around. In my opinion, taking advantage of the given resources, such as the college’s International Peer Mentor program, social gatherings organized by the Office of International Programs and various clubs, could be a good opportunity to reduce anxiety and find comfort. It might also be helpful to take time to self-reflect and understand your feelings, even attend some therapy sessions or find psychological resources online.
The last but not the least point on my mind is homesickness. Many students at the college are, in fact, so far away from home, they can’t even visit their families for the holidays. No matter how thoughtful your choice of moving abroad was, I am a firm believer that you are allowed to feel sad about it. Homesickness doesn’t end with just missing your birthplace. It is a truly big spectrum of feelings. Sometimes it comes out in a bittersweet feeling of leaving your whole life behind for something greater, while other times you just feel hopeless and miserable because nothing is familiar. Another important specification that I encountered personally — your home is never the same when you go back to visit, so for some time you feel like you don’t have a place that can be called home at all.
While outside help with your struggles is essential, the inner core is much more powerful. I truly believe that changing your life in such a drastic way requires a lot of self-reflection and the ability to be your own therapist. With that said, taking advantage of psychological services is as important as all the other “outside” resources, and I will die on that hill. To my fellow international community, your motivation has pushed you this far, you should never look back. To all the students at the college, keep in mind that acknowledging someone’s struggles takes so much weight off their shoulders. Every international student is a strong human being who deserves to be heard and appreciated for the way they manage their many struggles that are not recognized by society.
Sonya Mukhina (she/her) is a first-year journalism major. Contact her at smukhina@ithaca.edu.
