Ever imagined living the life of an alien before?

How would it be to live in a place where no one recognizes you or even speaks your language?

Would you be able to fit in and survive?

Students who go abroad to pursue their dreams of a higher education, have to face similar challenges before they even start focusing on their course work. After planning tirelessly to achieve what they desire, it is possible that students start losing faith when they find themselves in the midst of a totally alien environment.

So, what exactly is it like living in an alien country?

Foreign Talk:

The first major barrier a student studying abroad faces is the barrier of communication. Without the proficiency in a foreign language, it gets difficult for students to fend for most things. Even if the country is largely an English speaking one, Indian students would need a little extra effort to communicate abroad than at home. Although communication barriers are common, a friendly personality can usually help alleviate the pains associated with the barrier.

Loner Syndrome:

Another common difficulty most students face is the lack of friends. It is important to not succumb to the loner syndrome. It is imperative that you make new friends that accept you and are likely to help you in your time of need. E.T had Elliot to call his friend. Students choosing to study abroad have to hunt down their Elliot.

New Responsibilities & Dealing with homesickness:

Another major change that creates a difficulty is living on one’s own. Most of the students who go abroad have a family back home that they have depended upon since birth. Living independently suddenly puts them in a situation where they have to manage their expenses maybe with a part time job and then find time for their career goals, all this while trying to fit into the new surroundings.

Culture Novelty:

The ways & customs of the people in distant lands are exciting to say the least. While Studying Abroad, you would have tons of opportunities to explore new cultures and customs. Whether it’s trying the cuisine at a local pub or visiting local tourist spots and landmarks, such activities help speed up your initiation process into the new social culture.

Local sightseeing & bike rides are always a good idea!

But as students learn to manage in a new country; they meet with many helping factors to thank, along the way. It eventually just comes down to keeping an open mind and not looking at the situation as an overwhelming ordeal. Taking a page from Hollywood, it was indeed the lovable & laidback alien E.T. that captured the hearts of the audience and not the aggressive, scary looking alien from Independence Day!

It’s good to be a student in an alien country. So make the most of it.