Welcoming International Students: 3 Necessities to Feel at Home in a New Culture

I’ll never forget that last look as the van drove me away. Each moment the buildings got smaller while the hole in my heart grew bigger. When I had first arrived as a foreign teacher in this flourishing coastal city in Asia, I never imagined how much it would hurt to leave. It wasn’t just the place where I lived; it was my home.   

How does a place of residence go from a living situation to a home, particularly when that residence involves a new culture? Drawing from my experiences living abroad, I’d like to suggest three necessities for international students to feel at home in US universities. I’ll also provide some practical ideas for faculty, staff, and students to reach out to the international student community.

1. Basic needs

My first 6 months in Asia, my colleagues and I were unexpectedly housed in a hotel in which we had no access to a kitchen.This meant we had to eat out for every meal. I could not communicate in the local language, nor was I familiar with the local cuisine. I’ll never forget one of the first evenings my colleagues and I wandered the city to find a place to eat.We stepped into a small building, intrigued by the scent of spices and the one English word on the sign: Restaurant.We were hungry and overwhelmed. We sat down at a booth and my colleague with limited proficiency in the language attempted to translate some of the menu items. Eventually we pointed to some random menu items and hoped for the best. The food turned out to be amazing, and “Restaurant,” as we affectionately called it, soon became one of our frequent eating stops and the place where we attained the language skill of ordering food.

Anyone entering a new culture will inevitably focus on getting their basic needs met before they can focus on anything else. When international students arrive, they may struggle with the language on menus and grocery labels, and even if highly proficient in English, they may still struggle with the lack of familiarity in the local cuisine. What can we do to help? Welcome international students to our tables and introduce them to our food. Help them find what they need in the grocery store (often an overwhelming place for internationals). Help international students get their basic needs met so they can be successful, thriving individuals.

2. Friends in the host country

When I think about my time in Asia, I certainly do miss the natural beauty of the environment, the amazing food, and my job as a teacher, but what I miss more than anything is the friends I made, the students I was privileged to teach and connect with. They are the ones who helped me with tasks I couldn’t accomplish on my own; countless times they helped me order food at new restaurants, go to the doctor, and get on the correct bus. They are the ones who explained cultural faux pas to me and celebrated with me when I spoke a phrase correctly. When I felt homesick and lonely during the holidays, they are the ones who showered me with their kind words. They made my host country become my home.

The most important thing we can do for international students is to be a friend to them. Sometimes that friendship will look like giving them a ride to the pharmacy or helping them understand some paperwork. Sometimes it will look like sharing meals and conversation, like any other friendship. Sometimes it will look like hearing their stories and helping them feel a little less homesick just by being there.

3. Period of adjustment

A while back, a friend of mine moved abroad. A week or so into her transition, she messaged me to describe her experiences of deep loneliness and homesickness. She wanted to know if what she was feeling was normal. It most certainly was! I encouraged her to press on and do her best to connect with people there. Months later, she is thriving and has many new friends and joyful experiences to share.

Transition and cultural adjustment take time. There are a lot of emotions to process, and it takes a while to get the hang of new surroundings and find a new life rhythm. When we connect with new international students, we can encourage them to persevere through the adjustment. We can help connect them to other international students who have been through this transition. We can encourage them to make new friends and embrace new experiences, while acknowledging their longing to see family and friends in their hometown. We can help them find small pieces of “home” by exploring restaurants that serve their country’s cuisine or putting on campus events to celebrate their culture’s holidays. We can also help them establish new memories by inviting them into our lives and traditions.

I hope these considerations will aid your journey to reach out to international students at your campus and help them make a home. Who knows, you may gain some life-long friends in the process.

Intrigued by languages and cultures, Elizabeth Adams earned her MA in TESOL and Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College (Illinois) after living her dream job of teaching ESL abroad for 2 years. Originally a Houstonian, her BA in English at Dallas Baptist University (DBU) brought her to Dallas, the place she now calls home. While studying at DBU, she also served as a peer consultant in the writing center, where she developed a passion for working with college students. She has been a professional tutor with UNT Dallas since 2017, drawn to the opportunity to serve and empower the campus’ diverse population of students. Passionate about serving people from other cultures, Elizabeth desires to pursue opportunities to teach and assist international students who wish to further their education in the US.