Turning Challenges into Personal Growth

编者语：出国留学是一个过程，在这个过程中你将会感受到不同的挑战，首先要面临的就是你将会离开你生活了十几年的家，独自到异国他乡用另一种语言生活。环境改变了，食物改变了，一切需要靠自己。在未来的四年时间里，时刻都会有一些新的挑战，这也将会让你们慢慢成长，成为一个独立自主的成人。作为海外升学老师，我给同学们几点建议，希望你们可以尽快的适应留学生活。

　　Studying abroad for college can be challenging for a variety of reasons. The food will be different, classes will be harder, and you’ll be a long way from home. However, these challenges and more are all a part of the college experience. Think of these experiences as a chance to grow on a personal level. Both exciting and stressful moments will mold you into a newer version of you after three or four years. That’s why it’s important to think about what challenges you’ll face so you can mentally prepare yourself.

　　Challenge #1: Speaking English all of the time.

　　You’re probably used to speaking English in class, but you’ll need to use it more often when abroad. Your professors, your new friends, and your on-campus job will expect you to use your English to communicate. This can be scary at first, but think of it as a way to enjoy the years of hard work you’ve put into learning English. Now it’s just time to use the skills you’ve developed and master the language. One mini challenge related to this is deciphering accents. You have probably heard an English accent or an American accent through your teachers. However, each country like England and America, have a wide variety of accents. This takes time to get used to, don’t worry.

　　My suggestion:Read, speak, and listen to music or movies in English as much as possible. Practice is the best way to make your transition as easy as possible.

　　Challenge #2:Learning about Independence.

　　Helpful hint: there are no magical elves that will remind you to do things. For example, you pick your own classes, do your own laundry, feed yourself, and remember to do all of the papers and readings for class. Yes, you and only you can do it. Nobody tells you what to do in college, so it’s up to you to balance your schedule. My advice? Buy or create a planner so you can write down everything you need to do. You’ll have a lot of free time (maybe only one class some days) so it’s important to use that time wisely! This will help give you time management skills for your future job and life.

　　My suggestion: Start practicing little things at home now like cooking, or asking Mom or Dad to show you how to do laundry. You don’t want to be that smelly kid in college, trust me.

　　Challenge #3: Asking for help.

　　College life is a huge change from high school life. The universities know this. There are people at your future school to help. International Student organizations will be a good resource to use. They are other international students that have been there longer and can help you. Don’t wholly depend on them though. Take initiative to do fun stuff with your roommate(s), floor mates, and join activities. Staying in your room studying all the time is one of the worst things you can do. Part of growing up is moving outside of your comfort zone. Talking to new people in another language can be intimidating, but be confident and try! This is how you’ll make friends. If you need to talk to someone there are counselors (like me) to talk to if things aren’t going well.

　　My suggestion: Practice trying new things and asking for help doing it. Example: start a club and ask people to join and help get you started.

　　Your college years can be some of the most fun of your life. It’s also a time to get to know yourself better. Learning to try new things will help you become a stronger, smarter, and well-rounded person. Embrace the newness and challenges. You’ve got this!