-By Karen
Ann yeoung!
Konichiwa!
Xin chao!
Ni hao!
Bonjour!
Ciao!
Hola!
Konichiwa!
Xin chao!
Ni hao!
Bonjour!
Ciao!
Hola!
Sawadee!
Namaste!
Kumusta!
Namaste!
Kumusta!
Ok, I think you get the gist by now. Those are just some of the "Hello"s of the world that I have learned so far in this journey called 'life'. The most awesome part about that is, I learned all of them from a bunch of amazing people that I had the privilege of meeting while at University.
If you're like me then you'll know that being so far away from home can really tear you apart, and that feeling can sometimes make the university experience much more daunting than it already is. I remember being so excited that I would start packing my luggage 1-2 weeks prior to the end of the semester (and this is coming from one person who hates packing with a passion!) And I did all of that just so I could board the next flight home as soon as the semester break begins.
But of course, this does not mean that I hated my time at university. I loved it and I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to chase my dreams. I am also grateful for the people that I've met along the way, and they are the reason behind my writing today. Being away from home and family meant leaving my bubble world and stepping out of my comfort zone. And the further away I was, the more desperately I wanted to keep my family close. Yes, there is a never-ending list of ways I can communicate with my family but it isn't the same as being "home". And it was times like these that friends played an even bigger role in my life. They became my comfort zone and my family while I was miles away from mine. Their presence added that extra zing factor to my achievements at Deakin University.
So here's ONE tiny advice I'm sharing with you today about surviving university life, especially if you're far away from home. Establish positive and meaningful friendships with those around you. The next time you're early for a lecture or tutorial, sit next to someone and say, "Hello". Chances are they will say "Hello" back! And by the end of the semester, you might have just extended your knowledge with a few new languages.
If you're like me then you'll know that being so far away from home can really tear you apart, and that feeling can sometimes make the university experience much more daunting than it already is. I remember being so excited that I would start packing my luggage 1-2 weeks prior to the end of the semester (and this is coming from one person who hates packing with a passion!) And I did all of that just so I could board the next flight home as soon as the semester break begins.
But of course, this does not mean that I hated my time at university. I loved it and I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to chase my dreams. I am also grateful for the people that I've met along the way, and they are the reason behind my writing today. Being away from home and family meant leaving my bubble world and stepping out of my comfort zone. And the further away I was, the more desperately I wanted to keep my family close. Yes, there is a never-ending list of ways I can communicate with my family but it isn't the same as being "home". And it was times like these that friends played an even bigger role in my life. They became my comfort zone and my family while I was miles away from mine. Their presence added that extra zing factor to my achievements at Deakin University.
So here's ONE tiny advice I'm sharing with you today about surviving university life, especially if you're far away from home. Establish positive and meaningful friendships with those around you. The next time you're early for a lecture or tutorial, sit next to someone and say, "Hello". Chances are they will say "Hello" back! And by the end of the semester, you might have just extended your knowledge with a few new languages.
Here's a song that I would listen to on repeat for days when I'd feel extra homesick. A beautiful song performed by one of my favourite artists and from my favourite cartoon show. Don't judge me, but I still love my cartoons. Haha!
What are your tips to surviving life at university? Share it with me and everyone else in the comments section below =)
xx Karen
Guten Tag! Karen
ReplyDeleteThat's a good article to let the others know more about international students like us. For instance, what we would like to do to settle in a new environment, with the challenges of different culture.
What I have done so far is to try to break the ice and find common interests with people.
By the way, it will be better off if you can say goodbye with others as well.
Zai Jian!
do Widzenia!
Auf Wiedersehen!