A Deeper Look Into the Challenges of International Students

So many international students that enjoy calling themselves citizens of the world are aspiring to pursue their higher education from abroad to seek better professional opportunities.

With all the excitement, international students also face many challenges and difficulties during their study abroad journey. What are these challenges and how is their educational system, particularly business supporting them to overcome these obstacles?

International Students: New Culture, New Language!

Also known as the “cultural shock”. Young students finding yourselves in a different country with a different culture and with people speaking a new language and even socializing differently can be intimidating at first. This is one of the first perils of being an overseas student so what can be done? Just being confident and not hesitating to share the concerns with others. This will allow you to build new bonds and a circle of trust that motivates you and encourages you to feel more comfortable in your own skin even in a new environment.

Connecting with like-minded people will make it easier for international students to adjust and actually end up finding a lot in common with their peers.

Home-sickness and All the Feels…

This part is another big challenge that international students usually. This is a very natural and common feeling, and it usually comes in waves. It helps to make a habit of talking to new friends and connect with the family back home regularly. Balancing well between communicating with home and hanging out with new faces will boost morale, and help soothe the homesickness.

” I believe the value is not just in yourself, it’s in how you treat other people, and provide value for other people” – Daniel from Taiwan, MSc International Business student at EMLV Paris

What About the Finances

International students are mainly divided into two types: the financially independent, who already established themselves, worked for a while or are still working to support their higher education, and the second type who are still either dependent on their family, or who simply cut the chord and chose to fly solo. Needless to say, the latter requires a lot of sacrifices. Between the excitement of exploring new places, trying new restaurants and buying new things,  the budget can get tight, which can cause stress.

Is it always the case? No. A lot of young students look for a part-time job, organize their food according to a meal plan, and become the smartest in looking for affordable places to hang out.

What also helps and motivates international students is the support of the school they’re attending. For instance, EMLV Business School supports incoming international students even before they’re admitted, by offering scholarships and early-bird discounts:

For the 2019-2020 scholarships, brought it 6 scholarships worth €2000 towards international degree-seeking students in addition to other scholarship openings offered by the governments of the countries of origin.

What Else? How are Business Schools Supporting their International Students?

Besides the financial merit earning them scholarships, international students are also surrounded by the support of their school’s alumni network that organizes conferences, talks with professionals, pieces of training, and most importantly continuous professional career advice by sharing the experience of its members both academically and professionally.

Discover more about EMLV business school in Paris, its networks and other various support systems that make the international experience worth the transition.