ESL Blogs

If you have made the decision to come to America to pursue a college education, you are probably more than aware that you will face several challenges. While both you and your fellow students will be facing the challenges of learning to live independently from their families, you will also be facing many additional challenges. You will be be adapting to a new culture. This means finding a balance between maintaining your own cultural identity while still finding a way to fit into your new surroundings. It also means navigating your way through life on and off campus without having a complete grasp of the English language. Don't feel discouraged. You have made a brave decision. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to prepare yourself for college.

 Challenges to Expect

 The best way to overcome the challenges you will face as you enter college is to know what they will be. Once they are identified, they will seem less intimidating, and it becomes easier to identify solutions. Here are some of the difficulties that you may face:

• Culture Shock: It is one thing to take a vacation to a foreign country. It is another thing entirely to go live in a place where lifestyles, languages, interpersonal relationships, dress, and even body language can be completely different than what you are accustomed to.
• Poor Emotional State: Like other students, you will feel homesick, out of place, anxious, and maybe even a bit depressed. These emotions can make the other challenges you face seem even more difficult to overcome.
• Adapting to a New Living Environment: Depending on where you are coming from, and the daily traditions that you observe, you might find your new living environment to be quite an adjustment. If you live near the Equator for example, you may have a hard time adjusting to weather in a state that has all 4 seasons. If you follow a diet that is restricted due to culture or religious standards, you may find it difficult to locate what you need to eat. Even if you do not, you may have trouble finding the kind of food that you are accustomed to eating.
• Facing a Language Barrier: This can be a challenge on two fronts. First, you must navigate your courses which are all going to be taught in a more scholarly form of English, then you must navigate life outside of class where you will deal with casually spoken English that includes the use of regional phrases and slang.
• Academic Challenges: You may find yourself struggling to keep up with both written assignments and in class discussions.

 Possible Solutions

 Now that you know the challenges you may face, let's consider some proactive steps you can take to prepare yourself to start college:

• acaConnect With Those Who Understand Your Challenges: Before you arrive for your first day of school, do a bit of investigating. Does your school have any organizations for students who come from foreign countries? What about in the community at large? Are there others who come from your country who are also living in the community? If you know where they live, dine, worship, or simply go to have fun, you can make important connections.
• Learn Where to Get Help: Every college campus has resources for students who are struggling with academics.  Ask your adviser about these resources and what you need to do to take advantage of them. If have issues understanding subject matter, or face communications issues due to being an ESL student, they can give you the information you need in order to get assistance.
• Find a Friendly Social Connection: If you are going to be living with a host family, try to make contact with them and get to know them. If you are going to be living on campus, try contacting your future roommate so that you can introduce yourself to them and you can both get to know each other better. Starting the school year off with one or two acquaintances will be extremely helpful. Your new friends can help you get to know other people, and give you honest feedback as you learn to succeed as an American college student.