Adaptation and Challenges of International Students in the United States

Categories: Challenges Faced By Students Community Socialization

Essay, Pages 7 (1700 words)

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Social medial may refer to a concept of socialization and interaction that enables people to share, create and articulate information in various forms between different persons or communities across the world. It serves an avenue where people from different walk of lives meet, share and exchange different forms of data about many issues regardless of their geographical sites. Critically the research paper addresses the big question of 'Does social media enhance adaptation for international students in the united states of America?' (Bessenoff 2006)It scrutinizes the entire concept of social medial and its impact especially on the international students in the US.

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Basically, adaptation is the most critical challenge for most people or students in a foreign land. In fact, in order to make survival effective it is always good enough to ensure that one adheres general lifestyles such as the rules and regulations, cultural systems, climatic conditions among many others of the of the host country. For example, the United States of America has got its governing constitution that should be followed by its citizens and foreigners.

In a nutshell social media plays a key role on the adaptation of international students in the US by networking them regardless of their geographical boundaries.

According to Bryfonski (Bryfonski 2012) it is clear that socialization is one element that enhances and promotes support, integration and understanding between students from different cultures once they get to come together and get to learn from each other regardless of their social classes or race. It has been discovered that some of the international doctor students get to drop out of the educational program because of isolation that come as a result of racism.

Once students from the same cultures get to re-group together, the rest of other students from carious societies go down to earth in the name of poor socialization.

Specifically, the ethnography approach based on Ali and Kohun studies shows that social media has really done a lot as far as the international students' well being is concern. Isolation impedes on other students because it limits the concepts of information sharing, exchange and learning in general. In addition, the social medial encourages and promotes participation among students from different communities. Especially, with face book as one of the most attractive social sites students are encouraged to participate positively by sharing on crucial issues such as cultures, living standards among many others. For example in the Asian community ladies and women are supposed to be submissive to their men. But this might not be the case in the United States community. Therefore, it will take time for such international ladies from Asia to adapt to the US environment.

Further, the public attire still has got an issue based on their religion hence, through social medial they will get to learn on what is expected in the United States of America and its environments. In addition, it contributes positively towards ensuring that the well being of international students especially in the US. Despite the fact that US is a metropolitan country there are many challenges faced by international students (Partridge 2011). And that is why most students are encouraged to be sharing helpful information through social media and sites in order to enables corporation, integration and international relations among students.

This can only be shared in social media and sites and not in lecture halls or in schools. It really, captures on many societal issues that will promote cooperation and make survival most efficient in major learning domains. Learning management systems are other dynamic online social sites that enable lecturers and teachers to communicate and share with students based on learning. Especially, the US international students get to learn and communicate with students in ensuring socialization keeps on the move.

In the United States of America international students although they face some negative challenges especially during the very first time they land in the US. Such systems facilitate the communication between the entire learning fraternities. In fact, this type of social site has made it easier for foreign students to adapt to the new ways of working and learning in the United States of America (Kind et al 2012). However, to some degree it does not come out clearly to help international students to understand some other ways of life in the foreign land. It normally limits students to educational matters because of the teacher student gap. It has been considered that teachers are not supposed to befriend students hence, denying them chances of learning and getting information on some other issues apart from educational ones. Further, it has been noted that learning should not be strictly on educational affairs only but also be there to support and promote socialization based on other elements of life such as culture.

Equally, based on cultural adaptation the process should entail the compact majority who are aware of different cultural aspects especially those of the US and be ready to share them to the rest of the world. This is because by so doing students from other regions of the globe will get to know the most likely challenges to be faced and how they are supposed to do away with them.

This is where the entire concept of social medial chips in and renders help where possible especially from the right source (Franklin 1999). For example social sites like twitter and face- book have contributed a big role towards creating awareness to foreigners about the basics of survival based on various adaptation factors. It should always be learnt that by employing the elements of media into full operation will make the entire world a global village especially with the current dynamic trends of life based on technology. Having the fact that US is a multicultural state, there are many challenges upon which many foreigners find to be hard to adhere to because of their ways of life that they are used to.

The basic fundamental goal for international students is to achieve and prosper in their academic excellence. But it would be too bad if they get to discover that life becomes unbearable upon landing in the United States of America. Many are used to breaking and violating basics rules for survival in their own states but the case might be different in the United States of America. This will translate to hardships in the foreign land (Partridge 2011). For example the use of hard drugs like heroine and bhang among others is highly prohibited in the US and this might cause deportation of some students back to their original countries. But by allowing social medial to be at work, then some of these students will get to learn full and get to understand on all issues that they may need about life in the United States of America.

Religion could be another critical factor to be well understood before someone makes a move in life. Although in America freedom of worship is legalized then other students might not find it easy to mingle with their educational matters based on the issue of religion. Racism and prejudice might arise because of poor understanding or less information about their fate in terms of religion. This because the element of worshiping should be taken critically based on its impact towards the student's general way of life (Partridge 2011).

And once it interferes with the student's conformability then chaos are most likely to be experienced. Different people from different states should be able to blend their cultural aspects through social media in order to spin the survival dynasties further and even make schooling a bit easier. Social networking sites equally serve the very best as far as the international students' adaptation is concern. It allows people create their profiles and avenues where they different people to share and exchange on the most societal issues that normally help international students to learn other people's cultures and general ways of life. This is one of the sites that have helped students to navigate through tough ways of life.

For example based on the living standards, a student will always get information from others about the general costs of living in some parts of America. In fact, other parts of America have got bearable living standards as compared with others. Through social media one will get to know the cheaper areas and most expensive ones depending on the accessibility to education centers. Some researches have revealed that most international students' face a lot of problems while within if not well connected and informed.

As a foreigner there are basics that one should understand in order to make life easier and this can easily be attained if only social media is considered to be helpful despite of the fighting forces underway over the same. However, it is health for one to very careful of what they share and learn through social media. This is simply because other people tend to be unfair by giving false and misleading information about some other issues (Partridge 2011). Others go exaggerating upon some factors hence, making understanding of clear information become difficult. Language is another issue for international students. This is because conversation is purely done in English most of the time unless in informal settings.

It grows to be problematic once students from poor English rooted countries during their school sessions and outside school generally because of mixed cultures. But through social media like books, magazines and other social networking sites will serve best in creating an enabling environment for international students to embrace multiethnic society that trades under one umbrella. Actually, it may be concluded that social medial has really helped a great deal in terms of making promoting peace and harmony among international students in America. Further, it has enabled many people to understand various forms of life of different people from different communities hence, making it survival of international student easier and even facilitating their studies despite of some challenges that erupt as a result of lack of enough information.