Many international students, I suppose, must have once been asked: "Do you miss home?"
Being a foreigner myself, this question doesn't seem alien to my daily conversations. This question often leads to my tussle over the meaning of "home."
Home may refers to the motherland of which you are born to; or it may simply signifies a place where you will feel comfortable living at. For instance, my home could be my country of origin, which is Malaysia, or anywhere that I feel contented to sleep-in.
Well, I don't just sleep-in at your house. That makes "home" a little more than a shelter.
Home is where your heart belongs.
It is important for international students to get comfortable with the new environment (on- or off-campus) that they are settled into because this land will literally be the place where they have to spend their next few years.
Hence, it is substantial for these new comers to find an affliction at this new place for which they can call to be belonged. This sort of afflictions may be a group of friends, a club or association, a support group, or straightforward involvement with daily events and routines.
Our school's Center for International Studies has done a good job keeping new international students accompanied from their orientation onwards. Social nights are organized in order to familiarize students with the local community members.
Besides, the International Students Association, the umbrella organization of all cultural student groups on campus, is ever-ready to receive new students with a friendly smile and an understanding heart. Nothing is more embracing than knowing there is a group of professional supports who are there to offer hospitality for someone who knows nothing of the new ground.
Think of home as a chamber for the heart to reside. What constitutes to building the trust to put yourself out there, in a new surrounding?
Get connected. Your heart needs to know there is someone whom you can trust and cling onto in times of need. Expand your horizons: Attend a church, get along with some helpful people and in return you will find how such acquaintanceship can help you build a sense of belonging.
Feeling - more than knowing - that you are secure at a new place is essential to an alien.
Be accustomed to the practical lifestyles of the town, know what are the do's and don'ts, and abide by the laws of the state. A good new citizen will never try to break any traditions of the society. Do test the water before you decide to do something "big," like criticizing the local politicians out loud.
Finally, yet most fundamentally, is to allow your heart to sink into the notion of "being at home."
Nothing aids more than you convincing your mind, soul, and heart that you are here for a reason. Know for sure that you have made a major decision to leave your comfort zone and this could be a turning point in your life. Do not fear, for life is all about growing and learning new experiences. Be a helpful hand to someone else whom may be in similar situations. This helps not only others but yourself to feel belonged to the now-pertained "home."
So now, do you still miss home?
