Main point
The number of students studying abroad witnesses an increasing growth in recent decades.The application of foreign universities becomes also easier. However, more and more overseas students face one difficult problem: social barriers. According to survey, nearly one fourth of the Chinese students in Ivy League Universities choose to drop out because of social barriers.
Why not making local friends?
When you study abroad, many relatives or friends ask such question: Have you already made a lot of foreign friends? And the answer is “absolutely no”.
An Australian student asked in “Quora”: why are Chinese students often in a group, instead of trying to fit into the foreign society?
Today, Jiaojiao tells you how to fit into local environment and set up your own social network.
How to get out of social networking bottleneck?
Many attribute the problem to language and cultural differences. In fact, language is not that important. In the eyes of foreign students, the main parts of their lives are various parties, dancing and drinking. So, if you are a social butterfly, you probably feel easy to fit into the lives of local people. However, for students who grow up in China, study is always seen as the most important part of their lives since childhood. Bound by rules and regulations, they feel hard to be free. Then, what to do to solve the problem? Here are some tips for Chinese students who study abroad.
Tip 1. Expressions in class
In foreignuniversities,students’ participation is thought highly of. You can have discussions with classmates or communicate with professors. This is the fastest way to develop interpersonal skills.
Tip 2. Be active in teamwork
Teamworks in many professional courses are grouped randomly or freely. What you should do is to get out of the circle of Asian and join into the groups of local students. In the process of professional discussions, you are sure to make some excellent friends.
Tip 3. Participate in academic conferences
Academic conferences and forums are regularly held in most universities. Students from different majors and grades have the chances to participate in. This kind of activities are beloved by local students. Therefore, participating in academic conferences is surely one of the ways to get to know excellent students from various majors.
Tip 4. Take part in social activities/salons/parties, experience the life of local people
Take part in social and recreational activities as many as possible. Those activities provide you with a platform to get acquaintance with people who have similar tastes or interests. This is also a way of widen your circle of acquaintances.
Tip 5. Social network
Try to get in contact with others through virtual network, such as Instagram, Facebook, or similar social softwares. Find the kindred spirits.
Tip 6. Part-time jobs
The aim of a part-time job is not only to make money, but also to experience the life abroad. Apart from restaurant works that Chinese students often do, you can also try different kinds of other interesting jobs like Chinese teacher, bartender assistant, shopping guide and so on. During the time of your part-time job, you have the chance to know many friends and realize your self-value.
Tip 7. Travel around
You may travel to the cities or countries nearby, experiencing different cultures from overseas. You can talk with various fellow travelers, which at the same time also widen your social circle.
Tip 8. Get acquainted with KOL
KOL，with its full name “Key Opinion Leader”, refers to the central figures of a circle or in a university. They are active in social activities, almost everybody knows them. if you get familiar with them, they will bring you into many other social circles, so that you gain the chance of taking part in lots of such activities and getting in contact with excellent people.
The most important thing is, you must have thedesireof stepping out of your own circleandbe active !（(圖文來自：海僑會 轉載請註明出處。)