The International Student Experience
Studying overseas is an exciting and challenging life experience. While most students
experience various difficulties at one time or another, as an international student, you
may experience difficulties that will be unique because of the added pressures in
adjusting to a new culture, language, and educational environment. Studying aboard
can be exciting and rewarding, but being away from the security of home, family, friends
and a familiar environment can lead some international students to feel lonely,
homesick, anxious or stressed.
What may have felt like the right decision to study abroad at the start can present
international students with a number of challenges that come with day-to-day living in a
new setting. The amount of support that you can draw from friends and family is also
likely to be limited due to the distance and time zones. Concerns may also arise for the
wellbeing of family members who are a world away. At times of vulnerability, unhealthy
habits that you might have overcome in the past may appear again. Without proper
support, psychological challenges can be overwhelming and create a whole range of
difficulties and dilemmas that may interfere with your quality of life and studies.
For many international students, talking with a counsellor may not be a common
practice. However in challenging times, Australians use counselling as a common way
of dealing with personal stress and difficulties, especially during their student life, when
young adults are faced with new challenges and responsibilities. All UQ students have
free access to talk with a professional counselor at Student Services. Talking with a
professional student counsellor gives you the opportunity to discuss your concerns with
someone in a safe, friendly, and culturally sensitive environment and can offer support
and new perspectives on your experiences. Your counsellor is trained to respect racial,
ethnic, religious, gender, sexual orientation, and age differences as well as other forms
of diversity.
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT CHALLENGES
Below are some common challenges International students come across during their
university experience:

Separation from family and friends, loneliness, or homesickness

Culture shock: Adjusting to the Australian environment, culture and way of life

Communication and language difficulties

Academic pressures, or differences in teaching, learning, and classroom styles

Difficulties with social interactions and making new friends

Family worries, leaving loved ones behind

Relationship problems or dating people from different cultures

Financial concerns

Feeling a lack of confidence

Adjusting to new roommates and living arrangements

Coping with visa and immigration issues
WHAT TO EXPECT
Going to speak with a student counsellor may not be a familiar way of addressing
problems and this can feel strange for many international students who are wondering
what to expect from the counseling experience. Below are some common questions
that international students have about accessing the counselling service.

What is counselling?
Many people think counselling is about getting analysed by some ‘expert’ who will fix
their problems or offer advice on their situations. Counselling is and can be many
things but advice-giving or offering fix-it solutions is a limited view. The purpose of
counselling is to support you to make your own decisions. Counsellors do not tell you
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what to do or what you should or should not do.
A helpful way to think about
counselling is as a tool to see your situation clearly so as to increase self-confidence,
clarify values and priorities, cope with stress, overcome depression, improve
relationships with friends and family, improve motivation, or become more assertive. A
simple way to look at counselling is that it’s like a mirror. Counselling is a unique
relationship in which the counsellor’s role is to hold up a mirror for you to see your
situation clearly. Counsellors are trained to assist you to gain clearer understandings
and provide respectful support for your unique background and experiences.
With
these new perspectives and support, you will have the acknowledgement and
encouragement to help set goals, create results, and manage personal change. In other
words, counselling can be a way to support you through distressing times and help
improve your overall quality of life.

I am from a different culture, will a counsellor understand and help me?
Counsellors are committed to a multicultural practice. They provide a sensitive and
ethical appreciation of cultural diversity and recognition of each student’s cultural
differences. The role of a counsellor is to support, value, and respect your unique
background and experience, and assist you through any difficulties that arise during
your time at UQ.

It is difficult to express my thoughts and feelings in English. Will this be a
problem?
Expressing thoughts and emotions can be challenging for anyone, particularly during
distressing times. Counsellors are trained professionals and work within a multicultural
practice which means to maintain a high degree of sensitivity and awareness of cultural
diversity and language boundaries. Their role is to provide you with an understanding
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of your experience within your own context and will work at the pace that feels right for
you.

In my culture, we are not supposed to express our concerns outside our
families. Is it safe to talk with a counsellor?
Counsellors are all trained professionals and understand the subtle challenges for
international students from various backgrounds to access professional support. Safety
is a key issue in the practice of counselling and is taken very seriously. Counsellors
acknowledge that you have the right to feel safe at all times in what you share with
them.
Counselling may not be a common practice in your culture and so every
counselor carefully works within a strict Code of Ethics which maintains a high level of
sensitivity towards cultural boundaries and confidentiality.
Guide for International Students
http://www.uq.edu.au/international-guide/index.html
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