Moving overseas for studies is a stressful and scary thing. I would know - when I left for Perth, leaving my home in Kuala Lumpur for the first time I was really terrified. Although it was partly a choice I made on my own free will but part of it was inevitable as the degree I wanted could only be completed overseas (at that time).
However now that I've spent 9 years overseas, I realized that there were alot of things that I should've been grateful for when I was studying. I've just recently started seeing Perth as a permanent home and I decided to make a list of things I feel international students should be grateful for.
1. Your parents/family
I've gotta admit I was never close to my family until I came overseas. You know the saying "You don't know what you have until it's gone"? It's kinda like that, when you're an international student and usually you're alone in an unfamiliar place that's when you get homesick. Then you'd realize that although you never noticed it, your family has always been supporting you. So remember to call home, it doesn't matter if it's just to say "Hi, how's everything?" they will appreciate it more than you know.
2. The opportunity to be independent
How many of you have never done your own laundry until you move out? I realized how sheltered my life was when I was staring at this load of dirty clothes in my dorm room and turned the room upside down in search of coins for the washing machine. All of a sudden you are responsible for feeding yourself (usually instant noodles and/or pasta), paying bills, enrolling for classes, cleaning duties (if there is a roster in your dorm/housing) and a whole lot of other horrifying tasks - that's all before you actually count in your university schedule. But it's by diving straight into this whirlwind of responsibilities that you can actually stand on your own two feet and say that you're independent. Now, give yourself a pat on the back for not breaking down and crying in a fetal position at a corner.
3. Experiencing a different culture
It was a culture shock for me when I first arrived. I had the impression that Aussies had no sense of personal space and would just come up to you and say "How's it goin mate?". But now I'm used to it and sometimes find myself doing it to people back home. I don't understand students who come all the way across oceans only to hang out with people from the same countries. I understand that it would be more comfortable but you should really broaden your horizons and make more friends of different cultures - even if it results in you trying lamb brains or making a fool of yourself learning a new language.
4. The freedom
No curfews, no nagging, no pants... just the few things that makes you feel like you can fly. These are the years for you to truly craft yourself. It's your soul searching years and you have the freedom to try whatever you'd like (within reason of course). Get a part time job as a barista or go on a spontaneous road trip, it's all up to you. But of course with great freedom comes great responsibility.
5. Education
You probably went overseas because the schools/colleges/universities are simply better than the ones you can find back home. And yet I have met plenty of international students (even till now) that have total lack of regard for their education. Tertiary education is not cheap people! Now man up and go attend that 8am lecture you knew you had before you decided to down a bottle of tequila the night before.
6. You're not in debt
This might not apply to everyone, but if you're an Asian studying overseas, 95% of the time you're getting funds from home. Nothing wrong with that, in fact you should be very grateful that you will not have crushing student loans after you graduate. This doesn't mean you should just kick back and sail through uni without planning your finances. Getting a part time job and setting aside some savings would allow you to take a month or two off after graduation for some travelling or just a short break before diving into the work force (trust me, you do not want to jump straight into full time work).
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