Posts Tagged ‘international’

The Universal Language of International Students

Tuesday, October 10th, 2023

Prior to arriving in Dublin, I hadn’t really processed or identified with the idea that I was going to be an international student. Coming from the United States, I recognized that studying in another country that is English-speaking and heavily influenced by American culture is probably not as intense of an experience as studying somewhere that is entirely foreign in both language and culture. However, I quickly came to realize that, even in less obviously foreign places, there are many experiences shared among all international students.

The first example, and perhaps the one that is most difficult to get used to, is the time difference between school and home. Everyone struggles at least a little with homesickness when they go to college for the first time, but there is truly nothing like an 8-hour time difference to throw you into the reality of adulthood. The first few days at school felt a little unreal, but eventually it set in that I wouldn’t be in the same time zone as the rest of my family for another 3-4 months. 

Something that made the experience especially difficult for me was having a boyfriend back home. With busy schedules on both of our ends, and having spent much of the summer together, it was extremely difficult at first to transition to only calling once or twice a week and having the majority of our conversations being just words on a screen. While our communication has strengthened since we first started long-distance, it would be a lie to say it isn’t still difficult to feel such a constant disconnect between us in our periods apart.

What I can say worked best for me to ease the sadness that the distance brings was meeting and spending time with people at school who are going through the same thing. I like to think of it as a sort of universal language between all international students – the homesickness, the struggle to adapt, the stresses of learning how to succeed academically and socially all while in a near completely unfamiliar place. I have found that no matter where other international students come from, there are always things we can relate to each other about over what we have experienced in this new location.

One resource that has been especially helpful to me at Trinity College is the Global Room. The Global Room is a place where many international students can take refuge to ask questions, attend informational events, and even celebrate the holidays of their home countries. One of the first times I visited the Global Room was a Thanksgiving party (a holiday I definitely didn’t realize I’d be going without for a few years). There, I was able to meet many fellow Americans and bond over some familiar holiday foods and gratitude activities.

A craft I did through the Global Room!

I’ve also learned about other cultures through a variety of Global Room events, such as an Irish trivia night and a Teru Teru Bozu-making class (Japanese rain dolls). There is something quite special about bonding with other international students over a shared lack of knowledge about the new place you’re in. Many of my first conversations with my current closest friends revolved around the unpredictable Dublin bus schedules and the expensive prices of toiletry products at Tesco. Even better, as you broaden your network of international friends, you in turn get to learn more about where they are from and what their lives are like back home. 

Overall, whether you are an international student or not, I think there is much room for bonding and meeting people over the shared unfamiliarities of university. Maybe you have the same boring professor, or you’re both struggling to finish the same assignment. Instead of lingering in the difficult and frustrating parts of the college experience, you can use them as opportunities to seek out positive relationships, which will help you further down the road in navigating your path.

Summary:

  • Being an international student can add further difficulties to navigating university life
  • I struggled with the time difference between school and home, especially with having a boyfriend back home
  • Making connections with other international students helped me feel more grounded in my new community
  • The Global Room was a helpful resource to meet more international students and learn more about Irish culture
  • Anyone, international student or not, can form new friendships through bonding over shared struggles

Save on your next grocery trip with this coupon and your student ID!

By Bella Littler

Bella is a second year film student within the Trinity College Dublin / Columbia Dual BA program. She grew up in Iowa, but is currently living and studying in Dublin. On the average day, you can find her watching obscure movies, going on aimless walks around the city, or raving about any and all Taylor Swift lyrics.


For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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Eating Around the World in Quarantine

Monday, July 19th, 2021

By day 14 of quarantining in my childhood home I was sick of it. By day 200 I was all but losing my mind. I missed the world: the crowded stink of a foreign bar, the fuzzy 4 AM feeling at the end of an all-nighter in the library, even the gross wave of heat the subway emits all summer for God Knows What Reason. I missed, more than anything, newness. Each day was blurring into the next, through naps and Zoom calls and another glass of wine staring at the evening news. During the months I spent inside, cooking quickly became my way to try something new. The only way for me to travel in a year when I couldn’t leave my home was in the kitchen. So, with all of my new free time, I started cooking. I started experimenting with new ingredients, sometimes spending a whole afternoon perfecting a lemon tart or rolling out pasta dough with a wine bottle.

Home rolled sushi (makes for a delicious meal and a fun at-home project–try inviting a couple people over and have everyone roll their own!)

Food is magic to me because of what it can do for people. It’s so much more than the sum of its parts, and it’s no secret that a home cooked meal tastes better because it feels better. I want to taste where the dish is from, taste the story of the person who made it. I want to know where they learned the recipe and why their mother really makes the best version of this dish in the world. A lovingly cooked meal is my favorite gift to give or receive. So, while locked away from the world and all of its juicy ingredients, I was determined to keep our pallets alive. My parents were generous to be my cooking guinea pigs; I made zucchini buns, vegan scones, curry too spicy for any of us to eat, lamb meatballs, hummus 1,000 different ways…I did it all! And the adventure of all of it kept us happy and engaged through the quietest parts of the pandemic. Our favorite meal was bibimbap; I hope it can bring you the same joy it did for us. Whether you’re back to life-as-almost-normal or not, try something new in your kitchen!

Tempura fried avocado, broccoli, and zucchini with a homemade soy ginger dipping sauce!

Bibimbap is a Korean dish that is to die for–trust me. I was determined to cook it because of how much I missed going out and eating it. It’s a rice dish with veggies and proteins (beef is my favorite), and best served in a hot stone bowl with a runny fried egg on top. My go-to recipe is Sue’s from My Korean Kitchen. She breaks down the steps so easily, offers ideas for side dishes, and makes this dish easy even for beginners. This isn’t for the faint of heart; it sometimes takes me two or three hours to make bibimbap for four people. It involves separate preparations for a lot of different veggies, but I promise it’s worth it! And so easy to adjust for dietary restrictions. My parents loved it and have since requested it several times. And, thanks to Sue’s recipe, it’s become a part of my repertoire in the kitchen. With each new recipe I try, I learn new techniques and flavor combinations that I can use in other meals.

My first ever bibimbap–look at all those veggies! And the sauce is killer.

Whether bibimbap is your thing or not, the internet is an amazing resource for finding recipes. When you’re a student in the city figuring out how to cook on your own for the first time can be daunting, but online recipes are a real life saver. And in a year that has been so difficult and isolating, we could all use a little more joy and spice. I challenge you to look up one completely new recipe this week; make something you love eating, and find someone you care about to share it with! You can use this as a little gateway into another part of the world, pairing your hard earned meal with a drink from that place or just reading a bit about the culture the food is coming from. Chef’s kiss!

Lamb chops over polenta and garlic fried spinach with a feta vinaigrette
You can find all these recipes (and millions more!) through a quick Google search. Start with a dish or ingredient you love, and see what recipes pop up!

Cora Enterline is a senior at NYU studying law, ethics, and religion. She’s studied and worked in Paris and Tel Aviv, where she loved biking, traveling, dancing, and teaching English. She has a love for foreign languages, sad novels, themed dinner parties, and red wine by candlelight. This summer, follow her blog to learn easy, student-friendly recipes and find inspiration from around the world for your own dinners, picnics, and culinary adventures at home!


For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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