The number of international students in the United States had an all-time high during the 2018-2019 academic year. According to the 2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, it is the fourth consecutive year with more than one million international students. They make 5.5% of the total higher education population in the U.S. According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, international students contributed $44.7 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018, an increase of 5.5 percent from the previous year.
The continued competitiveness and quality of higher education in the U.S. make it an ideal choice for international students to pursue. The 2019 Open Doors Report also indicated an increase in the number of international students pursuing their education in the U.S. Thus it is important to take into consideration the impact that international students bring to U.S. universities as well as experiences, cultural changes, and adjustments that international students go through when they decide to pursue their education in the United States by taking a look at some case studies.
Vijay is an international student at the University at buffalo from India. He is an upcoming senior majoring in business with a minor in computer science. When asked what his biggest concern about studying the US was he feels that the biggest concern he has with education in the US is its cost, “Education in America is expensive, it is a least a few times more expensive than other countries. Even though there is a list of parameters that go into deciding who comes and where they will come to study, expenses are probably what’s on the minds of the students as well as their parents.” He also added that the value of the US dollar is strong compared to countries with depressed currencies and coupled with long visa processing times makes it harder for families to send their kids abroad. When asked about how his life is different when comparing it to his hometown, He said that life isn’t as fast-paced as his life back home, but places like New York city get overwhelmingly busy sometimes. He also added that people tend to stick together with friend groups for most of their time college and some people would not want to associate with new friends. He also expressed concerns about safety due to recent reports of gun violence.
When asked about his experience getting used to the changes when he moved here, Vijay said coming from a global background, with family members in various parts of the world such as Singapore, China, and Indonesia. The transition to a different country was easy for him compared to others. The only small change he observed in his opinion was that the food portions here were much larger compared to the portions back home. He also expressed concerns about little or no financial aid support for international students, “Most universities do not offer scholarships or aid to international students, making it very hard for the families who typically pay a higher proportion of the education costs, primarily tuition and fees.”
For decades, The United States has been the top destination for students like Vijay looking to study abroad mostly because American post-secondary institutions are constantly ranked as some of the world’s most prestigious. The World University Rankings(2020) states that 14 of the top 20 global universities are located in the U.S. The presence of international students in the U.S. has seen an increasing trend the past few decades via the data given by the Institute of International Education, but the number of new international students enrolling om universities has been on a decline the past few years. This is important as international students are a vital asset to the US economy, they account for $41 Billion of U.S exports which ranks it among the top 5 exports in the country. Even after graduation international students and scholars continue to make significant contributions to the U.S. economy. International students also help to grow the U.S knowledge economy by bringing in global talent. For example, about 40% of all American Nobel Prizes won in the science field since 2000 were awarded to immigrants. People like Elon Musk and Satya Nadela are only a few examples of success stories. Thus being able to attract the world’s brightest minds is a pipeline for continued innovation and growth.
With so many opportunities and success stories, it seems impossible to witness a decline in enrolment. One of the few reasons for the decline would be the social and political environment. Recent developments in U.S. politics such as travel restrictions that have been put in place. Long delays in visa processing and denials, competition from institutions in other countries, and student’s concerns about getting a job in the united states after graduating are also some key factors as the why the decline is happening. As international enrollments decline, America has plenty to gain from cultivating a more welcoming and barrier-free route to higher education. Let us take a look at more case studies to better understand this fact.
Aritra is an international student from Bangladesh who is also an upcoming senior, he majors in computer science at the University at Buffalo. “My culture is very different compared to the culture here”, he says when asked about his experience studying in the U.S. Aritra adds that since the education system is different he would have to focus more on improving his skills and getting used to a new format of learning. He stated that having to learn to adapt and adjust to a new system of learning as well as getting to know the way of life and culture to better fit into society is a feat to behold. He says that getting used to the various intricacies of the culture in the United States has a very high learning curve and its pretty difficult to fit in.
Having like-minded people with the same interests as you or are from the same cultural background as you who are also having the same kind of difficulty helps in transitioning to college life in the U.S. he says. “Having groups of friends of similar background that help you interact with another group of a different background would help speed up the process of fitting in”, he added. He also stressed the importance of not sticking to one group of friends, “Always make sure you have a wide variety of friends from different cultural backgrounds and interests and not just stick to one group of friends, this helps you to get a much-needed exposure to various lifestyles and cultures of people from different parts of the world. Which can be very beneficial in the future.”
Abhinav, who is also an international student a the University at Buffalo, is an upcoming senior majoring in computer science and is from India. Abhinav states that he has faced a lot of difficulties when adjusting to life in the states, he said he had trouble becoming familiar with the dialect of English spoken here, a change in food that he is not used to as well as a lot of homesickness. He added, “My physical and mental health was degrading day by day and I had to do something to stop it,”. He advised that instead of running away from his problems it was better to face them head-on and solve them which would prevent them from piling up and causing a huge emotional burden, for example, he says that he tried speaking English with the native speakers even though his English was broken at the time and in just a few months he was able to master the language and was at a better place. When asked about what advice he would give to incoming international students he said,” Stay strong and remember that there will be problems that come and go but it is important to face them and not let it take over you”. He also said that support groups and clubs that represent different countries that are present on campus can be of great help when it comes to providing well being.
Anelya, an international student from Kazakhstan who is also an upcoming senior who majors in political science at the University at Buffalo says that one of the most difficult challenges of coming to the United States for her education was leaving her parents. “I was very homesick, and in the beginning, it was very lonely being in a country where you don’t have any family”. She later added that finding good friends and clubs on campus made her feel better and relieve her of homesickness. Upon asking how being in Buffalo was different than her hometown, she said that she had lived in many other countries before such as the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Russia, thus it was not that hard to bring her life over to the states, but the only major difference that she observed was the food, “The food on campus was very different from what I used to eat, mostly because it was fast food”. She said she eventually did get used to living in the states when she decided to move off-campus. “Moving off-campus helped me meet more friends and attend more social events as well as enable me to cook at home, which ultimately made me feel less lonely”. She said that the key to having a healthy and beneficial experience in college is to find the right friend group that will guide you through your ups and down’s in life. She also stressed the importance of having a communication plan with parents, “Having a certain time set and abides by the time zone of your hometown to talk to your parents is key to having a healthy relationship with them while you are a million miles away”.
Thus, global talents are an important asset for a country’s continued innovation and growth. With the United States still being the prime destination for international students and scholars, the country’s leadership in this space is at risk. Since 2001, the share of international students in America has fallen from 28% to 21%. Thus, International students being a valuable asset to the economy and the nation in general, measures must be taken to cultivate a more welcoming and barrier-free route to higher education.
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