Studying In A Foreign Country
Hi! Compliments of the new year!💃🙌 The beginning of a new year normally means stepping into a new season of our lives. This specific blog is for anyone who's starting a new semester, new chapter, new university or just moving to a different location. A friend of mine is going to take you through the highs and lows, maybe even the disparaging experiences of having to adapt to a whole new way of living as a student in a foreign country. Have fun reading. -Rachel🌻
Studying In A Foreign Country
Aaaah how I remember the high school days when this was a big dream. The dream universities were limitless and the dream locations were all the juicier when I had those dreams in high school. As a teenager that craved independence and a good adventure, this was the next chapter I craved very badly. I remember thinking: "OH MAN FOREIGN FRIENDS, FOREIGN HANGOUTS, FOREIGN ACADEMIC SYSTEM, FOREIGN LAND & ADVENTURES!"
However, what I didn't count for was the repetitive feeling of loneliness, not knowing how to behave around different cultural norms here and how isolating it can feel not speaking the local tongue.
It was the middle of 2018 when I came over to Botswana for my studies. Of course, being from Namibia - I did not know a single thing about Botswana except that Gaborone was the capital city and the Kalahari desert was somewhere towards their west side. For me, that raised curiosity to all-time highs and of course, the excitement on the drive here was palpable in the car. After that nearly 12 hour drive, I knew I was in a place like no other. You see, whereas Windhoek is geographically arranged according to financial class, Gaborone is not, it's mixed. That was the first noticeable thing that struck me upon arriving here. Since then I've been hit with more culture shock than I could count. The mentality of the people is more discipline orientated. It's almost like Batswana enjoy handing out punishments and keeping their people in line under any circumstance, be it for the upholding of the Law or keeping the school youth in check. Either way, this was different for me as only a handful of tribes in my country are as discipline orientated as most Batswana.
The second feeling I've had after most of the culture shock settled was isolation. I live in a country where it seems like 80% of everyone I come across has to speak Setswana to or around me at some point after being in my company. This isn't necessarily my biggest problem here but something of a super transparent barrier I run into when I want to be part of the conversation. I would be placed in teams of 4 to 5 or sometimes 7 individuals for group work and almost always, I have to remind the speakers that I don't speak Setswana.
Sticking with isolation and school, many of my peers often saw me sitting alone thinking I was better than everyone (lol according to translated reports) but they don't know how much it sucks to be in a friend circle and 50% of what's spoken is gibberish to a foreign ear. Having to repeat that you can't speak this complicated language to almost every stranger I've had to engage in a conversation with can be tiring. The worst is when they suggest I ought to have learned Setswana by now but disregard the fact that when I'm home, I am engaged in English-only conversations with my Namibians back home. Now that I think about it, perhaps I ought to have dedicated more time to learning and practicing Setswana.
Besides the few negatives I've mentioned, the biggest positive to studying in a foreign country is having the chance to almost start over. By this I mean in terms of the type of friends I can make or the type of person I'd like to be. Although my old habits and characteristics that make me who I am are still there, there were new layers added to them as time passed by. I could handle situations or speak to people in a manner that isn't one I came with from Namibia but rather traits that have grown within me over time. This helped me learn a lot about myself.
One good example is my attitude towards getting work done. Since I live alone, no mom, maid, or sister can assist me with my basic chores. I have to do everything or simply be lazy and watch how nothing is done. I swear, my mom was even delighted when I'd return & simply do things without being asked. Well... this was temporary, after two weeks of being in Windhoek, I'd return to my lazy ways. Lol.
The best part of studying in a foreign country would have to be the people, the foreign food, foreign scenery, and going home with STORIES to tell. Of course, the storytelling goes both ways. You become a sort of ambassador for your country when people in the foreign land start asking you about home. This is where I make sure to paint the best yet most realistic picture of how my home country can be. Often during these conversations, I always learn something new about Botswana or its history, etc. I believe the biggest difference between my home country and Botswana is safety.
The crime rate is much lower in Botswana, which brings me to my final topic: Safety. Living in a foreign country by myself means traveling or moving about on my own. This can mean being exposed to unknown areas without any friends or assistance. The possibility of wandering off and getting lost was always there for me no matter how true I remained to the instructions given. This can leave me exposed to anything that can compromise my safety. This fact is even more daunting given that I study here without any medical insurance. Living like that gets you thinking twice before stepping foot outside. Lucky enough for me, I was not once exposed to anything that could harm my health and safety.
This is currently my last year of studies and what I expected was to eventually graduate, show my gratitude to the country as a whole and leave. What I never expected was toying with the thought of staying longer and perhaps, maaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe calling this my home in the future. We shall see.
-Andrew P
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