Lost in Translation: The Silent Struggle of Foreign Students Abroad
University Application Process
When you arrive in a new country as a student, it's usually with a suitcase full of hope and a head buzzing with big dreams. There's excitement, nerves, maybe even a bit of pride. You’ve come for something better — a stronger education, new experiences, the chance to grow.
But after a while, the shiny newness starts to wear off. The streets, the faces, the routine — it all becomes real. And somewhere in that shift, many international students find themselves in a quiet, invisible struggle. Not against people — but against language.
When Words Build Walls
Language is supposed to connect us. It's how we share stories, jokes, feelings. But when you're trying to navigate daily life in a language that isn’t your own — from understanding street signs to keeping up with fast-paced classroom conversations — it doesn’t feel like a connection. It feels like a wall.
Even the simplest things become hard. Ordering food. Asking for help. Making small talk with classmates. It’s not just the words themselves — it’s how they come out. Or don’t.
You want to speak. You can speak. But somehow, you still don’t feel like you’re being heard. Not really.
“I have so much to say, but the words just don’t come out right.”
That sentence plays on repeat in the minds of thousands of students around the world.
Lonely Isn’t Always Loud
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Then, there’s culture shock — subtle, but sharp.
Jokes don’t land the same. Manners feel unfamiliar. Even your laugh doesn’t quite fit in.
You start to feel like you’re out of sync with the world around you.
So, slowly, you pull back — not because you want to be alone, but because it feels safer that way.
You sit alone at lunch.
You stay quiet in group projects.
You stop trying to join conversations, afraid of awkward silences or messing up.
Over time, the silence grows louder. You start watching videos in your native language just to feel something familiar. You look forward to phone calls from home — not just to catch up, but to remember who you were before all this.
“You’re So Quiet.” But You Weren’t Always. Maybe someone’s said that to you:
“You’re so quiet.” But back home, you were anything but quiet.
You made people laugh. You told stories. You had a voice. Now? You feel like a version of yourself that got lost somewhere along the way — not because you’ve changed, but because you don’t yet have the words to show who you really are.
And that’s the hardest part. When you lose your voice, you start to lose connection. Not just with others, but with yourself.
You’re Not Alone
If this feels familiar — if you’re nodding silently as you read — hear this: “"You are not alone”
There are thousands of students across the world feeling this exact thing. It doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re human. And you’re adjusting, learning, doing something incredibly brave in a place that doesn’t always make it easy.
So take your time. Join a language class. Keep practicing, even when it feels awkward. Say the wrong thing — it’s okay. That’s how it gets better. Find others who speak your language. Laugh together. Celebrate the small wins — like the first joke you make in your new language. Or that one person who doesn’t care about your accent.
This Is Growth
One day, you’ll look back on this time and realize — this wasn’t the chapter where you lost yourself. It was where you found something even deeper: resilience, empathy, a wider view of the world.
And maybe, someday, you’ll meet another student who feels just as lost as you once did.
And you’ll be the one to say: “I’ve been there. It gets better.”
Because it truly does.
