According to the university’s Autumn 2024 Enrollment Report, there are about 6,000 international students across Ohio State’s campuses. Despite this sizable population, many international students have faced distinct struggles while trying to find community in a foreign country. Credit: Nevaeh Repp | Design Editor
Graduate school can be challenging to navigate, and for international students, additional hurdles can make the experience even more stressful.
According to the university’s Autumn 2024 Enrollment Report, there are about 6,000 international students across Ohio State’s campuses. Despite this sizable population, many international students have faced distinct struggles while trying to find community in a foreign country.
Current international graduate students shared their experiences and advice to help guide incoming students who may face similar challenges.
Obstacles in the application process
Yara Hassan, a first-year graduate student in biomedical sciences and an international student from Egypt, said she set her sights on Ohio State due to its prestige and research opportunities.
“I knew I wanted to come to the U.S. because the research opportunities and everything is kind of better, especially in my field because I am doing research in neuroimmunology, and we basically don’t have any research lab in this area in Egypt,” Hassan said.
Hassan said she quickly realized the application process for international students differs significantly from that of domestic students. Unlike many U.S. students in biomedical sciences, who rotate between labs before committing to one, Hassan had to select a lab prior to arriving in the country.
“When joining grad school, what should happen is that you join a program, and then you rotate between different labs until you choose one that is the right fit,” Hassan said. “However, at OSU, some of the programs require you to communicate with [Principal Investigators] and apply.”
Another daunting application process for international students is the visa application. Hassan described the process as “very annoying” due to its wait time and difficulty. Some students who are accepted to a U.S. university are unable to attend because they do not get their visa in time, Hassan said.
“It’s just a lot of work,” Hassan said. “From applying to getting accepted to settling everything to moving here, it’s just a lot of work.”
Adjusting to a foreign environment
Once international graduate students secure admission and visas, their journey isn’t over; rather, they must trek across the globe to Columbus.
Hareem Ali, a second-year graduate student in public health and an international student from Pakistan, described the travel process as exhausting.
“Moving was a bit difficult because it was a long way here,” Ali said. “I flew 26 hours to get here, and immediately after, I had to start my training for my assistantship.”
Adapting to campus life was even harder, she said.
“For me, trying to get to know things here was a big culture shock,” Ali said. “Everything was pretty fast-paced for me, and just trying to learn about the system and the school I had to do pretty quickly, which I found overwhelming.”
Hassan agreed, adding the adjustment was especially difficult without a local support system.
“It’s very hard for us international students who are coming from different countries right into this, to adjust to everything — getting to know the place, being independent, not having anyone to help you,” Hassan said.
Hassan has also found it difficult to feel accepted among her peers, she said.
“Because of the stereotypes, you have to kind of make people see you as a person, regardless of what you’re wearing, or how you look or whatever,” Hassan said. “That was hard, and I still somehow struggle with it.”
Homesickness is another major challenge, she said.
“Being away from home and missing your friends, your family, your country, it’s very different,” Hassan said. “Very, very different.”
International students must adjust to the culture, language and lifestyle of a foreign country, all while keeping up with rigorous coursework. Even small differences, such as food and pop culture references, can add to this pressure, Ali said.
“[The food] is very different here, especially the on-campus food,” Ali said. “I miss a lot of my mom’s home cooking.”
Cultural barriers likewise extend to American references, which Ali said are sometimes hard to fully grasp.
“There are things that are so specific to the U.S., like slang or any mention of anything here,” Ali said. “Sometimes, I’ve experienced, there comes a shock if there’s a show here that they mention, and everybody has seen it, and I say I don’t know about it and ask them to explain it. Not everyone has grown up seeing the same thing. There are so many things that we would need more context on, and there should be space to give us more context.”
Navigating resources
According to the Undergraduate Admissions website, about 10% of Ohio State’s clubs are dedicated to international students, aiming to connect students with others from their respective home countries.
The Office of International Affairs also offers services tailored to international students, such as workshops, one-on-one appointments and more, according to its website.
Additionally, Counseling and Consultation Services offers services for all graduate students, which can help with navigating feelings of isolation, homesickness, stress or other mental health concerns, according to its website.
Advice for international graduate students
Despite tackling various obstacles, Hassan and Ali said they have found several approaches that help streamline the transition.
Hassan said she recommends international students involve themselves and their peers in traditional and cultural activities to build new connections.
“I would advise them to try to make more activities and engage colleagues more into their lives if they cannot fit into their activities,” Hassan said.
Ali agreed getting involved is a necessity, urging students to advocate for their academic, financial and professional success.
“I would suggest being more proactive,” Ali said. “Don’t rely only on your academic advisors or your supervisors to tell you everything. Be more proactive, and go to the Office of International Affairs to ask questions about resources, scholarships and any grant funding.”
Leaning into experiences to foster a strong learning environment is also important, Ali said.
“A lot of public health is about developing countries, so I could bring in a lot of different perspectives,” Ali said. “That made a good learning environment for us to go back and forth about things, and I also learned a lot about the U.S. healthcare system from [American students].”
At the end of the day, Hassan emphasized the importance of staying strong in the face of discrimination and adversity.
“I just want to advise people to be more open and to be thick-skinned,” Hassan said. “It’s a very important thing because when you’re coming here, you should expect that for the first few months or year, you’re going to have to endure a lot of faces and comments, and you just have to not let it get to you.”
