Social Life And Making Friends On US University Campuses

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Name

Professor

Course Number

/09/2017

Social life and making friends on US university campuses

It is tough to think about any culture without comparing an aspect of it to the American

culture. The Americans do not have an individual culture to identify with. Rather, America is a

melting pot that comprises of various cultures in one nation. Despite the fact that America

consists of many different cultures, Nathan argues that many international students believe that

Americans do not see the need to learn other people’s culture outside the United States of

America (85). Further, the author believes that Americans do not need learning other people’s

culture as a result of their ignorance. The author interviewee’s students at Universities and they

express their opinions regarding the reality and the expectations they faced when learning and

interacting with the American students. Regardless the American student's kindness, they tend to

be ignorant since they spend very little time learning about other people’s culture.

In the fourth chapter, the author reveals two central themes classroom life, relationships

and friendships. On relationships and friendships, one student shared their encounter with fellow

American students where the roommate came out looking inconsiderate and hostile. The

American fellow student told another international student that they were just but roommates and

nothing more (Nathan 72). In another scenario, a student said that he learned there was no

obligation of friendship or courtesy in schools. Notably, quite a huge number of students are

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independent. Some students were a shock to see that American students rarely had time to

interact with their nuclear and extended families.

The second theme the author presents is the classroom life and events that surprised the

foreign learners. The international students were shocked to see that the American students wear

pajamas to school. Other things that shocked the international students were the rate of

interruptions by asking questions while in class, lack of formality, leaving and the diet the

students were served during eating hours. Another emerging issue that shocked international

students since they felt and believed that the professors in American classrooms were more laid

back compared to tutors in their countries of origin (Nathan 77). One of the international students

likened the American style of teaching as a one-person show. In another instance, professors

entertainment their students as a way of capturing and retaining their attention in class which was

a new encounter for both the foreign and international students. However, the international

students were impressed by the fact student can choose and cater for their feelings and needs.

There is a global comment on the issue of American student population ignorance about

the cultures of other countries across the globe. International students are often astonished at the

ethnocentric tendencies displayed by the American student population. From an international

student’s view, American students establish surface-based friendliness or rather friendship. Also,

the students are not hospitable, and they are ever busy going about their businesses without

minding other people. One issue international students who are not born in the US find it hard to

make friends with the American students due to the differences in their cultures. If a non-US

student doesn’t have a hobby, then they may find it hard to interact and meet new people. On the

aspect of relationships and friends, American students embrace individualism and independence

compared to other cultures that value unity. The American student population does not have time

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to interact with their parents and families as they are a distinct subject from school (Nathan 69).

On the contrary, for the foreign and international students, family and parents are things that get

naturally incorporated into their social lives. Another observable characteristic with the

American student population is that there are no genuine friendships. In the way Americans

socialized with both the foreign and international students, they do not spend much of their time

socializing but rather prefer being loners. Further, they separate partying and socializing from

their lives.

The American student population has always been accused of being ignorant of other

people’s culture since they know little or less about the cultures as well as the values of other

countries. The US is perceived to be the center of the world. They have no interest in learning

about the outside world, hence no sense of the world history. The American students are an

independent culture and do not care about other cultures. As a result, they have inadequate

geographic knowledge. According to the Nathan, many students experienced surprise at the dull

reception they received and the lack of interest they perceived from the American students about

their experiences and backgrounds (70). Studying in the US as an international student can be an

excellent opportunity while at the same time it is not right for every foreign and international

student. Intolerance and lack of knowledge about other cultures make international students in

the US find it hard to study and live in the US (Nathan 87). Nonetheless, the American students

need to have tolerance and self-awareness, particularly about the media representation of issues

and news. The media coverage in the US concentrates mainly on what America is doing leaving

out the rest of the world. The American college culture dwells more on individualism, choice,

and the world of engagement as well as independence. There are so many opportunities in

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America, and for that reason, they should look for ways of embracing other international cultures

to make the world a better place.

International students interact more with other international students compared to the

Americans. Regarding language, foreign as well as the American students communicated using

their language. However, in other cases, Americans and the international students were observed

to be interacting beyond ethnic and cultural boundaries. A good example is when an American

student showed a Japanese scholar how to use the escalators. The students were very friendly

when I introduced myself to them and told them that I was conducting my study for the end of

semester exams. Another observation was that nobody bothered much about me since everyone

was busy either reading a book, listening to music, talking with friends, eating, drinking or doing

their assignments.

In conclusion, the American students tend to be kind. Nonetheless, they are very ignorant

about other people’s culture, and the best way to observe the mentioned above characteristics is

through classroom lives, friendships, and relationships. Social interaction is a vital aspect of all

the learning institutions, especially when students are from different cultures since they cannot

rely on education at all times. Social interactions create a conducive environment for both the

local and the international students, thereby making the world a better place. American students

can be very kind while at the same time very ignorant of other people’s cultures. According to

the international students, they feel that the Americans students do not spend enough time to

learn about the cultures of other countries and as a result lack enough knowledge about the world

history.

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Notes

1. For the purpose of this study, the world international and foreign students are used

synonymously.

2. International and foreign culture are used correspondingly.

3. In the study, local and domestic students have also been used similarly.

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Work cited

Nathan, R. My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student. London:

Penguin Books, (2005).

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