All of my flat mates are international students
I start uni in a few days and I found out who my flat mates are today. All of them are Chinese except for one who is Portuguese. I love different cultures and I thought this would be a great opportunity to meet new people from different countries. Then I started talking to my friends and they've made me feel anxious about the situation now. My friend who just finished first year told me that international students usually stick together and don't want to party. Others said that I probably won't fit in as they usually prefer to socialise with each other so I would likely be left out more.
Other people who applied to the same uni have no international student flat mates. Is it because I ticked all girls option? In hindsight maybe I shouldn't have but my mum said that would be better at the time. I applied really early aswell back in Decenber could that be another reason? Do you think that I should be ok? Any tips on how I can integrate well with the international students and make them feel welcome aswell?
Other people who applied to the same uni have no international student flat mates. Is it because I ticked all girls option? In hindsight maybe I shouldn't have but my mum said that would be better at the time. I applied really early aswell back in Decenber could that be another reason? Do you think that I should be ok? Any tips on how I can integrate well with the international students and make them feel welcome aswell?
(edited 8 years ago)
I'm sorry to say this but yes, this is a really bad situation. My experience of the majority of chinese students is they form a clique with each other and will not make any attempt to include you, they're not being spiteful, it is just how most of them are coming from such a different culture.
I had a similar situation in first year, my flat was all international and they were all second / third years. It was a huge mistake to stay there and not transfer to different accomodation because it was a miserable dead flat and I ended up eating dinner alone most nights as the internationals were ghosts that never left their room.
If I was you I would try your absolute hardest to mix with other flats ASAP and contact your accomodation office to say you are not happy with this situation, the faster you do this the better, they may be able to move you quickly before everyone has settled. After first term it would be much harder to move flat and settle in.
Whatever happens though don't be one of those people that drops out altogether because they have a bad flat. Im in 4th year now and although my 1st year flat was rough, I made the best of it and had good friends, then by 2nd year I had a great house with those friends and a big social circle.
I had a similar situation in first year, my flat was all international and they were all second / third years. It was a huge mistake to stay there and not transfer to different accomodation because it was a miserable dead flat and I ended up eating dinner alone most nights as the internationals were ghosts that never left their room.
If I was you I would try your absolute hardest to mix with other flats ASAP and contact your accomodation office to say you are not happy with this situation, the faster you do this the better, they may be able to move you quickly before everyone has settled. After first term it would be much harder to move flat and settle in.
Whatever happens though don't be one of those people that drops out altogether because they have a bad flat. Im in 4th year now and although my 1st year flat was rough, I made the best of it and had good friends, then by 2nd year I had a great house with those friends and a big social circle.
(edited 8 years ago)
Get that changed. I believe it is best to be in a flat with at least somewhat likeminded people. Meeting people from other foreign cultures is not something most people really want to do at uni, and if you do there is plenty of opportunities to do so.
I just think you will have more fun with local students... and a lot more in common.
I just think you will have more fun with local students... and a lot more in common.
In my first year, two of my flatmates were British and four were internationals; the mix was fine. I am living with international students in my second year as well. They can be cliquey but it's not a huge challenge to overcome that.
One of my long term friends was housed with all chinese students in first year and to go with the stereotype they all studied and locked themselves away for the year, she said on the first night she just went around knocking on other peoples flats etc to meet people that way
I went on a date with a Japaniese girl the culture was so different it was not good
I understand that it is really hard to communicate with people from totaly different cultures, but you should at least try. Otherwise, you should change the flat.
ooh bad luck 
from my experience international students (particularly chinese) are shy and insular, only talking to other chinese
from my experience international students (particularly chinese) are shy and insular, only talking to other chinese
I'm kinda foreign (mainly because I spent most of my life outside it)
and I can say that from experience, it's better to move because you will feel crap when you think you are bonding but they always have 'plans'. And it's usually always the Chinese who exclude others.
Other international students should be fine imo but still you should move to a better flat.
and I can say that from experience, it's better to move because you will feel crap when you think you are bonding but they always have 'plans'. And it's usually always the Chinese who exclude others
. Other international students should be fine imo but still you should move to a better flat.
I lived with all Chinese people for 2 years. It was actually pretty awesome. I got on great with them, we often cooked food together, they taught me Chinese words and about their food and culture and I...well I probably didn't teach them anything but it was still awesome.
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