International students pay at least twice as much in tuition fees as home students do – and universities have come to rely on these fees for their very survival. As international students have so much to offer UK universities, it is vital that we understand the challenges they face while studying in this country. By doing so, we can hope to retain as many overseas students as possible. In this article, I answer five questions about international students: (i) How many international students are there in UK? (ii) Why do international students choose to study in UK? (iii) What benefits do international students bring? (iv) What challenges do international students face? and (v) How can we support international students?
Read more: International students in UK universities1. How many international students are there in UK?
More and more international students are choosing to study at UK universities. In the 2019-20 academic year, the total number was 556,625 – which corresponds to a 12% increase in the space of a single year1. The total number of non-UK students who enrolled in UK HE institutions rose by 26% from 2015/16 to 2019/20. This does not mean, however, that each group of international students grew in number. For example, enrolments from Malaysia fell by 20% and enrolments from South America fell by 11% over the same time period. By contrast, the biggest increases in enrolments have come from China (67%) and India (356%)1. International student recruitment from outside the EU remains a priority for UK Government, which has committed to increase international student numbers to 600,000 by 20302.
2. Why do international students choose to study in UK?
Many factors influence a home student’s choice of university – such as the academic reputation of a particular university, its safety, cost and location. As for international students, there are both push and pull factors. Push factors stem from the students’ home countries. For example, some nations are simply unable to meet local demand for Higher Education. International students are often pushed to study abroad by a desire to become more employable upon their return. And parental influence still counts for a lot. Pull factors, by contrast, stem from within the UK itself. UK universities are highly regarded around the world. Standards are high and so a UK degree is valuable. Studies have identified that all of these factors have a role in determining international students’ decision to move to UK for the purposes of study3.
3. What benefits do international students bring?
International students, home students and university lecturers all benefit from growing numbers of international students. The students themselves benefit in several ways. First, they gain cross-cultural awareness by attending university in a different country. This overseas experience is likely to raise students’ self-esteem and self-confidence. Home students also benefit from the ‘mixed cultural experiences’ which they gain by mixing with international students4. Their social circles will be enriched by these students and they will hear about what life is like in other countries. As for university lecturers, the presence of international students may ‘add fresh perspectives during classroom discourse’5. In other words, class discussions will become more interesting as new viewpoints are considered.
4. What challenges do international students face?
The international student population in UK continues to grow. Students are attracted by the high standards and glowing reputations of UK universities. Moreover, there are many benefits to attracting large numbers of overseas students – not just for the international students, but for home students and university lecturers as well. However, the transition from School to University can be daunting for any student, regardless of home country. But international students face particular challenges – in respect to English language, academic adjustment, social adjustment and mental health.
4.1. English language
English language is a particular concern for international students6. Particular areas of difficulty include subject-specific vocabulary and understanding lectures and seminars. Daller and Phelan7 investigated the relationship between English language ability and study success among a mixed group of 74 international students. The researchers concluded that ‘language proficiency is the key factor that explains in some cases almost entirely the final marks that the students achieve’. Low levels of English language proficiency have been linked to depression among a certain cohort of international University students in USA8.
4.2. Academic adjustment
Academic adjustment refers to ‘the degree of psychological comfort’ experienced by an individual when adapting to a new culture. It is an umbrella term which refers (among other things) to students’ motivation, sense of purpose and academic satisfaction9. For instance, international students must contend with differences in terms of learning styles and classroom interaction. Teaching practices in the UK and USA prioritize interaction, group work and discussions, all of which may be unfamiliar to international students with different learning backgrounds.
4.3. Social adjustment
Schweisfurth and Qing10 undertook a two-year project to investigate experiences of international undergraduate students in UK HE. They found that 32% of survey respondents were ‘concerned about their relationships with UK students’ prior to arrival; this dropped to 29% during the first term. The friendship and social networks of international students play an important role in reducing homesickness and loneliness. Moreover, it is the quality of these networks and not the number of friendships which make the difference. In other words, the number of close friends is not a significant variable in determining social adjustment11.
4.4. Mental health
Studying abroad represents a ‘significant transition event’, where international students must face ‘unfamiliar physical and psychological experiences and changes’12. This transition causes international students to have ‘intense emotional experiences’, particularly at the beginning of their overseas study. The psychology literature pertaining to international students reports that they suffer from stress, homesickness and loneliness during their time abroad. Stress is an ‘inevitable psychological factor ’for these students13.
5. How can we support international students?
The international student literature contains many suggestions for how universities can help international students to overcome the adjustment challenges they face. First, universities could offer interdisciplinary language courses, where the focus is not just on general English, but rather on the kind of language the students are likely to encounter during their studies. Second, universities could expand current counselling and chaplaincy services, ensuring these services are ready for when the international students arrive on campus. Third (and most simply), universities could provide opportunities to celebrate a range of traditions from around the world. This is likely to reduce loneliness and homesickness among international students. Lastly, academic support classes are vital. The aim of these classes is to introduce overseas students to the academic requirements of UK study.
6. Conclusion
Many international students have an ‘idealistic view’ of contact they will make with local people and progress they will make with their English language; their high expectations in these areas are not often met. For instance, Schweisfurth and Qing10 found that 55% of international undergraduates in UK stated they wanted ‘more opportunities to experience UK culture’. The reality is that many international students form cliqueson campus. They struggle to integrate fully with local students and the wider local community. Universities have a responsibility to facilitate this integration.
All students experience adjustment issues when making the transition from School to University (e.g. anxiety and homesickness), although these challenges are arguably more acute for international students. In addition to social and mental health concerns, these students must contend with the language barrier as well as possible differences in learning and study styles. Finding solutions to these challenges is vital if universities hope to continue to attract large numbers of international students.
References
- Higher Education Statistics Agency. (2021). Higher education student statistics: UK, 2019/20 – Where students come from and go to study.
- Department for Education & Department for International Trade. (2019). International education strategy: Global potential, global growth.
- Maringe, F., & Carter, S. (2007). International students’ motivations for studying in UK HE: Insights into the choice and decision making of African students. International Journal of Educational Management, 21(6), 459–475.
- Lillyman, S., & Bennett, C. (2014). Providing a positive learning experience for international students studying at UK universities: A literature review. Journal of Research in International Education, 13(1), 63-75.
- Charles-Toussaint, G. C., & Crowson, H. M. (2010). Prejudice against international students : The role of threat perceptions and authoritarian dispositions in U.S. students. The Journal of Psychology, 144(5), 413-428.
- Ramsay, S., Barker, M., & Jones, E. (1999). Academic adjustment and learning processes: A comparison of international and local students in first-year university. Higher Education Research & Development, 18(1), 129–144.
- Daller, M., & Phelan, D. (2013). Predicting international student study success. Applied Linguistics Review, 4(1), 173-193.
- Dao, T. K., Lee, D., & Chang, H. L. (2007). Acculturation level, perceived English fluency, perceived social support level, and depression among Taiwanese international students. College Student Journal, 41(2), 287-295.
- Bastien, G., Seifen-Adkins, T., & Johnson, L. R. (2018). Striving for success: Academic adjustment of international students in the U.S. Journal of International Students, 8(2), 1198–1219.
- Schweisfurth, M., & Qing, G. (2009). Exploring the experiences of international students in UK higher education: Possibilities and limits of interculturality in university life. Intercultural Education, 20(5), 463-473.
- Rajapaksa, S., & Dundes, L. (2002). It’s a long way home: International student adjustment to living in the United States. Journal of College Student Retention, 4(1), 15-28.
- Jarvis, H., & Stakounis, H. (2010). Speaking in Social Contexts: Issues for Pre-Sessional EAP Students. Tesl-Ej, 14(3), 1–14.
- Cushner, K., & Karim, A. (2004). Study abroad at the university level. In D. Landis, J. Bennett, & M. Bennett. (Eds.), Handbook of intercultural training (pp. 289-308), 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks.
- Olivas, M., & Li, C. (1987). Understanding Stressors of International Students in Higher Education : What College Counselors and Personnel Need to Know. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 33(3), 217–222.