In college, you'll have the opportunity to meet dozens, even hundreds of new people from all over the country and the world. Some will be roommates you only speak to for a year, others may become lifelong friends. I've had the fortune of interacting with foreign students for years now, and I've come to the conclusion that no college experience is complete without knowing at least a handful of people from outside the U.S. So here's 12 reasons why you need to go make some new foreign friends pronto!
1. Accents!
I don't know about you, but I would kill to have an interesting accent. In America, we have a handful of distinguishable accents from southern to Boston to Minnesota. But nothing compares to the intrigue of speaking to someone from another country. Accents signify exoticism and mystery, which makes every conversation 100x more exciting. Plus, some of them are just plain awesome to listen to.
2. Incorrect English
This is entirely understandable for a foreigner to do. I'm learning German and I'm certain I will never get it exactly perfect. However, when a foreigner speaks improper English, it allows for growth for both people. The American must learn how to communicate more clearly with people who may not understand every word they're saying while the foreigner has the opportunity to learn more words and proper grammar. It's a win-win.
3. Foreign Languages
On the flip side, foreigners are excellent resources for learning a new language. It's especially helpful if you can find one that speaks the language you're looking to learn or have been learning, but there's really no limit to learning a few phrases in a bunch of different languages. Not only does it help you appear more intelligent to the foreigners (who tend to expect Americans know only English), but it makes the foreigners feel like you take a genuine interest in where they're from and who they are.
4. Foods
Again, a two way street. Odds are your favorite restaurant isn't a global chain, so when someone from another country comes to visit, it's the perfect opportunity to go eat your favorite foods (for them of course). Meanwhile, foreigners will try to recreate some of the comforts of home through food, meaning you can get delicious meals, snacks, and candies from them too. I personally experienced this with my Korean roommate last year who was constantly introducing me to Asian snacks and candies. Plus, I got some spicy Korean noodles too. Trust me, you're missing out if you don't try some foreign cuisines.
5. Music
Remember four years ago when Gangnam Style swept the planet? Love it or hate it, it made an impact. American music is great, but it's just a tiny portion of the music produced around the globe. Our music nowadays is boiled down to very few instruments and general sounds all designed by music corporations to appeal to a mass audience, so it can be extremely refreshing to hear Middle-Eastern music or Latin music. But no matter what you listen to, the rest of the world has a lot to offer Americans music wise.
6. Foreigners Are Funny
Sure, some of this stems from not speaking English perfectly, but another part is because of cultural differences. Some things are taboo here in America that foreigners aren't aware of so they just say it anyway. I've seen this with a lot of foreign students I've met. They're excited but nervous to be in a new country so they will sometimes say "too much," which is just awesome. Plus, they're people. People are funny, and they may bring an entirely different kind of humor to the table that you wouldn't expect. But really, the accents and broken English can make anything funny.
7. A New Batch of Ideas
I'll give a very recent example. I was speaking with an exchange student about laws in America versus laws in Germany, specifically alcohol and gun laws. In America, we can buy guns at age 18 but can't drink until 21. There are very few obstacles to buying a gun here as well. In Germany, drinking is much more culturally acceptable and responsible, so the drinking age is 16. I don't recall the age at which you can buy a gun, but there were many more obstacles, such as psychological evaluation, gun training, and background checks. This applies to many arenas of life where foreigners can bring very important and innovative ideas to classrooms, politics, and just about everywhere you can imagine.
8. Stories
Similar to the new ideas topic, foreigners have a lot of compelling and intriguing stories to tell. It's true that everyone has a unique story to tell, but we love a little fantasy in our stories, which is what foreigners supply. We all know that England exists, but if we've never been there it still kind of feels like a fantasy, at least to me. So when I hear about a story that takes place in any place I've never been to, color me fascinated.
9. Connections
Now this one can be kind of situational depending on what you plan to do with your life, but you can never be hurt by knowing someone in another country. It could however pay off greatly if you meet someone in the same field as you, like business, who could potentially inform you about the market and public opinion if you ever find yourself trying to expand a corporation overseas. Or, on a slightly more realistic and applicable note, if you ever end up visiting that country, you'll have a friend there who may be able to assist you with living spaces, directions, attractions, or anything really.
10. Volunteering
This year, I signed up to be a peer mentor for foreign students to acquaint them with the area and just be their friend in a new environment. I'm sure there are similar programs that can count towards volunteer hours if you need them or want to put it on a resume. Doing so will show initiative, leadership, and communication skills, so you really stand nothing to lose by enrolling in a foreign student mentor program.
11. Unity
Allow me to be idealistic for just a moment. I feel as though this world is rapidly becoming xenophobic and prideful, especially America right now. We Americans can sometimes forget that we're not the most important country in the world and the world doesn't revolve around us. We see the rest of the world as resources to further our own economy and well-being without considering the implications for those in another country. I believe that meeting foreign students can help repair that gap. Forging relationships with foreigners helps teach us that we're all people with feelings, ideas, goals, and stories. Now more than ever we need some global unity, and I think a good first step for any student to make is finding someone from another country and befriending them. Then the things they find important, you find important and we come together. Alright, tiny speech over.
12. Friends D*mnit!
Finally, friends. We all need them. More importantly, the foreigners do. They're in a new country speaking a language they may not be fluent in not knowing anyone around them. I remember when I first came to college and didn't know anyone. It was only for a short time, but I was scared. I thought I wouldn't make friends because I wasn't outgoing enough, but just imagine how much harder it would be if I couldn't even speak English fluently. Be a friend to the foreigners because they may need it more than you know and you can never have too many friends. Plus, I just named for you eleven other reasons a foreigner would make a great friend.
