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The challenges of fitting in

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The issues

In a 2004 survey by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA), 5,000 international students were asked about their experiences, including who they made friends with.

'Fifty-nine per cent said most of their friends were co-nationals or other international students; only 39 per cent had some British friends and this figure dropped to 15 per cent for the Chinese students in the UK,' says Dominic Scott, chief executive of UKCISA. Scott says there are 2.5 million students in British universities, of which 400,000 are international students. Of the international group, 300,000 are from countries outside the European Union.

The survey indicated that those who participated in any activities outside the classroom were more likely to have British friends; and those who had British friends were more likely to be satisfied with their international experience.

Language and cultural differences can create anxiety when the two groups interact, especially for domestic students.

'It is a global phenomenon that domestic students are reluctant to engage with their international peers,' says Neil Harrison, senior research fellow at the University of the West of England. Harrison has 10 years of experience researching integration issues of international students. 'When a 19-year-old [freshman] walks into the classroom and sees that his nationality group isn't the majority, he experiences as much of a cultural shock as his international classmates,' he adds.

'Most domestic students find it stressful to interact with international students. Some worry about being judged for their [weaker] academic performance and [different] social behaviour; others worry that these students will take away their resources.'

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