Sometimes, I get a little disappointed and think everything in my life sucks. I’m speaking about my life as an almost alone student at Germany. But deep down I know that I’ve had some progress. I think it’s important to be thankful in order to be able to trust in the process and don’t give up. But it’s hard to list the items to be thankful for. I decided to ask ChatGPT “How living alone in another country as a student helps me?” So, here’s its answer and my thoughts (and thanks!).
Before getting into them, I want to mention something that’s interesting for me. For most of these things, when I ask myself if I feel I’m having a progress in this regard in my life, my answer is either “No” or “I don’t think so”. But when I compare my current state in that regard to my state when I had arrived, I say “Oh yees of course I’ve had a considerable progress”. And that’s the wonderful thing about a steady progress. Maybe at some points, you don’t feel like you are improving, but eventually you can see the progress.
Anyway, let’s get to our beloved LLM’s answer:
Living alone in another country as a student can be a transformative and enriching experience, offering numerous benefits:
1. Personal Growth
- Independence and Self-Reliance: Managing day-to-day activities, such as cooking, cleaning, and budgeting, fosters a sense of independence.
In this case, I don’t feel progress at the moment but that’s not because there isn’t any. I think this progress is now in the background of my life. It’s there and I’m improving in this sense but it’s so deep that I don’t even feel it. I can say this is true by comparing my current situation and achievements in my daily life to my previous state, before coming here.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Facing and overcoming challenges, such as navigating a new city or handling emergencies, enhances your ability to think critically and solve problems independently.
Uhum… My life is filled with problems and if one of these points is supposed to be true, that’s it. Looking at the big picture of my life in here, I can see how I encountered different types of problems and how I had to manage to solve them one by one. The interesting point is that problems are actually solvable. It’s not like you try to solve them but end up with just improving them. You go for them and suddenly they’re completely solved! For ever! Or at least for a long long duration. Not all of them, but most of them.
2. Cultural Exposure
- Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity: Immersing yourself in a different culture helps you understand and appreciate diverse perspectives and traditions.
I’m not going into details on this one but it’s true. I’ve already seen some people and I’m surprised by their way of living. They challenge my way of thinking and living. Sometimes, I ask myself “why don’t I think/live like them?” Yeah, I’m not super excited about this point but that’s true. I’m happy that now I’m seeing new ways of living.
- Language Skills: Living in a country where a different language is spoken can significantly improve your language proficiency through daily practice and immersion.
That’s true. I remember before I came here, I couldn’t imagine myself sitting in an English lecture and understanding the lecturer completely. Also, I couldn’t imagine myself easily talking English to everyone. Well, I can’t say I’m totally fluent in English and can’t be better than this. But, I think I’ve already made a good progress.
It’s not only about English. I’m learning German with an amazing pace. Sometimes, I’m even surprised about my progress. :)) Of course, I still can’t have a perfect dialog with native people. But looking at how I can understand a lot of words at the shops or in the streets and comparing this situation to how it was during my first days can give a good a sense of progress.
3. Academic and Professional Benefits
- Global Perspective: Exposure to different educational systems and teaching methods can broaden your academic horizon and deepen your understanding of your field.
That can be true but I don’t relate to it that much.
- Networking Opportunities: Building connections with international peers, professors, and professionals can open doors to global career opportunities.
That’s also true but unfortunately, I haven’t reached this point yet. =)) Inshallah after the summer break.
- Adaptability: Demonstrating your ability to adapt to new environments is an attractive quality to future employers, showcasing your flexibility and resilience.
I had thought about this point as well. Although sometimes it gets hard and tiresome, I actually feel I’m learning a new skill in this case. I think it will be much easier the next time I move to a new place. I expect what problems I’m going to come across and how I’m supposed to deal with them.
4. Enhanced Social Skills
- Building Relationships: Making friends from diverse backgrounds can enhance your social network and help you develop strong interpersonal skills.
In this case, I still have a big room for improvment. But still, I can say I’ve also had some progress. I already have some friends, which is a lot better than my first days when I was completely alone. :)) I don’t have a close friend yet, because I don’t find a lot of people interesting and relatable. But I hope some day I will.
- Communication Skills: Regular interaction in a different language or with people from different cultures can improve your communication skills.
Well, that’s similar to the previous point. I still have a lot to do in this regard, but my confidence is a lot more now, specially because of some recent events which I prefer not to talk about. :))
5. Self-Discovery and Confidence
- Discovering Passions and Interests: Exposure to new experiences and opportunities can help you discover new interests and passions.
I don’t relate to this item. I can see how it can be true, but I don’t see why it’s not true about me. :))
- Increased Confidence: Successfully managing life in a new country can boost your confidence and self-esteem, proving to yourself that you can handle challenging situations.
Yeah but I can’t say anything about it right now. There is a huge gap between my current situation and my ideal situation. I can’t say I’m successfully managing my life in this country. But I hope I can say that after a year or so.
6. Broadened Worldview
- Understanding Global Issues: Living in a different country exposes you to global issues and different ways of life, helping you develop a more comprehensive understanding of the world.
I don’t know what this poor language model mean by global issues, but I agree that I’m seeing diffrent ways to live and how different people think. There are still a lot more to see, but I’ve seen some so far. I think I’m going to see more because at this point I feel more confident to start new relations with new people, compared to the previous months.
- Empathy and Compassion: Experiencing life from another perspective can increase your empathy and compassion towards others.
I don’t feel any progress in this regard. :)) Or maybe I do? Oh yes I do. There have been a few people who came to me and talked about their hard feelings. Through those talks, I’ve seen how everyone is dealing with his/her own problems depending on their backgrounds.
However, I think this point will be more serious when I form deeper friendships. Back in Iran, I was a person who most of the friends came to to talk to about their deepest feelings. I’ve seen a lot of people feeling secure enough in front of me to even cry while talking about their feelings. To be honest, I miss the feeling. I hope I can make some friends who cry while having a 1o1 conversation with me. =)))
7. Personal and Academic Development
- Time Management and Organization: Balancing studies, social life, and personal responsibilities teaches valuable time management and organizational skills.
I’m still struggling with this balancing problem. I don’t know if I’ve had a progress or not. I don’t have any specific observations to judge based on them.
- Focus and Discipline: The need to self-motivate and manage your studies in a less familiar environment can enhance your focus and discipline.
This is true AF. The self-motivation skill is crucial. Basically, I could’ve returned by now if I couldn’t motivate myself and embrace the new challenges. I used to think I was a very good self-motivated person previously. But keeping your motivation under rough circumstances, is totally a different thing. That’s hard man… That’s hard. :))
8. Adventure and Fun
- Travel Opportunities: Being in a new country often makes it easier to explore nearby cities and regions, adding a sense of adventure to your student life.
I have nothing to say about this part. :)) I always imagined after arriving here, I will travel a lot. But, the fact is that I’ve always been struggling just to find myself and achieve inner peace. I never could think of traveling. So, yes… I don’t feel good about it but I think it will be better in the following months.
- New Experiences: From trying new foods to participating in local festivals, living in another country is full of exciting new experiences.
This point is similar to the previous one.
9. Life Skills
- Financial Management: Handling finances, such as managing a budget and understanding exchange rates, equips you with essential life skills.
Yeah, not super exciting. Specially for me because I still don’t have a job.
- Health and Wellbeing: Learning to take care of your physical and mental health independently is crucial for your overall wellbeing.
And this thing is really one of the most important things. The sad fact is that you learn it the hard way. You don’t eat food properly, you get sick and say okay I have to take care of my meals. You feel surrounded by a lot of hard feelings until you can’t even do the basic tasks of your life, and say okay I have to practice mindfulness. That’s hard, but eventually you’ll learn it. Like other subjects, I don’t think I’m perfect. But at least I’m trying and I see that my efforts haven’t been futile.
Overall, living alone in another country as a student can be a powerful catalyst for personal, academic, and professional growth, providing experiences and skills that will benefit you throughout your life.