How would you define your international education experience?
- International Student
- Third Culture Kid
What was your international education experience like?
I am immensely privileged to have lived and studied in four continents throughout my life - Oceania, Asia, North America, and Europe. As a native of sunny Singapore and Hawaii, I suppose my most recent international education experience would be graduating from university in Los Angeles!
In my sixteen years of formal education, I have attended an all-girls Catholic convent, a private Buddhist high school, a Methodist school, various public schools, and was homeschooled briefly in my childhood. Most of my schooling has been under the British education system, so I am very familiar with the GCSEs administered by the University of Cambridge.
Observing cultural differences in every new place is always interesting, as is seeing how they manifest in the local education system. People are different everywhere you go, but some things never change.
What message do you have to share with students and community members about the importance of international education?
If you do study abroad, the memories will be a special piece of your heart forever. Not only is studying overseas highly rewarding, it is also fun! You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't enjoy travelling and seeing the world, and having an international education allows you to do just that and more. It changes you. I'd also argue that you also do not necessarily have to go abroad to be a global citizen. Opening your mind to world cultures can be as simple as befriending international students and being immersed in their ways of life, or even by learning a new language in the comfort of your home. Go forth and learn!