There is a wide range of emotions associated with the first day of university, including stress, loneliness, anxiety, pride, and excitement. All of these emotions, I recently learned, are magnified when attending university as a foreign exchange student for the first time.
As I got dressed in my required uniform, I stressed over the fact that I might not make any friends at my host university for two reasons. One, Thais are extremely shy when it comes to foreigners, or so I’d been told, and would not be the one to initiate the conversation. Two, I’m incredibly introverted and have always had difficulty making friends, let alone making the first move in a friendship. I kept thinking that I should avoid making Thai friends altogether to evade the possible whirlwind of rejection I sometimes experience in the United States.
I carried that mindset into my first class, where I saw many people talking in pairs, already acquainted or getting acquainted, while I tried to control my anxiety attack in the back of the classroom. A few minutes went by before a Thai girl sat next to me. I decided to ignore the nagging reminder of possible rejection and asked for her name. The conversation took off from there. We laughed, exchanged social media, and went to buy smoothies together after class. As introverted as I am, I had never formed a friendship with someone so quickly.
When the start of my next class approached, though, I was instantly hit with the idea that my new friendship may had been a fluke, that I wouldn’t be able to make more friends in my other classes. I kept thinking that Thai people wouldn’t want to talk with foreigners, let alone a quiet, introverted girl. However, I was proven wrong for the second time when I walked into class and saw a Thai girl motioned to the seat next to her. I sat down and initiated the conversation by asking questions about herself. The conversation flowed and felt genuine. In fact, when she noticed that I was having technical difficulties, she airdropped the class material to me without asking. After class, she invited me to get lunch with her and her friends at the canteen. I agreed and stood in line for food, where I received an offer from another Thai girl to help read the menu and place my order. I had never been so grateful for the friendliness and hospitality that I received the entire day, continuing to collect smiles, compliments, social media, and even cookies.
I decided to tell this story not to brag about my fantastic first day at university but to illustrate that an introvert can make friends while studying abroad. All it takes is a little confidence in yourself and your conversational abilities. Don’t let your fear of rejection keep you from expanding your horizons across the world.
Sam Radcliffe, Washington State University, is studying abroad in Thailand with TEAN.
