University transitions are a vulnerable time.
Saying goodbye to a familiar international school and moving abroad is a time mixed with excitement and sadness. Students face new academic demands, changing friendships, and a sudden need for total independence. Adaptability is the most critical tool on their belt.
We must build safeguards for our secondary/high school students as we say goodbye to them.
The Unspoken Realities of Moving Abroad
When I first launched this open survey to university faculty members, I expected to see an even spread of concerns. Instead, the responses highlighted the realities that our students face when they leave our care.
Two critical warnings stood out from the university staff on the ground:
- Housing: Students must prepare for a challenging housing situation. Make arrangements as early as possible, and secure university dorms whenever possible.
- Racism: One participant warned: “Expect racism and xenophobic attitudes both within and outside of university”. We cannot send our students abroad unprepared.
The Five Dimensions of Transition Health
To make this actionable for school leaders and safeguarding staff, I structured this ongoing survey around five dimensions of wellness (Adams et al., 2000; Stoewen, 2017).
My aim here is to give you practical self-care strategies to pass on to your leaving cohorts.
- Social Health: Establishing a trusted group of friends.
- Physical Health: Managing sleep, nutrition, and exercise.
- Spiritual/Cultural Health: Maintaining familiar cultural events or rituals.
- Psychological Health: Regulating thoughts, mood, emotions, and attitude.
- Academic Health: Managing the shift in independent study skills.
The Results: Where Students Struggle Most
To date, nine faculty staff members have completed this survey.
To determine where students struggle, I assigned a score to the survey rankings. If a faculty member ranked an area as the #1 biggest struggle, it received 5 points. The #5 struggle received 1 point.
The interactive chart below reveals the final hierarchy of student needs.
Social isolation is the dominant issue.
It takes intentional effort to build a life abroad; it rarely just happens. As one faculty respondent noted: “Have activities and interests outside of work. Take time to join clubs or meet people in other ways.” It needs work.
Where in the world
University staff were also asked in which part of the world they worked. This helps to contextualise their concerns. To date, five university staff members have shared this information.
Scenarios for your students
Students enjoy talking about scenarios. They may listen politely to an assembly on child protection, but won’t apply this to their own life. Instead, you can use the scenarios below in your advisory or homeroom sessions.
Scenario 1: The “Organic” Friendship Trap
Mateo has just moved to a university in a country where his conversational language is okay, but not perfect. During the first week, he feels overwhelmed and decides to skip the “cheesy” international student mixer events, assuming he will naturally make friends in his lectures. A month later, he only speaks to his roommates, his mood has plummeted, and he feels completely isolated.
Discussion Points for Y13:
- Why is the idea of “organic” friendship dangerous for international students?
- The faculty data explicitly states: “It needs work to build a life abroad, it often doesn’t happen by itself.” What intentional effort should Mateo have made in Week 1?
Scenario 2: The Housing Crisis Panic
Aisha is moving to a city with a notorious housing shortage. She didn’t secure university dorms in time. Desperate, she finds a beautiful off-campus apartment in a Facebook group. The landlord messages her saying the market is highly competitive and demands an immediate wire transfer for the deposit before she even arrives in the country. He promises to email the contract later.
Discussion Points for Y13:
- What are the immediate red flags in this situation?
- The faculty data warns: “Always ask someone local to go over your contract to avoid scammers.” Who can Aisha contact at her new university for help before sending any money? Who would you contact?
Scenario 3: The Hidden Curriculum & Self-Advocacy
Jin is placed in a small study group for their core module. Over a few weeks, they experience subtle xenophobic comments and a consistent refusal from the group to include their ideas. Jin feels overwhelmed and withdraws, assuming the professor will notice the dynamic and step in. The professor does not intervene and simply marks Jin down for low participation.
Discussion Points for Y13:
- Why did Jin’s assumption about the professor fail them?
- The faculty data advises students to: “Learn to recognise those who will be your advocate.” How should Jin approach the professor to explain the situation without coming across like he’s dodging a bad grade?
Access the Open Dataset
This project is ongoing indefinitely. I maintain this website on my own. While the survey is always open, the datasets below are not updated in real-time. I manually refresh the data to ensure I can remove inappropriate responses.
Due to the low number of student responses (N = 1), I am only releasing the faculty staff dataset (N = 9).
References
Adams, T. B., Bezner, J. R., Drabbs, M. E., Zambarano, R. J., & Steinhardt, M. A. (2000). Conceptualization and measurement of the spiritual and psychological dimensions of wellness in a college population. Journal of American College Health, 48(4), 165–173.
Stoewen, D. L. (2017). Dimensions of wellness: Change your habits, change your life. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 58(8), 861.