International Student and Colombia vs Sweden

At an International School there are many students of which have transferred from other countries or have interesting backgrounds, this allows the school to have a more of a variety of students which are open minded, balanced and thoughtful. Although the mentally difficult struggles there are from moving to a different country and the nervous impact it has on you, the opportunity of moving countries shouldn’t be taken for granted because it allows you to grow as a person and have a wonderful insight of different parts of the world. As an international student myself I can say that having had the opportunity to live in other countries has allowed me to learn new cultures, be bilingual and also be very open to new people. It makes me able to compare countries and see the good and the bad.

Colombia and Sweden are very contrasting because of their cultural differences which then leads to the society and ‘norms’ being different as well. Because Colombia is so judged throughout the world it has brought all the people together and made them more friendly and united.This is reflected in the everyday life of a Colombian as they are open to making new friends everyday and treating them as if they are family. Unlike in Sweden where everyone is very solitary and serious. But from talking to Swedish people about this subject they said that it could be due to people working at a young age and being brought into the business world where they have to be serious and professional. So as they are in this environment it diminishes their social abilities and increases their professional level which you can see in the innovations that has been brought to the world. Skype, Spotify and the Solar safe water system were all inventions of Swedish people, so even though they aren’t social in everyday life they’ve impacted our lives with amazing creations. Which if you observe, even though socially Colombians are friendly they haven’t contributed in our world with many creations in technology but have helped artistically and have talented people to represent Colombia. Fernando Botero, Shakira and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. They’re all known Colombian people but not for creating new inventions to help us evolve and grow as a community. But for being talented and creative. So although both countries have their positive and negative aspects they have both contributed to make our world grow in different ways.

This reflects on my next point about the pros of being an international student.

International kids have had the opportunity to see different countries which allows them to be more reflective as a person and open minded. Being international not only allows us to also be bilingual but also allows to be able to question ourselves and our beliefs, which most people find difficult to do. A study has been shown that international kids obtain the ability to question their own beliefs and values; they acquire new skills and knowledge independently; formulate creative ideas; integrate ideas and information; achieve quantitative abilities; understand the role of science and technology in society; and gain in-depth knowledge in a specific field. In each case, graduates who reported high levels of interaction with international students reported “significantly higher levels of skill development” than those who reported little or no interaction. This shows that being international impacts others not only you. Kids of which are international are helping the newer generation be more open minded and appreciative of other cultures and religions. You can see this with your grandparents or parents, they’re sometimes not so open to different religions or countries because of certain reasons, but me for example, I think and contemplate a lot over their different aspects, and I appreciate and respect their ideas. International kids also have the ability of learning new languages which is very positive because Spanish and Chinese are languages that are increasing very rapidly, so having an easier time learning languages will allow you to adapt more as the world increases. Research show that being linguistic

• Leaves students with more flexibility in thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and a better ear for listening

• Improves a child's understanding of his/her native language

• Gives a child the ability to communicate with people s/he would otherwise not have the chance to know

• Opens the door to other cultures and helps a child understand and appreciate people from other countries

• Increases job opportunities in many careers where knowing another language is a real asset.

In conclusion, although it being hard in the moment of moving countries, being an international person and also being bilingual gives you the opportunity to compare different countries,of which I have shown, have an easier time learning languages which can help you get more job opportunities in the future and leave you with positive traits as a person.