Essential Tips for Young Study-Abroad Students - An Analysis of Challenges They Face

Every family is concerned about their children's education. It is well known that China has a major issue with its educational system. Chinese education produces excellent test scores, a short-term outcome that can be achieved by rote memorization and hard work. But it does not produce a citizenry of diverse, creative, and innovative talent. The Chinese educational system only excels at transmitting a narrow set of content and prescribed skills that its students must master. And many think the Gaokao and the Zhongkao, China’s most important university and high school entrance exams, kill creativity and drive. These education evaluation methods deviate significantly from the main purpose of education, which is to bring success, confidence, and happiness to students’ lives. Nowadays, so many Chinese families, both parents and kids, are puzzled, confused, and frustrated because of these issues. As a result, more and more Chinese families have been choosing to send their children to study abroad in countries like the United States. The average age of students choosing to transfer is getting younger and younger. Two decades ago, those who chose to study abroad were mainly graduate school students. One decade ago, they were mainly college students. Nowadays, even high school and middle school students at 12-16 years of age are being sent abroad to study. These teenage students have to separate from their parents and families and adjust their lives to another country, living in boarding schools or host families. This social phenomenon is recent, only having been formed in the past decade or so. It has further created many social problems. I name them collectively as "The Problems of Young Chinese International Students." These problems range from inadequate in-class participation, no or few extracurricular activities, insufficient interaction with teachers and classmates, and ineffective time management. Beyond these scholastic issues, these young students also face loneliness, homesickness, not having a clear direction, and being addicted to the Internet and video games. In certain cases, these problems may cause more severe health and/or mental health issues, such as insomnia, anorexia, and depression. My name is Jack Lu. I'm a junior who is currently studying in an American boarding school. While we have been studying abroad, my classmates and I all have observed or encountered some if not all of the problems mentioned above. So we feel that we have the responsibility to confront this new social phenomenon. For the purpose of helping Chinese students, parents, and families to be well aware of those issues and to find solutions to them, we founded a non-profit organization called studyabroadcare.org. The purpose of this organization is to raise awareness, to do in-depth research, and to work together to find solutions for the issues that the Chinese young international students are facing. We hope all the Chinese students (and their parents and families), who are either studying abroad or considering studying aboard, will take these problems seriously. We can work together to find solutions and address these issues.

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