Breaking Cultural Barriers: Challenges Faced by International Undergraduate Students

By Arum Ayuningsih

Study abroad has become a widespread phenomenon in the international community, where young people strive to spread their wings and seek opportunities in other parts of the world. However, public attention often focuses solely on prestigious scholarships, the global reputation of universities, or career prospects. They forgot about the essential information on survival in the study process. It is not just academic pressure or language barriers; a significant cultural difference can sometimes lead to issues such as social isolation. This issue can significantly affect the psychological well- being of international students, especially those who are relatively young and psychologically less mature, such as undergraduate students.

It was different for the graduate student, who is typically more mature and clearly understands their purpose of study. In contrast, international undergraduate students often carry idealistic hopes and limited preparation, leaving them more vulnerable to cultural and academic adjustment challenges.

This phenomenon can be observed in various countries. However, the pressure of social adaptation is higher in countries with relatively homogeneous social cultures and languages, such as Korea. Even though students try to prepare themselves by learning the local language and culture, the struggle is almost inevitable, especially under the high academic pressure. Language proficiency alone became insufficient, Student A, an engineering student with a TOPIK Level 6, told me, “I found more technical words in class, so I needed more time to understand … it was so different from the daily conversations. It was a hard time for me in the first semester. I felt like my effort was not enough…”

Project work was sometimes not significantly different. “In a group project,” Student E related, “without asking me, they just assigned me some tasks. I finished them, and I offered my help. But they said no at the time.” Student E added, “But when it came time to present, they didn’t use the slides I had made. The professor even asked why I hadn’t contributed. When I asked the group why they switched the slides, ‘We didn’t like your work’ was the only reason the gave me.”

“Without sufficient support from the university, social isolation can harm both mental health and academic performance.”

These experiences highlight the sense of marginalization that many international undergraduate students face, often leading to long-term emotional and academic consequences. Beyond this, it has also been observed that international students usually appear sidelined, not fully included, and merely treated as add-ons. Their exclusion from the class group chat also seemed normal to their Korean classmates. While this can be attributed to language barriers and misunderstanding, these situations reflect deeper cultural dynamics that amplify the academic pressure.

This situation may arise from the expectation of international students to be accepted and understood by local students. In contrast, local students often assume that international students must adapt to the local culture. When these expectations do not align, I think the notion of a “global university” remains merely a designation on paper because it solely focuses on admitting international students or offering English- language programs, but has yet to fully consider how to foster an inclusive culture within the campus.

The undergraduate level is crucial because it is a transitional phase of life where students are just beginning to learn how to live independently and build social networks in society. All this happens simultaneously for an international undergraduate student, especially in a foreign environment. Without sufficient support, social isolation can harm both mental health and academic performance. Therefore, universities hold a strategic role as educational institutions and as agents of social change. A university should not merely be a place to transfer knowledge but also a space for cultivating new values, including openness to other cultures.

To achieve this, universities must actively cultivate the value of openness, especially at the undergraduate level. Because on this level, students learn how to socialize, shape their mindsets, and broaden their perspectives. When local undergraduate students experience cross- cultural engagement on campus, they become far better prepared to embrace diversity at home and confidently navigate life abroad. At the same time, international students benefit from a more welcoming and inclusive environment, freeing them to focus entirely on their learning without the weight of social isolation.

“A university should not merely be a place to transfer knowledge but also a space for cultivating new values, including openness to other cultures.”

Furthermore, universities should create a support system for every facet of campus life, such as peer mentoring programs, multicultural extracurricular activities, and curricula that promote cross-national understanding. In this way, the responsibility to adapt extends beyond international students, but also encourages the entire campus community to cultivate greater inclusivity and openness. Only when all university members embrace diversity can it truly serve as a platform for global learning, not merely on paper but in everyday life. A university’s global reputation means little without the weight of global responsibility behind it.