Real Voices
Short responses from international students at Ross that reveal the everyday experiences behind media narratives.
Introduction
Media discussions about international students often rely on broad narratives and general assumptions. Articles, headlines, and online commentary frequently describe international students as a single group, even though their experiences are shaped by many different personal, cultural, and educational backgrounds. Because of this gap between representation and lived experience, hearing directly from students themselves becomes an important part of understanding how these narratives relate to everyday life.
To explore these perspectives, I invited international boarding students at Ross School to respond to a set of interview questions about their experiences. The questions focus on moments that often appear in public discussions about international students, including first impressions when arriving at school, common assumptions, misunderstandings, cultural differences, and personal changes that may occur while studying abroad. Instead of asking for formal responses, the questions encourage short answers on everyday situations and personal observations.
A total of 60 international boarding students were invited to participate in this interview. 48 students (83.3%) chose to respond. All responses are presented anonymously in order to protect privacy and allow students to answer openly. The responses collected here reflect a wide range of perspectives. Some answers describe challenges or confusions, while others highlight personal growth or unexpected similarities across cultures.
The following sections present selected responses to each of the 8 interview questions. These excerpts are chosen because they illustrate patterns, contrasts, and recurring themes that appear across many responses. At the same time, individual voices remain central to the presentation. The goal of this section is to provide space for international students to describe their experiences in their own words before the project moves into further analysis and reflection.
Responses
Q1. When you first arrived at Ross, what surprised you the most?
“People speak up in class, question teachers, and openly share their opinions. That was very different from what I was used to, where students are usually more reserved.”
“On my first day, all the faculty and students smiled and said hello to me, even if we didn’t know each other.”
“The architecture looks like a movie set.”
“All the different cultures”
“Students calling teachers by their first name.”
“The teachers and the subjects. Schools in America are completely different from my country.”
“Being away from home hit me more than anything.”
“What surprised me the most was how independent students are.”
Q4. If someone from your home country saw you now, what would they say has changed?
Probably that I’m more independent now.
I solve things on my own now.
They would probably say I’ve become more confident and independent. I can solve problems by myself and speak English more bravely.
Speaking English without being scared.
I speak up more, take more initiative, and think more critically instead of just following instructions.
Maybe the way of thinking and the knowledge from living with kids from other parts of the world.
I’m more aware of the world outside my country.
They might just say I grew up.
Q6. What’s the most awkward or funny moment you’ve experienced?
Someone asked if my country has internet.
Someone thought my country was in Africa. It’s not.
People asking if I eat dog.
I laughed at a joke I didn’t understand just because everyone else was laughing.
I said “I’m hot” instead of “I’m warm.”
When people couldn’t pronounce my name at all.
Trying to explain Panda Express is not real Chinese food.
The first time I heard students call teachers by their first name. Back home, that would be really disrespectful.
Q2. What do you think people usually assume about international students?
Rich.
Spoiled kids with money.
That we can’t speak English.
Quiet, only study all the time. And they all have language barrier.
Smart and good at math.
That we only hang out with people from our country.
That we’re here because we failed in our country.
That we are all the same.
Ross School
Q8. If you had to describe international students at Ross in one sentence or a couple words, what would it be?
Diverse.
Many cultures in one place.
Friendly but busy.
Hardworking.
Curious.
Brave.
Resilient and adaptable.
Open minded.
Ambitious young people.
Independent thinkers.
Trying to adapt.
Everyone has their own unique characteristics.
Global mindset.
Hard-working, brave, and always trying to learn and grow in a new country.
Q3. What is something about you that doesn’t match that assumption at all?
I’m broke lol.
I hate math.
I’m not, just not used to speak in class.
I don’t only hang out with people from my country, I have friends from different countries.
I’m very outgoing. I love talking to new people, and taking part in school events.
I’m actually very involved in sports and leadership activities, and I like being active in the community. I’m not just focused on grades.
I’m not here because I failed back home.
I’m just a normal teenager.
Q5. Have you ever felt misunderstood here? Not necessarily in a big way, but maybe in small moments?
Yes, especially when I was still learning English. I might not express myself clearly, and people would misunderstand my feelings or ideas.
Sometimes when I explain something from my culture and people look confused.
When my tone sounds serious but I’m not mad.
Sometimes people think I’m quiet because I’m angry, but I’m just shy.
When I try to translate jokes from my language.
Sometimes I don’t know the right word, so people misunderstand my meaning.
When people joke about something cultural and I don’t fully understand it.
A lot in the beginning, less now.
Q7. Do you feel like you act differently here compared to back home? Why?
Yes, I act differently. At home I depended on my parents a lot. Here I have to do everything by myself, so I’m more independent and willing to speak up in class.
Yes, because I’m living without my family now.
Yes, because people here don’t know me yet.
Yes, because the culture is different.
Yes, I speak up more in class here.
I think I’m more expressive here. Back home I was more careful about what I said. Here I feel encouraged to share my opinions and participate more.
I try to be more social here.
At home I’m more relaxed.
The selected responses above highlight representative themes from the interviews.
A complete collection of all responses can be accessed in the archive below.
Charts
Common Assumptions About International Students
This chart shows shows that several stereotypes appeared repeatedly. Out of the 50 responses, 10 mentioned academic stereotypes, such as the idea that international students are “genius,” “good at math,” or extremely focused on grades. 9 responses described social stereotypes, including assumptions that international students are quiet, lonely, or only spend time with people from their own country. 8 responses referred to language ability, especially the belief that international students cannot speak English well or have strong accents. 7 responses mentioned wealth, reflecting the common assumption that international students come from rich families or live luxurious lifestyles. 6 responses focused on cultural difference, such as the idea that international students do not understand American culture or cannot fit in socially. The remaining 10 responses described other assumptions, including strict parents, party culture, or the belief that students study abroad because they failed in their home country. When these responses are viewed together, recurring ideas begin to appear. These patterns provide a starting point for understanding how international students are often imagined in everyday conversations.
Personal Changes After Studying Abroad
The responses to this question show several recurring themes related to personal change after studying abroad. Out of the 50 responses, 13 mentioned maturity or personal growth, with students describing themselves as more responsible, calmer in difficult situations, or simply “more grown up.” 11 responses focused on independence, often explaining that they now solve problems on their own, manage their time more carefully, or rely less on their parents. 9 responses referred to increased confidence or stronger communication, including speaking up more in class discussions or feeling more comfortable interacting with new people. 6 responses specifically mentioned improvement in English, such as speaking more confidently or feeling less afraid to use the language. Another 6 responses described broader changes in mindset, including being more open to different opinions or thinking more globally after meeting people from many different countries. The remaining 5 responses mentioned smaller personal changes such as patience, organization, or emotional growth. Looking at these patterns together suggests that many students experience studying abroad as a period of gradual personal development rather than a single dramatic transformation.
My Voice: Personal Reflection
In addition to presenting interview responses from other international students, this section includes a short audio reflection from my own perspective. After reading through the responses and working on the project for several months, I wanted to reflect on what stood out to me the most. This recording focuses especially on the interview section and the patterns that appeared across different responses.
This reflection connects my personal experience with the themes that appeared in the interviews.