A great way for an international student to acquire physical, mental, and social stimulation is to join one or many of the school’s sports clubs. By becoming part of a team, not only do they gain physical and mental benefits, they will also learn priceless life skills that will translate to everything they do as they progress through school and into a career.
We recently posted a student testimonial on Ray Zhu, a former international student through Cambridge Network who had this to say on his knowledge gained since joining the school’s football team: “It teaches more about teamwork. Don’t quit no matter what. You have to stick through it. You have to fight with all you got. I think it will really help me with other stuff in the future, not just football”.
Here is a rundown of the physical, mental, and social benefits gained from joining a sports team or club:
Physical Benefits:
· Promotes fitness
· Requires a healthy diet and sleep schedule
· Known to help prevent certain chronic diseases
· Helps teach healthy lifestyle techniques
· Increases strength and stamina
Mental Benefits:
· Promotes higher self esteem
· Boosts confidence
· Teaches self determination
· Helps develop positive attitude
· Can help with anger management
Social Benefits:
· Promotes team building and peer bonding
· Encourages students to make new friends and meet new people
· Helps students develop strategizing skills
· Helps improve social skills and language proficiency
· Appealing to colleges
Sports and general physical activity is also a great way to alleviate or prevent any culture shock the international student may be experiencing. By joining a team or a club, the student will have something to look forward to and people to interact with. Scheduling a set routine will help students avoid feeling isolated or lonely. Also keep in mind that it is detrimental if your international student has too many commitments and not enough free time.
Your international student will likely find a slew of common interests and similarities with their peers as they continue to get to know one another. In an effort to better understand a new culture, it is a great idea to encourage your international student to learn new things and try new activities. If they are willing to step out of their comfort zone, they can more quickly acclimate themselves to the new culture.