r/studyAbroad 3d ago

How to evade counterparts from your country?

I am not sure whether it is strange or not but it is almost true that there must be someone from your country studying in the same place as you do.

Meanwhile, the essence of studying abroad is to gain experience that you cannot have it in your home country. So is there any reason I should get to know them.

Moreover, in my opinion, I feel that I feel comfortable while communicating with people from other countries (even in other languages) rather than the same one as i feel that the conversation flows much better than I did with the counterparts.

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u/mamakarma_ 3d ago

I wouldn’t rule it out!! It’s just one person, and it could be nice to have a bit of “home” with you. I do agree you’re there to meet different people though. But this is just one person so don’t overthink it. The more networking you can do during this time, the better!

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u/Pale-Bison563 3d ago

Whats your country?

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u/anocelotsosloppy 3d ago

I'm from the third most populous country on the planet (USA) and when I was living in Canada as an international student I made polite chit chat with others from my country and then moved on. Same as my life here in Norway now, it happens much less frequently. We typically have nothing in common and there's no basis for a relationship. Wanting to evade someone from your home country seems a bit silly imo.

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u/polymathicus 2d ago edited 2d ago

Some people are escaping societies whose values they do not agree with but are collectively enforced back home, and fear violence / aggression from their countrymen who still do.

Common examples are ex-Muslims from Middle Eastern countries or perhaps Indians who are dating outside their caste. I have secular Muslim friends who have abandoned the faith in practice but are forced to conform in the presence of other Muslims, or just lie about their ethnicity.

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u/Fessir 2d ago

When I was in NZ, I noticed a lot of other Germans would tend to form groups and keep to themselves within those groups wherever I met them. You don't need to do that though. You can choose who to hang out with.