Many of the values you now hold dear you learned from the days of your youth. If you’re worried about the environment’s state, it’s because you have tackled it back in school. If you have a great study habit and time management, it’s because your school honed these skills. After spending an enormous amount of our time in school, you will realize that the values, cultures, and traditions we learned there molded us into who we are now. Whether you’re in high school, college, or now working, you can look back at your school life and marvel at how it impacted you.
Of course, attending the best international schools will open your eyes to a world of different cultures and traditions. In a multicultural environment, you will learn to open your mind. You will learn about different traditions, becoming more respectful of people’s differences in the province. In an international school, you will mingle and be friends with people from all over the world—from Southeast Asia to Latin America. You will learn so much about their language, food, and culture. These are the things you would never have been exposed to in a regular school.
Local News
Think about it. People tend to feel out of touch when something happens across the world. But if you have a classmate from that country, you can ask that classmate what’s happening. You’ll have first-hand knowledge about how these events will shape the lives of the people there. It’s like attending a United Nations summit every day. You will gain a better understanding of how interconnected societies are.
Languages and Accents
When you spend so much time with international kids, you’ll pick up their accents. In a way, your accent is neither here nor there. It means there’s a bit of American, British, and Australian in your twang. Not to mention, you have influences of Asian accent, too. That’s because you spend at least eight hours or more every day talking with your classmates, who speak a different language than you do.
In international schools, the primary language of communication is English. However, these students speak their native tongue at home. When they speak English, it is with the accent of their primary language. They then tend to pick up different accents while they interact with their classmates.
Friends and Colleagues
You will never get the chance of knowing as many nationalities as you do when you attend an international school. Students come from all over the world to attend your school. You will gain new perspectives and an understanding of the world that books can never teach you. This is the best time to make friends from different countries. You can learn about them, and you can also share the wonders of your own culture with them.
Food
Interestingly, food is the one thing that connects people from all over the world. Sure, many of you will not be familiar with nasi goreng (Indonesia) or pad thai (Thailand), or kare-kare (the Philippines), but these are the kinds of food that you will be exposed to when you attend an international school. Your parties are going to be a blast because it’s a mix-and-match of every food on the planet.
Are you curious about how to make Indian samosas? You can visit your Indian classmates, so their parents can show you how to make samosas. The exposure to different food might even push you to want to pursue a career in international cuisine.
Individuality
You will never have survived international school if you don’t value your own voice. Speaking your mind is one thing you will learn when attending an institution as diverse as an international school. Here, you will learn that no voice is small and that everyone has to lend an ear and listen. This ability to hear what even the quietest voice wants to say will allow you to thrive in a globalized world, one that muffles and silences those it can.
Long-distance Friendships
One of the most important things you must remember about attending an international school is that it will teach you the pain of goodbye. Your international classmates have to move back to their home countries or a new one at some point. But although saying goodbye is always painful, you will learn how to manage long-distance friendships, too. After all, no distance can ever truly drive apart souls who have bonded as much you and your friends have.
You will never forget your school life—may the experience be good or bad. So, hold on to these memories, learn from them, and keep the knowledge and insight you gained. You will take these with you until you’re old and gray.