The Iglu Guide | Blog
Embracing cultural diversity in student accommodation
Over 550,000 international students head off to study in Australia every year, attracted by world leading universities, career opportunities and a fantastic lifestyle. Hailing from all around the world, Australia’s universities are brimming with students from China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Brazil, Hong Kong, Singapore and beyond. This cultural diversity means that students now have the opportunity to live alongside other people from all kinds of different nationalities and cultures, something which brings multiple benefits. It can help students adjust to independent living and transition seamlessly into the workplace environment. It can also help students develop a global outlook, a broad viewpoint and a more tolerant approach as a result. Here’s 5 reasons why cultural diversity is increasingly important in your student accommodation.
1. It widens your exposure
No two students are the same – even if they look and behave in similar ways. As soon as you start university, your world completely opens up as you encounter multiple cultures all on a normal day. This exposure to diversity helps students to challenge or eradicate any pre-existing or subconscious preconceptions that have grown up alongside them. Initially, learning in a multicultural environment enables students to have the opportunity to discover alternative educational pathways and choices. This accidental benefit penetrates much deeper when different cultures share a more personal space, such as student accommodation. Students are exposed to more personal differences such as language, customs, traditions and foods – but also more commonalities and shared experiences. As the student environment becomes more globalised, it encourages greater tolerance and empathy, with an acceptance of different behaviours and perspectives. Cultural diversity makes us all more understanding as a community, and provides students with better preparation for the workforce as they also learn to remain sensitive to any differences, whilst embracing the change.
2. Become a global citizen
When you arrive at your student accommodation and meet like-minded individuals from all over the world, you will find that you automatically bond over similarities and differences. This experience will influence your world view, helping you to emerge from university as a truly global citizen. To fully understand the modern world and gain a global perspective, intercultural competence is an essential skill that will equip all students for career success. Learning to interact with multiple cultures and respecting each boundary helps you to develop an awareness and knowledge of world views. This international outlook enhances your ability to navigate that landscape. Having a real understanding of how your words can affect others is a key attribute, and a direct result of a multicultural environment.
3. Enrich your experience
The benefit of living with international students from all around the world is that universities are now reflecting a more international learning approach, giving you an enriched holistic experience from start to finish. A global outlook is woven into every curriculum, and students can benefit from a range of broad and diverse viewpoints that extend learning, and provide stimulus and interest. A culturally diverse classroom gives students the opportunity to learn from people with different backgrounds and upbringings, leading to increased innovation, productivity and collaboration. This can significantly help improve important cognitive skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving – and these benefits are further deepened when that cultural diversity extends to student accommodation.
4. Gain emotional benefits
Your student accommodation experiences will form lifelong memories that will stay with you forever. You’ll meet new friends from all around the world – some who share your interests and others who’ll introduce you to new ones. The student accommodation community provides an important framework of emotional support for any student living away from home. Your housemates are there to help you navigate this new learning experience, and the skills you learn living alongside others are crucial to your adult life. This is heightened further for international students, who may be living far away from family and friends. But it’s something that you all experience together, and the glue that forms that tight emotional bond. Your ability to effortlessly forge cross-cultural interpersonal relationships will help you feel safe, confident and assured in your relationships and interactions as you further mature.
5. Improves global networking opportunities
As you emerge from university and start to think about getting a job, it’s reassuring to have a network of contacts from all around the world. As the world becomes increasingly borderless, and jobs are no longer location-based, the digital world has enabled a whole new arena for the emerging workforce. Without thinking too hard about it, you’ve probably got a pretty good networking circle right around you if you’re living in culturally diverse student accommodation. Stay open to making new connections as these may well prove useful in the future.
Image: Iglu Flagstaff Gardens
