Leaving home to explore and experience the world can be fun and exciting but it is not without challenges. Studying abroad is usually a beautiful experience but it could come with some anxiety. This happens because you find yourself in a new environment amongst new people. Sometimes, knowing how to interact freely with other students can be daunting so today, we’re coming to the rescue. Do you sometimes wonder how you can become a good campus social, make friends and enjoy your campus experience? With these choice topics of discussion for international students, we’ll help you enjoy interesting conversations with other students so as to break the ice of silence, help you relax and make people warm up to you. Feel free to start up these conversations anywhere, anytime.
1. Food
Food is a universal topic because, despite cultural differences and diversities, everyone eats food. This topic affords you the opportunity to share ideas on types of meals, nutritional value, preparation, etc. This way, students can learn new recipes and try them out if they desire to, it expands their horizon. This will add great spice to your international experience. To start off the conversation, you can ask questions like what is your favourite food? Why? What food comes from your country? How do you feel when you eat food? What foods do you dislike? Why?
2. Music
A very simple yet universal topic because it cuts across all ages and nationalities. Music is a unifying force and can be used in any if not every sector field of endeavour. People connect to music in different ways especially those they love or hate. For others, it is a whole subject to major in at College. That’s because music speaks with or without words. Learning about the types of music produced in other countries will give you a better appreciation of people and their cultures. You can ask questions like what types of music do you like/dislike? What types of music come from your country? What music is popular in your country right now? What’s your favourite song/album/artist? How do certain kinds of music make you feel?
3. Hobbies
While studying is the primary purpose for being in school, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Therefore, it’s important to employ one’s energies, passions and time into other things apart from school and work. This is why hobbies are important and as a topic of discussion, is an easy ice breaker. You can ask questions like what are your hobbies? Why do you like your hobbies so much? How often do you do these hobbies and how did you get started?
4. Money
This is an interesting topic because everyone desires to have a lot of money and be financially independent. Talking about money will help you understand other people’s spending culture, the value of their currency, etc. Ask questions like what are some good ways to make money? What do people in your country spend their monies on majorly? How important is a savings culture? How best can international students save money? What would you do if you were given $2,000,000?
5. Learning
Learning is like nature; it’s all around us, even on a subconscious level. Our brains are built to absorb, filter and store information. Discussions about learning could actually stimulate curiosity amongst students. Some questions you can ask are what are you currently learning/studying? What things are you good/bad at learning? Why? What would you like to learn the most? What has been the most difficult part of learning? Why?
6. Movies
This is another interesting topic of discussion because students love watching movies especially US Box Office Movies. This will be an easy one as everyone has watched a movie and have some they like and don’t like. You’ll definitely find students’ opinions as interesting and varied as ever so give it a shot. You can ask what is your favourite movie? Why? How are movies in your country? What are the best ones? What was the last movie you saw? How was it? If there were a movie about your life, what kind of movie would it be? Why?
7. Goals
Remember the saying, “He who fails to plan, plans to fail?” Well, those are true words and it’s absolutely important to have plans for different stages of your study experience. This gives you a sure guide and a reason to keep pushing against all odds. Talk about your goals, who knows, you might learn a thing or two from others. Ask questions like what are your current goals academically? How do you plan to reach your goals? How often do you set goals for yourself? What goals have you set and achieved in the past? How do you feel when you reach or don’t your goals?
8. Crime
Crime may not be on the top of people’s lists of favourite topics but it’s something that’s talked about. It may even be something that has affected the lives of students. Learning to discuss it could help out in the long run. To spark off the conversation, you can ask questions like have you ever been a victim of crime? What crime is common in your city/country? What would you do if you noticed a crime being committed? How is law enforcement in your city/country?
9. Love
Saving the best for the last right? Absolutely! This topic is so universal that everyone has a story to tell. While some stories may be pleasant, some others may not be but everyone has an experience they can share nonetheless. Even if it’s not about romantic love and heartbreak, students can talk about familial. Such as love with their parents, siblings or children, as well as the love between friends. To get the conversation going, you can ask what is love? Who/what do you love? What good/bad experiences have you had with love? Can a person be too young to be romantically in love? Why/why not? How do you feel about love?
There you have it; 9 choice topics of discussion international students can easily engage in. These topics are absolutely interesting topics with which you can get the conversation going. What are you waiting for?