I think international students deserve more recognition. For many of us, it’s our first time moving away from family, a first step into adulthood. It’s an experience that demands bravery and resilience, especially when you realise your mum won’t come with you to doctor’s appointments any more. 

Packing for it is even more stressful, with strict luggage weight limits forcing you to decide whether a warm jacket is more valuable than your 24-inch cow Squishmallow (spoiler: it’s not). Speaking of flying, airports are their own battlefield. A word of advice: do NOT dress mysteriously. Your outfit might be fire, but when security tells you to remove the belt from your baggy pants, and they drop to your ankles… well, you might just inherit generational aura debt. 

It’s a great idea to research local slang before moving to a new country, which I had to learn the hard way. My first proper Kiwi interaction was at Uni when someone said the phrase “Sweet as”, I was very confused thinking they were complimenting my butt, but definitely not as confused as they looked when I replied, “You too”.  

That being said, it’s not all chaos, moving can be very exciting. You get to meet people you never imagined existed, like Marmite fans. It’s important to put yourself out there, join a club, go outside, touch grass. All of this can feel overwhelming (speaking as a former League of Legends player), but knowing you’re not alone in the experience makes all the difference. Personally, socialising isn’t my strongest suit (did I mention I played League?), but I’ve found that being funny helps! So if you ever want to befriend a Kiwi, just know that sheep jokes are definitely not overdone and unfunny, and they will definitely belly laugh at every single one of them.