Ikmal | Auckland City
“Okay, I think the last time I felt stressed, maybe last year, because currently I’m an international student, so it’s pretty hard for me to cope with the situation, with the new area, because I’ve just arrived here last year.
I have to try my best to talk in English, and to understand English. So, especially for the students around here, they have good relationships with each other, but for me as the new student here, I have try my best to know them, and then to have a good relationship with them.
Then (figure out) how that I want to manage my life, my house, my studies here. So it is pretty much hard for me, and I think I have quite a hard problem to solve. Luckily I have friends, international students here with me, so I talk to them and then I feel good.
Maybe when people say, just stay relaxed, try to find people, and tell them a story, ask them how to solve your problem. It’s hard to say, but actually some people will find it helpful.
So, how I’m solving my stress problem is, I talk to people, especially my friends. One of my friends she has good communication skills. So I regularly practice with her how to talk English, and I regularly will attend English workshops, to improve my English skills. Not only that. I started to be active with the clubs here, around second semester, because I thought that I have to improve my English, and I have to get to know other people. So I joined few clubs, I joined a robotics club and also Engineers Without Borders.
With Malaysia, we have some limits on how we shall do things. Here we can do anything, so that tests my understanding about what to do, and I have to be independent here. The culture here (is so different), and I have to adapt to the freedom culture here.
When you say about growing up in Malaysia, first of all it’s the family and friends. Here, I can say I’ve got around a few months or years to get to know the new people. In Malaysia you already know your family, your friends.
The most important thing is of course food. The food was the different part that I cannot forget, but luckily there is some Malaysian food here, just the taste is slightly different. I can say that, but overall I think if you go to another country, in the beginning of the year you will feel you miss so much about your country, but then you slowly learn something that you can use in your life.“
**FEELING STRESSED?**
Check out these resources from the Mental Health Foundation: Stress and how to Handle it and the Five ways to Wellbeing. Need to talk to someone? Free text or call 1737 anytime.
