ABSTRACT
This chapter provides some of the issues that international students face as well as providing reflections on the importance of student engagement based on personal experiences. The chapter focuses on the relationships between different types of engagement and experiences of international students in the UK. Most international students want to gain direct experience through interactions with peers from the host culture. Engaging international students with various opportunities for cross-cultural interactions at the university is therefore quite important. Cultural differences were also noted as international students coming from North America, the European Union, and South-East Asia were more likely to be involved in on-campus activities than those from the Middle East, Latin America, and East Asia. While engagement represents involvement in activities and making personal connections with others and the surrounding environment, the opposite can result in increased feelings of intense isolation and alienation far from home.
