In late August 2022, I arrived at Dartmouth all alone with two big suitcases, when COVID-19 was still an issue. During my first winterim, I stayed on campus because of the expensive flight and the long quarantine back home. Staying in Hanover, without much happening on campus, left me with long hours to reflect on my experience as an international student. The cold winterim eventually ended, but my feelings did not. Throughout my entire journey at Dartmouth, I juggled academics and other challenges with my identity, social life, mental health and cultural differences. Over time, I have come to see that a lot of international peers share similar challenges as I do, and the lack of support at Dartmouth often leaves international students to navigate life on their own.
My first big social event before Orientation week was a welcome dinner at Han Fusion, where first-year students of Chinese heritage gathered to mingle. During the dinner, our social circles naturally split into two: one group of Chinese Americans who had grown up in the U.S. and another group of Chinese international students. People in these groups reacted differently to the question, “Where are you from?” An answer li...