Adapting to a New Setting
Angel Alba | Maui High School, Class of 2026
Year after year, students from other countries transfer to different schools, where they must adapt to a new schooling system and familiarize themselves with the resources around them. These students tend to face struggles in this situation, where they must communicate with other students, find their way around the campus, or face other obstacles. With their advisors’ and peers’ assistance and guidance, they can easily adapt to the environment and its schooling system.
As students face obstacles in their courses, Maui High School student Amaya Badillo suggests tutoring sessions should be offered to international students, where a teacher assists the student through what they are dealing with and helps the student to understand the concept of the assignment or issue. Tatyanna Pomale, a student at Maui High School, proposes the same vision in providing free tutoring lessons from experienced staff, language classes, and writing workshops. Tatyanna states these offers can “prepare students for the requirements of graduation, personal narrative, senior paper, etc.” Another student at Maui High School, Rushielle Shya Cachero, further adds “offering counseling services and academic advising can help international students academically, and by receiving these types of opportunities, it can help them plan for their students’ and personal challenges.”
As foreign students adapt to a new environment and schooling system, it is quite unsettling for them, perhaps making them feel off or out of place. As a school, staff and students can assist them by insuring they get the guidance they need, “guiding them through the material and making sure to provide clear communication with them,” as well as “advisors walking them through each part of the learning material to make sure they understand it, and if needed they can also provide extra support after or before class,” Amaya states. Rushielle’s statement correlates with Amaya’s explanation of being able to guide them through lectures and instructions given at school.
Tatyanna claims that adapting to an unfamiliar environment can be encouraged through clubs. “Culture-based clubs can create a safe space or sense of belonging. Clubs of interests (Bible, debate, Filipino club, etc.) expose international students to the extra-curricular activities Hawai‘i has to offer,” she says. Being a part of extracurricular activities and engaging with other students can make the newcomers feel welcomed and appreciated. To feel welcomed “students can offer a friendly hand to their classmates, so they feel welcomed and not excluded,” Amaya explains. Rushielle notes how students can “offer support and encourage students” when they are struggling or at their lowest.
Tatyanna, Amaya, and Rushielle assert that language barriers can be a major problem when coming from a foreign country. Amaya states, “a language barrier being a problem can affect the way they learn and how they communicate with one another.” Tatyanna agrees, saying, “As new languages, cultural beliefs and practices emerge in one environment (school), bullying thrives and diversity occurs.” To avoid such behavior, Tatyanna suggests “hiring staff who discourage discrimination and apply firm discipline will provide a better understanding for students, especially in the younger generation.” As Tatyanna previously mentioned, “cultural-based clubs can create a safe space,” adding, “cultural-based clubs provide a welcoming environment for students to engage with their peers and encourage educational support for one another.”
Rushielle and Amaya both agree that campuses can “provide an ESL (English as a Second Language) class or provide an ELC (English Language Center) to those who aren’t fluent in English or can’t speak.” Being able to have these opportunities open to the students can help international students improve their academic skills, and those who are not familiar with English. “ELC helps students build the language and cultural skills necessary to succeed academically and socially. Enforcing this class will help international students achieve in academic writing and effective speaking,” Rushielle mentions.
Being a new student coming from a foreign country and adapting to a new system should not be too overwhelming. Counselors, advisors, and peers are present to make you feel welcomed and appreciated. Extracurricular activities are open for students to engage in such activities and interact with other students. New students may struggle in the beginning; however, with the right guidance and assistance, you can easily adapt to your new school and its system.
Google® Is Not Everything … is a monthly column authored by high school students. The column’s title emphasizes that education is more than just googling a topic. Google® is a registered trademark. This month’s guest columnist is Angel Alba, a Junior at Maui High School. She is a Cultural Representative of Maui High’s Filipino Cultural Club, a part of HOSA, Upward Bound, and a Filipino folk-dance group named “La Galería: Compañía Baile Filipino.” Angel is in the Nursing pathway at Maui High and aspires to be a pediatric nurse. In her free time, she enjoys creating blogs, building Lego structures, going to the gym, spending time with family and friends, singing karaoke and watching dramas or any type of movies that interest her. She is the daughter of Normalita Alba and Pablito Alba, Jr.