English
Introduction
A new student who has to study in a foreign land is expected to hurdle several challenges before finishing the course. Due to the difference in language and culture, there are cases where foreign students have difficulty in adapting to a new environment. In many cases, there are students who decide to drop a subject or the entire course due to personal reasons. However, being determined and maintaining one’s focus are the factors which will motivate a student to strive harder.
Body
There are three (3) challenges using the Studnet platform that hindered my learning in this course and they are: my lack of self-confidence and self-worth, language barrier and fear of failure which has created a negative effect on my performance. Being a foreign student who is away from my family, there are times when I felt that I was alone, and thus established low self-esteem. At the same time, the language barrier is another major factor since English is not my primary language. There are instances when I felt that I cannot relate in some of the topics posted in the forum. I was also scared to share my own thought and ideas for fear of being misunderstood. The last challenge that I had to conquer in this course is having the fear of failure. Being a foreign student is a very challenging experience because I have to exert more effort to socialize and develop my social skills. Luckily, I was able to overcome all these challenges with flying colors because I was able to transform these negative emotions to motivate me to become a better student.
On the other hand, the three (3) main benefits that helped me in my learning in this course are: 1.) Having a strong support system; 2.) Meeting new friends; and 3). Friendly environment. The Studnet platform was able to expose me in having a strong support system. Most of the members from this course were instrumental in helping me develop my communication skills and build my self-confidence. The new acquaintances and friends who met along the way in this course help me to become more motivated. They were able to inspire me become the best I can be. At the same time, the friendly environment exuded by the Studnet platform has been encouraging for foreign students like me. I was able to learn more about current events, the views and opinions of my classmates, and the sentiments of the public at large. Overall, I am happy that I was able to gain so much knowledge from this course.Conclusion
As part of my recommendations on using the Student website in the future, I suggest that more posts should be made since they are very educational and informative. I also suggest that the interactive communication between the students should be maintained because it becomes an avenue for the free exchange of ideas. The friendly environment has become conducive to learning and encouraged the students to participate in the forums. Being able to express ones’ self without the feel of being rejected promotes individuality and self-respect. I feel so blessed that I turned-out to be a better student with all the learning that I gained from this course. To conclude, I highly recommend my professor in bringing out the best students in all of us.
