Challenges Facing International Students During Study in Belarus

This research aims to identify and rank the problems which international students face during study in Belarus. The main method was descriptive research conceptualized within sojourner theory. Preliminary interviews followed by a survey (N=300) revealed that the sojourners’ problems were in the following order, from major to minor: (a) psychological and health-related challenges, primarily, homesickness and health disorders; (b) academic challenges, such as the new educational system and taking exams; (c) sociocultural challenges, especially communication with native speakers; (d) general living challenges. To prevent and solve these problems, the study provides experimentally based recommendations how to foster a supporting learning environment.

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