Through this process of interaction, overseas students soon realize that new countries and people are more approachable. Foreign students may face some challenges, but in the end they gain valuable skills and knowledge that they might otherwise not have known.

"Being a student in a different country really differentiates myself from my peers back home; I have had to learn and understand things that they have never been exposed to, and I have a more global outlook, comparatively," Blair says.

"Also going through some challenges has made me more resilient and a harder worker, which will definitely help me as I continue my career."

With a variety of extracurricular activities, including ones that Blair joined, such as a coffee club, a gardening and plant association and a vegan/vegetarian society, everyone can find something that suits their personality.

"What I find most important for people to integrate into a new environment is having the ability to find common ground with others around you," Dutton says.

"Tsinghua has facilitated an environment that is welcoming and inclusive for anyone who wants to participate in these types of events and network with those who joined."