Study abroad is often paired with tips and tricks for safety. But international students don’t often have the same advantage.

Marcelo Gomez arrived in the United States six years ago. Gomez said he considers knowing the language the first rule of safety abroad.

“The first thing that you learn how to say is ‘repeat that please’ or ‘what did you say,’” Gomez said.

He said it’s tedious, but “you get used to the accents and everything, the language and the culture.”

“It’s nice to get immersed into it. You learn a lot of culture.  You meet a lot of new people,” said Gomez. “You learn how to be by yourself. It’s never easy but it’s a new experience.”

It’s not just the “I’m new and I don’t know anyone” experience for international students who choose to study in the United States.

According to Gomez, it’s more of a “I don’t know anybody, and I don’t speak the language and it’s a different culture and everything’s different” experience.

“But when you come to the United States, it’s you by yourself and everyone by themselves so everybody works for their own and it’s nice,” Gomez said.

Isabelle Rocher shared similar sentiments with Gomez.

Rocher, a senior and French native, agreed that knowing language and culture is an important part of being safe while traveling.

Rocher has been in the United States for five years and came to ULM to play tennis.

She travelled by herself from Paris to Atlanta to catch another flight to New Mexico. But she missed that flight.

“I couldn’t speak English. I didn’t have a phone to call anybody, and it was like a nightmare to me,” Rocher said.

Then she met a family from Chicago who helped her. It was a tough time, but she came through with a lot more independence and experience.