Questions · International students

Questions for international students, from orientation to finals

Studying abroad comes in waves: the rush of orientation, the homesickness of week six, the quiet pride of getting through the first semester. These questions fit each stage, for students, roommates and the staff who support them.

  • 17 questions
  • EN + TL on every card
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Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.

Getting to know№ 24

When you think of home, what small detail comes up first?

Kapag naiisip mo ang home, anong maliit na detail ang unang pumapasok?

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A note

Home can be a smell, a sound, a person, a room, or one ordinary detail that stayed.

Pwedeng amoy, tunog, tao, kwarto, o isang ordinaryong detail ang home. Minsan yun ang unang bumabalik.

Tap to returnkumustahan

The questions

17 questions for international students

Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.

Orientation week

5 questions

Quick openers for meeting a lot of new people.

  1. Plan a hangout that a friend could bring a new friend to.

    Kung magsasama ng bagong friend ang kaibigan mo, anong bonding ang ipa-plano mo?

    Back of the card

    Imagine the newcomer knows none of your old jokes. Your activity can still work.

    Isipin na hindi alam ng bagong kasama ang dating mga biro ninyo. Puwede pa ring maging masaya ang activity.

  2. When doing something with friends, which small job do you enjoy helping with?

    Kapag may ginagawa kayo ng friends, anong parte ang gusto mong akuin para makatulong?

    Back of the card

    Would you still enjoy that job with a much bigger group?

    Gusto mo pa rin ba ang gawaing iyon kung mas marami ang kasama?

  3. Name the song that should play when you enter a room.

    Sabihin yung song na dapat tumugtog pagpasok mo sa room.

    Back of the card

    An entrance song is mostly about energy. It says what kind of moment you want everyone to feel.

    Yung entrance song, energy talaga ang usapan. Sinasabi niya kung anong moment ang gusto mong dala.

  4. When joining friends for an activity, what helps you feel included?

    Kapag may activity ang friends, ano ang nagpaparamdam na kasama ka rin?

    Back of the card

    Being invited and being able to join are not always the same thing.

    Hindi laging pareho ang niyayaya ka at ang kaya mong sumali.

  5. Share a small mistake or awkward moment that feels funny now.

    Mag-share ng small mistake o awkward moment na funny na ngayon.

    Back of the card

    A small fail gets lighter once it becomes a story. Sometimes the best part is realizing everyone survives awkward little moments.

    Gumagaan yung small fail kapag naging kuwento na. Minsan best part yung ma-realize na nakakalusot naman tayo sa awkward moments.

Missing home

5 questions

Gentle questions for the homesick weeks.

  1. When you think of home, what small detail comes up first?

    Kapag naiisip mo ang home, anong maliit na detail ang unang pumapasok?

    Back of the card

    Home can be a smell, a sound, a person, a room, or one ordinary detail that stayed.

    Pwedeng amoy, tunog, tao, kwarto, o isang ordinaryong detail ang home. Minsan yun ang unang bumabalik.

  2. Tell us about a food that reminds you of someone taking care of you.

    Ikuwento yung pagkain na nagpapaalala sa'yo ng alaga ng isang tao.

    Back of the card

    Food can carry care without needing big words. Sometimes the simple act of feeding someone well becomes a memory by itself.

    Kayang magdala ng care ang pagkain kahit walang malaking salita. Minsan yung simpleng pag-alaga sa pagkain, nagiging memory na.

  3. What could you and a faraway friend enjoy doing together online?

    Kung nasa malayo ang friend mo, ano ang puwede ninyong gawin online na pareho ninyong mae-enjoy?

    Back of the card

    Choose a little ritual to start it: the same greeting, the same song, or your own idea.

    Puwedeng may nakasanayan kayong panimula: parehong bati, parehong kanta, o sarili ninyong ideya.

  4. Choose a short message you could send a friend you have not talked to lately.

    Kung hindi mo nakakausap lately ang isang friend, anong maikling message ang ipapadala mo?

    Back of the card

    The first message does not need to contain the whole catch-up.

    Hindi kailangang nasa unang message ang buong kumustahan.

  5. Pick one small thing lately that helped you breathe easier.

    Pick one maliit na bagay lately na nakatulong sa'yo huminga nang mas maluwag.

    Back of the card

    Relief can be small and still be real. Notice what gave your body or mind a little more room.

    Puwedeng maliit ang ginhawa pero totoo pa rin. Pansinin kung ano ang nagbigay ng konting luwag sa katawan o isip mo.

Halfway through the semester

7 questions

For noticing how much you’ve already handled.

  1. What is something you can handle better now than before?

    Ano yung mas kaya mo nang i-handle ngayon kaysa dati?

    Back of the card

    Growth is often noticed in comparison. What used to shake you may now take less from you.

    Madalas napapansin ang growth kapag may comparison. Yung dati kang kinakabahan, baka ngayon mas kaya mo nang harapin.

  2. Tell us about something you used to avoid that feels less scary now.

    Kuwento mo yung dati mong iniiwasan pero hindi na ganun ka-scary ngayon.

    Back of the card

    Less scary is still movement. You do not have to be fearless to know something has changed.

    Movement pa rin ang less scary. Hindi mo kailangang maging fearless para malaman na may nagbago.

  3. What difficult situation are you proud of handling?

    Anong mahirap na sitwasyon ang proud kang naharap mo?

    Back of the card

    You can pass or keep the situation private. What did handling it help you notice about your own abilities?

    Puwedeng mag-pass o itago ang sitwasyon. Ano ang napansin mong kaya mo pala matapos mong harapin iyon?

  4. Which small adulting skill are you proud you can do now?

    Anong small adulting skill ang proud kang kaya mo na ngayon?

    Back of the card

    Adulting skills can be funny and real at the same time. Paying, fixing, calling, cooking, asking: they all count.

    Nakakatawa pero real ang adulting skills. Magbayad, mag-ayos, tumawag, magluto, magtanong: counted lahat yan.

  5. Which part of this season asks for more patience from you?

    Anong part ng season na ito ang humihingi ng mas mahabang pasensya sa'yo?

    Back of the card

    Patience is not always passive. Sometimes it is the steady work of staying kind while something takes time.

    Hindi laging passive ang patience. Minsan trabaho rin siyang manatiling mabait habang may bagay na mabagal talaga.

  6. Name something you are nervous about that still feels worth trying.

    Magsabi ng isang bagay na kinakabahan ka pero parang worth it pa ring subukan.

    Back of the card

    Nerves and courage often show up together. The fear does not automatically mean the step is wrong.

    Madalas magkasama ang kaba at courage. Hindi porket may takot, mali na agad ang step.

  7. What can you do now that would have surprised you a few years ago?

    Ano ang kaya mo na ngayon na hindi mo inakalang magagawa mo ilang taon na ang nakaraan?

    Back of the card

    Picture showing your younger self how you do it. What might surprise them first?

    Isipin na ipinapakita mo sa mas batang sarili mo kung paano mo ito ginagawa. Ano kaya ang una niyang ikagugulat?

How to use them

Before you ask

Good questions for international students meet them where they are in the semester: light ones in orientation week, gentle ones about home when homesickness hits, and questions about growth once they’ve found their feet.

Orientation is full of icebreakers that all ask the same thing: name, country, major. By week six, nobody is asking anything, and that’s when many international students feel most alone. Questions about the small detail they picture when they think of home, the food that reminds them of someone taking care of them or the faraway friend they still talk to give them a chance to talk about what they miss.

Later, the most encouraging questions are about growth: something they handle better now, something that used to scare them, the adulting skill they’re proud of. International students learn a lot of these fast, and saying it out loud helps.

Good for

  • International student orientation
  • Dorm floors and residence life events
  • International student associations
  • Roommates from different countries
  • Advisers and mentors checking in

Tips

  1. Ask about home with curiosity, not as a geography quiz.
  2. Check in around weeks five to eight; homesickness often peaks then.
  3. Invite them to ordinary plans (groceries, laundry, a walk), not just big events.
  4. Learn how to say their name correctly. Ask again if you need to.
  5. Point them to campus support if homesickness turns into something heavier.

Decks for this

International students

Frequently asked questions

What questions can I ask an international student?

Beyond where they’re from: what they picture when they think of home, a food that reminds them of family, what helped them feel welcome, and what they handle better now than when they arrived.

How can I help an international student who is homesick?

Ask gentle questions about home and listen, invite them to small everyday plans, and check in regularly. If it seems serious, point them to campus counseling.

Are these good icebreakers for international student orientation?

The first group is. It uses short, plain-English questions that work for students at any English level.

Bring a better question to the table.

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