Stepping into the age of higher education poses opportunities to discover for new college students about others as well as themselves. Some of these new students even experience culture shock when they meet others who express themselves differently than what’s expected of them. It is important to not just tolerate diversity in university, but also to accept and understand students coming from diverse backgrounds. Diversity among students is not about noticing differences but about embracing uniqueness.
A group of students portraying diversity in university
Differences
When you leave the boundaries of home and school life to enter university, you are exposed to the world as well as its new experiences. You will meet people of different cultures, races, and abilities. There are people with different customs that may seem unusual to you but knowing to respect and understand them is how harmony is initiated. You may also meet those who are differently-abled by which we should avoid thinking of them as disabled. This will create a more conducive as well as a more welcoming learning environment in the context of student diversity in the classroom.
Differences Between Accepting and Tolerating
Both tolerance and acceptance are important to maintaining harmony among your new college mates. However, there is a difference between the two. Tolerance is treating others the way you would want to be treated while co-existing with each others’ differences. Acceptance, however, says that differences are okay and can even be a good thing. Generally, things can be tolerated without being accepted, but they cannot be accepted without tolerance.
Importance of Accepting and Tolerating
Tolerance and acceptance in every aspect are important for student’s effective learning. The values of tolerance, acceptance and respect are the grounds for the lucrative progress of a person. Therefore, properly shaping the attitude towards differences among students during their time in university is important. This can help in building character as well as making students who leave for the working world better in terms of mentality and being emotionally relatable to social and cultural diversity.
Understanding Them
A third concept that is known to be one above tolerance and acceptance is being able to understand the differences of others. Tolerance and acceptance are possible without understanding a person’s differences. However, despite how convenient it is to tolerate and accept a person’s differences, none of those can replace the effort to understand others’ trials and tribulations for their differences.
Remaining intolerant and unaccepting only cripples cooperation. Students entering university need to accept that maintaining openness towards diversity in university as well as in the classroom is important when learning together. Most universities do not take lightly to intolerance among their students or even staff. Therefore, when you choose a university, be sure that you go along with their values of tolerance and acceptance. Here at INTI, our students’ well-being, whether mentally, emotionally or physically, matters to us. We strive for equality in every aspect. INTI Education Counselling Centres provide future students with education pathway choices, student registration and application services. Click here to reach out to us today!