Five Activities to Enhance Spiritual and Emotional Intelligence in International Students

Abstract

Extracurricular activities play a significant role in supporting students' self-development. For international students living in dormitories, non-academic activities provide a solution to overcome boredom while enhancing their life experiences. Dormitories not only function as places to live but also as spaces to facilitate the development of emotional and spiritual intelligence. This study aims to identify five activities that can improve spiritual and emotional intelligence and support the well-being of international students while studying abroad. This research uses a qualitative method with an ethnographic approach. Data sources were collected through in-depth individual and group interviews with ten international students from three countries; China, Nigeria, and Bangladesh. All informants were international students living in international university dormitories. To strengthen the interview data, the researcher also conducted direct observations of the activities and was actively involved for one year in various activities of international students at the research location. All data were thematically analyzed using the qualitative software NVivo 12. The research findings identified twelve activities of international students living in university dormitories, including: i) counseling sessions and psychological support, ii) sports and fitness, iii) recreational activities and well-being, iv) worship or religious rituals, and v) spiritual discussion groups. These findings can serve as a model for other universities on how to transform dormitories into activity hubs that enhance students' self-capacity, as dormitories were previously regarded primarily as places to live.