How can ‘International Students’ combat ‘Cultural Shock’?

Leaving home and traveling to study in a new country can be a stressful experience, even though it may be something you have planned and prepared for. Whether you are studying in a country with the same first language as your own or not, assimilating to a new culture comes with many difficulties i.e.,

• climate change,
• social roles,
• rules of behavior,
• difference of values, 
• feeling of loneliness,
• feeling of being lost or overlooked, etc.

 

MEASURES TO COMBAT CULTURAL SHOCK

As ‘International Students’ you can adopt the following measures to combat ‘Cultural Shock’:

 1) Tell yourself that what you are experiencing is NORMAL.

2) Stay in touch with home by EMAIL, TEXT or TELEPHONE.

3) Have FAMILIAR THINGS with personal meaning around you, such as photos or ornaments.

4) Try to find FAMILIAR FOOD if you can. Eat a healthy and Balanced diet.

5) Learn to include a regular form of PHYSICAL ACTIVITY into your routine.

6) Link with a FAITH COMMUNITY is helpful to some students. Many chaplaincies welcome students of all faiths for pastoral or social activities.

7) Maintain contact with YOUR ETHNIC GROUP and if possible with LOCAL STUDENTS.

8) Be prepared to take the first step and find activities which will give you a COMMON INTEREST with other students.

9) Take time to find out what SERVICES the University offers, for example, the Orientation programme, information/support from the International Office, hall wardens, the health center, and the counselling service.

) Check out what is on at the Students’ Union and its societies.

) Maintain CONFIDENCE in YOURSELF. Follow your ambitions and continue your plans for the future.

) If you feel STRESSED, look for HELP. There is always someone or some service available to help you i.e.,

• Personal tutors and other staff in your department.
• Residential Tutors in your halls of residence.
• The University Counselling Service.

Thanks

I support your answer Mrs. Farhana

I support your answer Madam Farhana as you have not left anything to add. You have well narrated the answer in simple language. Thanks.

An international student should respect culture of the country where he's basing. He/she should abide by the norms, values and beliefs of the people at the international level. Studying the international community and its people, patience with their behavior and respect what they value most. Thank you

Intially the International Students should learn the language, social roles and values while combating with any cultural shock.

You've made and colleagues answer adequate and varied and I agree with them and with you Professor Farhana

Make friends. Realize that everyone on Earth have certain things in common. Music, art, love, compassion. You should be craving the opportunity. Most people get stuck in one place their whole life. There are also always groups of people from where you are from in any city. Say you are Korean going to San Francisco. Go to a Korean restraunt and make a friend who will show you the ropes. The common language will put you at ease. Oh, and smile a lot. Everyone, anywhere will open up to you if you smile.

Cultural Shock is reduced to a minimum if you are well informed about the foreign country. You have to be prepared and to make decision do you really want to go to that country. If this is so, than Cultural Shock doesn't exist at all, or it's present in the beginning in some kind of contour.

Culture shock happened each individual diferently depending on who you are, how much stress level you can take, plus your personality, emotions, open mindedness matters. The most important thing is if the individual have good adaptation skills, flexibility, and open minded brain then he/she can deal with cultural shock issues successfully. In my experience, it took me whole year to overcome the difficulties and it was not only culture shock it was included with foreign language skills, learning how to live alone life, getting to realize that you are no longer in confort zone that you used to be. It's mixure of everything at the end. I suggest that those international students must talk with the best friends , teachers, counselors about their problems, emotions related issues. Let good and positive people be in your close friends circule, they make your life happier. The best reward after overcome abro related difficulties, you will find yourself better you, value yourself much higher than who you were used to be. Learn how to enjoy good and bad at the same time, it will teach you a lot at the end. Thank you!

Miss Farhana, you have written everything that one can face problem While leaving native,

But you know some people like changes in their life, they like to new culture, new peoples, new friends, new foods, new climate etc, they manage everything easily :)

Some other people have a gift of Allah(god) they get settle in every place by nature,

The one Who are totally home sick strugle's a lot to survive in a new culture,

I agree with the following answers. I can only add some things:

- read about foreign country where you will be studying, be prepared not shocked

- be kind and courteous, and above all, honest. These characteristics are the same in every culture.

- first observe, don't criticize at the beginning

- ask questions, be ready to learn and discover a new culture. Local residents certainly will help you.

- don't close yourself, make new friends from your country or other countries. Together will be easier

- don't fight with cultural differences, accept it as different not strange.

- you are a guest in new country, respect local laws

- you are representing your country abroad, give a good witness