Cultural Adjustment for International Students

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Cultural Adaptation


Photo Credit: MIT

Adapting to a new environment takes time, and the pace of transition varies from person to person. We know studying in a foreign country is not easy.  You are at a new school, in a new city, country and culture.  The process of adjusting to all the new things in your life can vary from person to person.  Many students go through a period of frustration, known as cultural adjustment or “culture shock.” Remember that this is normal.  Adapting to life at MC may take more or less time for you depending on your background, previous experience and expectations.   Here is what you may go through:

 

Honeymoon Stage

When you first arrive, you may be excited and nervous about being in a new place. You probably want to see and do a lot of new things.  This phase is best described by feelings of excitement, optimism and wonder often experienced when one enters a new environment or culture. Students are likely to focus on the positive aspects and pleasing differences of the new environment.

Cultural Adjustment

After some time, you may begin to notice details about your new environment that annoy you. Perhaps it seems that people here don’t understand you and you don’t understand them.  The food is not the same as it is at home, and the people look, speak and act differently from people at home. Even the smells are different. 

This phase is also often called "culture shock." In general, culture shock describes the anxiety and feelings of surprise, disorientation, or confusion one feels when operating in an entirely different cultural or social environment. It grows out of the difficulties in assimilating to the new culture, causing difficulty in knowing or going along with what is appropriate and what is not. Often this is combined with strong moral and aesthetic disgust with certain aspects of the new culture. Culture shock does not necessarily occur suddenly, but may gradually affect a person's mood over time. The length of time a person experiences culture shock depends on their level of self-awareness and the length of time they stay in a culture.

Symptoms of Culture Shock
Cultural Adjustment manifests itself in different forms, but some symptoms can be:

  • changes in eating habits and sleeping habits
  • acute homesickness; calling home much more often than usual
  • feeling hostile; complaining frequently about the host country/culture
  • irritability, sadness, depression
  • frequent frustration; being easily angered
  • self doubts; sense of failure
  • recurrent illness
  • withdrawing from friends or activities

 You might not be able to convey your full personality in English.  You may wish things could be like they are back home. You may find it hard to communicate or get things done. Don’t despair! These feelings are often temporary, and should fade as you gain confidence in your new environment.

Road to Adjustment

After some time, you may start to appreciate the differences between your home country and your new environment. You may find your sense of humor and feel more balanced.

Recovering from culture shock is handled differently by everyone; we each have our unique circumstances, backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses that need to be taken into consideration. With time and patience, we can experience the positive effects of cultural adjustment such as increased self-confidence, improved self-motivation and heightened cultural sensitivity. As you gradually begin to feel more comfortable in your new environment, you will feel more like expanding your social networks and exploring new ideas. You will feel increasingly flexible and objective about your experience, learning to accept and perhaps even practice parts of the new culture while also holding onto your own cultural traditions.

Suggestions for easing the transition:

  • Realize that what you are going through is normal. Remember that the unpleasant feelings are temporary, natural and common to any transition that a person makes during their life. Be patient and give yourself time to work through the process.
  • Keep in touch with your home country. Read newspapers from home, international magazines, etc. Watch international television channels or surf the internet.  Call home regularly. Have familiar things around you that have personal meaning, such as photographs or ornaments. Find a supplier of familiar foods or visit restaurants that are similar to your home cuisine.
  • Take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep!
  • Talk to someone. Find friends who are going through a similar process, call your family back home, or see a counselor.  Maryville College Counseling Center has trained counselors from different backgrounds who can help MC students through the difficult parts of cultural adaptation. In the U.S. it is very common to talk with a counselor about problems or difficulties. Take advantage of the resources available to you at the university.
  • Have fun and relax! Become a regular visitor to I-House. Join student groups. GCO and Study Abroad Ambassadors are good places to start getting connected. Get out of your room and volunteer to help others. Take up a new sport through intramurals. Participate in activities, clubs and student organizations of interest to you.
  • Improve your English skills. Cultural adaptation is greatly enhanced by perfecting your English skills. Not being able to clearly communicate can create isolation and loneliness. Make a point to join activities that give you the opportunity to share in conversation and express your identity.

Adaptation

Eventually, you may begin to feel at home and find greater satisfaction personally and academically.

If you experience cultural transition, you are not alone – many other international students have similar experiences. Even people who move to Maryville from other parts of the US can experience cultural adjustment. It is normal and shows that you are interacting with your new environment.



Culture shock… results from losing all of our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse (words, gestures, facial expressions, customs, norms) ~ Kalervo Oberg

Factors for Success:


Open Mindedness

Sense of Humor

Communicativeness

Flexibility and Adaptability

Curiosity

Positive and Realistic Expectations

Tolerance for Differences and Ambiguities

Positive Regard for Others

A Strong Sense of Self