Culture shock

Often the drastic change in environment poses a big challenge for international students, although most do not realize it until they set foot on campus. From trying to come to terms with the fact that you are no longer around your close friends and relatives, to welcoming change in every aspect of your life (the food you eat, the way you communicate and sometimes, the clothes you wear), the changes that come with moving into a new country can be very overwhelming.  In such a circumstance, the art of adjusting to change is a constant process that one must learn to embrace. On the negative, this period of change can be very distressing, and can drive any student into a period of withdrawal from normal life experiences especially the much needed social experience. Afterwards, negative feelings towards the new environment and a general perception of the people as bad and evil develops (trust me everyone who goes through this can tell you how evil they thought the people were, lol!). Ultimately, life in a foreign country may turn out to be a struggle. This is most definitely not the joy of a busy student. Despite all these negative possibilities, the good news is that this situation often only lasts for a period of 6-12 months. Trust me, as long as it seems, it is positive considering how fast time goes by on campus. On a more positive note, thank God its only temporary :)

The description above is a general summation of what one experiences when going through culture shock. Wikipedia gives a clearer definition of culture shock as the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration or a visit to a new country, or to a move between social environments. This definition succinctly sums up everything, except think about it in a college setting in this context. Culture shock occurs in four different stages. These are the honeymoon stage, the negotiation stage (which is the most frustrating of all stages), the adjustment stage and the mastery stage. Another form of culture shock that is somewhat expected for international students is reverse culture shock, which is basically culture shock you experience once you return to your home country and realize that you have to adjust to the culture there all over again. However, this can be prevented by ensuring that you keep in touch with people in your home country despite the distance that separates you. If possible, visit your home country as often as possible to ensure that you remain familiar with it. Follow up on what happens in your country through  online sources. This can be very helpful in letting you know what you should expect when you get back home.

As an international student, I find it very important to discuss culture shock. This is because I myself have gone through it. It was not a very pleasant experience; that I can tell you. In fact, in my first semester, I was literally a cranky student. Back then, I just couldn’t understand why I felt that way, until I came across useful information that ultimately helped me through my second semester. I, then, began to see the whole process as a positive experience through which I learnt so much and made new friends, who enabled me to move on with life in a foreign country. In my next article, I will discuss the various stages of culture shock and how to deal with them as they come, so stay tuned! In the meantime, I wish everyone a successful semester, especially now that finals are almost here. Remember to take care of yourselves through it all! :)