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Culture Shock – Our top 5 tips for international students

Culture shock is more than a feeling of homesickness or jetlag. It can lead to quite severe symptoms, such as feelings of nausea, frustration, extreme tiredness and confusion.

It’s also a very typical experience for international students, so make sure you have all the advice you need with our Top 5 tips on Culture Shock.

1. It’s only temporary

Settling into a new country, learning how to live in a new town, speak the language, make friends, shop and cook… this is not simple. So it’s no surprise really that you may start to feel anxious, depressed, or stressed.

But these feelings will pass. As you become more confident in your language ability, as you make those friends, and as you get to know your way around, you will start to enjoy all the differences of this new culture. And that, after all, is one reason why you wanted to travel in the first place.

2. Things will be different. But that doesn’t mean they are wrong.

You may be surprised by how different the culture really is. People may wear more casual clothes, behave differently with the opposite sex, be very strict about punctuality, or drink and smoke in public.

This doesn’t mean that you also have to do all these things, but you do have to accept that they are part of this culture. Instead of being overly critical, ask questions to work out what is considered ‘normal’.

3. You are suddenly on your own…

This may be the first time you’ve lived away from home. So it helps to learn some important skills before you leave. Learn how to cook a few of your favourite meals, make sure you can wash your own clothes and do regular chores such as cleaning.

You will probably be living with people you don’t know, such as a family homestay or with other students. Think about how you can be considerate of their needs, and how you can communicate with them if they don’t speak your language.

4. Culture shock is a series of phases

When your going though culture shock, it helps to recognise which phase you are in. Be patient!

Honeymoon phase: Everything is exciting when you first arrive, especially the differences

Crisis phase: Suddenly, these differences are hard to deal with. You don’t like the food, you can’t understand the accent, or you may get lost trying to find the supermarket or bus stop. You didn’t think it would be like this, and you find it difficult to focus on your studies.

Adjustment phase: As you become more confident speaking the language and with your daily routine, things get a little easier. You make new friends, join in community activities, and learn how to deal with any problems.

Bi-cultural phase: now, you feel comfortable living in two cultures at the same time. You feel like you belong.

5. It’s up to you

How you cope with culture shock is entirely up to you. And there are things you can do to make it easier.

Remember, overcoming culture shock is vital if you want to get the most from your international studies. And it’s also the best way to boost your confidence and get the skills you need to work and travel around the world.

If you’d like any further information on studying abroad, check out our StudyLink advice page. Good luck!

Rating: 5.0/5 (9 votes cast)

Posted in Culture shock | 22 Comments »

Tags: Culture shock

irfan

thanks for the advice to learn it.
wacksi

Good and pertinent article overall, but Lacks coverage about racism and xenophobia
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Thanks for posting about this, I would love to read more about this topic.
Davood Hasanloo

These tips are really perfect. I am really grateful to your guidance; however, I will really appreciate your help, if beside only mentioning these difficulties, you tell us how we can overcome them.

yours truly
David
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The five important tips mentioned here is extremely helpful,,,i realy was of thinking that how wil i deal with those things and i thought this all is only happening to me…now after reading this i came to know that this is the universal problem indeed,
wel with the passage of time one could overcome the homesickness and cultural socks etc
be patient
dineshkumar

Much useful
ratan

thanks studylink,it was informative and gonna take it into practice petty soon
Hassan

Dear Studylinks abroad
Greating

Thanks for your informations;It’s curucially needed for us to learn more about our human beings different cultures and background.It’s a big challange to every one trying to know about Mankind’s different cultures even inside his countery and accept every positive behaviours and dosn’t be in charge to everybody because he’s not the creater(The God).
With my highest respect to whole mankind’s cultures around our world
Thanks alot in advance again
Saket

good advice
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ii
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I greatly appreciate the tips that you have send me, Its ok its really ok, infact i really consciouse about it and thank you for that information.
Ei Mon Kyaw

Hello! Nice to meet you.
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Thank you.
Nezamuddin samadi

I greatly appreciate the tips that you have send me, Its ok its really ok, infact i really consciouse about it and thank you for that information.
mojtaba

you are very extremly
http://streamyx-online-registration.ulti-mac.org/frequent/rehderborg.html Dorine Mollere

Hi, interesting post. I have been pondering this topic,so thanks for posting. I will certainly be subscribing to your posts.
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I experienced culture shock when I went to Japan for the first time. I wish I had read this article before I went.
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[...] what newspapers, movies, TV and music they read, watch and listen to. The more you know, the less culture shock there will be. And the sooner you can focus on making new friends and getting good [...]
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The best thing is to be prepared and expect that you will go through a range of emotions when you live in a foreign country. Nice article.
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Interesting blog, as an expat Brit, now living in Argentina, this was especially interesting.
http://www.zinternationalstudent.com/ Zoila

What a great advise… As an international student culture shock is something you can never escape from. All international students will face this case only on a different degree. I think one way to hasten the adoption is to be friends with as many schoolmates as possible. That way the adjustment will be a lot easier.
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Overcoming cultural is necessary if we are going to spend years out there. It is always important one must respect the culture of a place where is going to spend such a crucial time. Thus it is necessary one must do his home work of learning important aspects of that particular culture.
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Thank u for this blog post, Study aborad is a very good thing for students by which they can increase their communication skills as well as study skills.