Culture Shock & Local Customs

by Gloria Arze-Bravo

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A New Life in a New Place

Youâ€™ve arrived at your exciting new home (at least for the duration of your academic program), and are still a little jittery from all the changes to your environment and social practices. What are your priorities, and how do you adapt to the American academic environment? When answering that question, keep in mind that many other international students have been in your shoes, and have learnt a thing or two about the system to make your own experience easier.

Swamped On Arrival

Here is just a sample of what you may be thinking about (and probably all at once, to boot):

Contacting your family and friends back home to keep them posted on your new adventure
Finding your way around campus and the surrounding community
Meeting new people on campus and beyond
Choosing and customizing your academic program
Running errands and doing paperwork to fulfill administrative requirements

Much of the above list can be checked off by determining the where and how of your new college or universityâ€™s Orientation Program. Many institutions have Host Family Programs where you are paired up with an American family to ease your transition and make you feel welcome. At the very least there is an International Student Association that will be able to refer you to a support network, counselling services, etc.

Avoid the Trap of Culture Shock

The outcome of your experience depends heavily on your own effort to understand your new surroundings. The following diagram is based on Duane Elmer’s Cross-Cultural Connections (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002). The clash between cultural differences and choices in approach can cause frustration, confusion, tension, and embarrassment. Which of the two paths will you pick, keeping in mind the support resources available at your university and through an International Student Association?

To help you consider the many factors affecting your enjoyment of the academic experience as an international student around the world, feel free to download the reference material we have provided.

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Tiffany – Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:48:55 -0000

Apparently there are 4 stages of cultural adjustment:

Stage 1 - Honeymoon Period - excitement, positive, fascination
Stage 2 - Withdrawal - anxiety, depression, hostility, negative reactions
Stage 3 - Adjustment - more routine, settled, regains sense of humour, feels less isolated, accepts culture
Stage 4 - Enthusiasm - Acceptance: The individual now feels 'at home', enjoys and appreciates both new and old culture

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Krista – Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:28:36 -0000

I've found that also reverse culture shock can occur. Especially if you're away from home for a long while and then try to come back to your home country and your old habits. It takes some getting used to both ways which is interesting to keep in mind.

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