So, you’ve finally started your new life as an international student studying at university. After the stress of applying and waiting to hear if you’ve been successful, you can finally get started and focus on doing well on your course. But there are other factors to being a new international student that you may not have considered when starting this new phase of your life.
What is culture shock?
Culture shock is the feeling of confusion and stress that is felt when you experience a new and uncertain culture, food, customs and language. Every international student experiences this, even those from quite similar cultures. Universities can also help by making international students feel included.
If you have chosen to live and study in a big city, you may find there are many different types of people. Learning to live in such a culturally different world may be challenging. However, it’s important to keep an open mind and heart.
Dealing with homesickness
Being away from your family and friends is probably the hardest thing about being an international student. Learning how to deal with homesickness is a crucial skill. You’ll be living in such an unfamiliar environment that you will need the support and comforting words of the people you love and who know you. It’s not the same as seeing them face to face, but video calling and messaging your friends and family back home is essential to help you feel more connected and less lonely.
Make sure to socialise
University can be the place where you make friendships that last your whole life. As an international student, it’s good to make the most of every opportunity to socialise and meet people. You need a new tribe of people to belong to. Joining a university club or society can help you do this.
Sometimes it will feel easier to socialise with people from the same country as you. Although this will feel more familiar and help you feel less homesick, it may be a little limiting. Being an international student abroad is the perfect time to discover nationality mixes at university and learn about people, cultures, customs and traditions. You may miss out if you just stick to those you already know.
Prepare for academic life
If you’re an undergraduate international student, you’ll find academic study is very different to the kind of studying you’ve done so far.
Academic study in places such as the UK, the US, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand and Australia focuses more on critical thinking skills and not just listening and reading and repeating what you have read and heard.
Instead, you’ll need to learn how to critically evaluate the resources and information you use and how to present your finding both in writing and in presentations. This may be quite difficult to adapt to, especially if you come from a culture where questioning authority and your elders isn’t acceptable.
There is also a huge emphasis on original work; copying or reproducing something you have read (plagiarism) is not allowed and is taken very seriously by universities. It may result in a person being given a penalty and a lower class of degree or in very serious cases, failing the degree course. Learning how to paraphrase and use citation is vital, make sure you use all the academic support services available to you to help you in this area.
If you consider this advice, you’ll find the first three months of your new life as an international student a lot easier. It’s a challenging time but also an exciting part of your new student life. Good luck!
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