How to Deal with Culture Shock while Studying Abroad

Tudoran George RobertGrupa 8218

What is Culture Shock?

• When you study abroad, your daily routine, culture, and the attitudes of people around you are no longer familiar. The process of recognizing, understanding, and adapting to these changes is called culture shock.

• In our normal environment much of our behavior, like gestures, tone of voice, how we interact, rely on collectively understood cultural cues. However, we don't actively pay attention to these -- they're our unspoken norm.

• In a new country, we become more aware of these cultural subtleties because they are different from our norm.

• You may not literally be shocked, but this act of feeling disoriented and processing new ways of life, attitudes, and cultural norms is by definition culture shock.

There are four stages of culture shock:

• Initial Euphoria - After first arriving to a new place, you'll likely be caught up in all the wonderful things your new chosen home has to offer. During this stage, you are more likely to recognize cultural similarities and be charmed by the differences.

• Irritation and Hostility - You'll get mad at the apparent "disorganization" of things. You'll become overwhelmed with all the things you have to adjust to and either feel irritated or compelled to make things go "your way".

• Gradual Understanding - You're finally able to relax. You've come to terms with your new home and have achieved a balance of emotions. Instead of feeling irritated, you're understanding of differences. You'll start to have a more positive outlook, interest in learning more about your host country, and make more effort to fit in.

• Adaptation or Biculturalism - Reaching a high level of comfort in your new home is the final stage of culture shock. The order of things makes sense, you can talk to strangers with ease, and you understand cultural nuances. Your routine is more natural. Sure, you still miss your friends and family, but your new friends and activities have become part of your daily life.

Tips for Dealing with Culture Shock

• Learn as much about your host country as possible - Read through travel forums, guidebooks, news reports, or novels. Talk to people who have been there or live there.

• Ask study abroad coordinators for advice - Ask them what other students have had a hard time adapting to and what they've done to cope.

• Set learning goals for your study abroad trip - Make sure you have goals for your study abroad trip, and make sure they include learning about your host culture.

• Talk to other students about how you feel - You'll likely know other students who are studying abroad with you. Talk to them about how they feel about your host culture. Ask them about how they feel, strategies they've used to cope with cultural differences.

• Push yourself to make local friends - They're experts in their own culture and will be able to explain all the crazy little questions you have.

• Make an effort to learn the local language - Even if your program is in English, make an effort to learn a few basic phrases in the local language. It's not just a way to understand more of the culture ,but also to make friends.