Cultural Adjustment For International Students at USA.

Introduction

Coming to the United States for study is a big step in anyone's life. International students have pictures of U.S. society before they arrive, but they will probably find some surprises too. The daily life may be quite different from the student's home country. Cultural confusion can lead to homesickness, social boundaries, and the wish to return home.

In the United States, people get used to dealing with strangers. People do not know each other as well as they do in other countries, and this can lead to misunderstandings. Moreover, people come from many different backgrounds and may be genuinely surprised when different behavior causes a problem. Usually, there are good reasons for what makes sense to another person. If you understand these reasons and reach out to others with explanations, recognizing that there may be an honest misunderstanding.

Understanding Cultural Differences

What is culture? A basic definition might be: culture is the way of life of a group of people. This "way of life" is defined by their beliefs, values, actions, and thoughts and can include language, religion, actions and many others. It is something passed down from one generation to the next. While the USA is one country, it is also made up of many other countries. People brought their own cultural behaviors and beliefs to the USA, where many of those cultural variations still exist. So, people must be sensitive to the many different practices that may exist.

Challenges Faced by International Students

Upon arriving in the United States or any other foreign country, many international students experience difficulty in adjusting to the new environment. First, just the feeling of being in transit from one place to another is often difficult to handle. The feelings of leaving the familiar, comfortable, and loving behind and moving to an unknown and strange place with a totally different culture put many international students in stress. Second, adjusting to the new culture takes time, and the process of adaptation is stressful. The nonverbal behavior that results from the culture is as confusing as verbal language itself. The interpretations of body language, such as facial expressions, leaning forward, nodding the head up and down, slapping someone on the back, winking, gesturing when speaking, shaking hands, crossing arms, yawning, kissing in public, and hugging, vary greatly across cultures. When the meanings of these behaviors are not shared equally by other people, it creates an uncomfortable and puzzling situation among individuals.

Although unpleasant feelings of culture shock may vary greatly among individuals. The intensity of culture shock and the length of time it takes to overcome it also differ from person to person and are related to many variables, such as past experiences, personality, material success in the host culture, the ability to establish contacts. Symptoms related to emotional feelings may also include depression, anger, loneliness, depressed mood, and prolonged homesickness. The unfamiliar accent, difficulties in speaking the language, misunderstanding of jokes are a few examples of challenges that might be faced by an international student. Moreover, these communication problems can make the individual feel bad because he or she cannot express themselves successfully, or their language proficiency may not enable them to understand the ideas as easily as they can in their first language.

How to adapt?

After arriving, the most important thing an international student does is to start learning the "survival skills." Academic abilities are, of course, crucial for a successful student. It is essential to understand the language, the subject, and the methodology. But to achieve well in formal education, students have to take care of themselves first, they need to understand the system, to find things around, to cope with loneliness and homesickness, and to learn other "survival skills," such as transportation, banking, housing, shopping, and communicating. At different stages of culture shock, people have different feelings. Even when international students gradually adapt to a new culture different from their own, they sometimes still feel frustrated and uncomfortable. It is important to understand the issue further because international students' lives and studies are significantly influenced by their cultural experiences.

Strategies for Successful Cultural Adjustment

The following are some strategies that international students have found helpful in their adjustment to U.S. culture. It may not apply to you but the ideas expressed here have been successful for many students. Plan to seek out opportunities for friendship and social interaction. Friends are great for better well being. It’s of course hard to find a good friend waiting you on your arrival. But being involved in a group or with some friends will help a lot.

Volunteer for something! Being involved can help you get over the initial adjustment phase more rapidly and can also enhance your resume for the future. Many people are eager to help, but you have to make the first effort to show you are interested. Talk with other graduate students, particularly those from your native country, they know who it feels and shall give you a brief of cultural differences they faced, and a list of restaurants which prepare your homeland meals. Take good care of yourself like exercise, eat well, get enough sleep, and manage stress.

Conclusion

Though cultural adjustment may be viewed as a painful process, especially in its more negative aspects, it is essential for international students to come to the United States and experience these ups and downs. Cultural adjustment does not happen suddenly, like a change of clothes. Instead, it is a gradual process typical of a permanent change one makes in life, from the initial encounter to the acceptance and appreciation of a different culture. Recognition of the differences between the host and home cultures is helpful. International Student should search and read more about the country they are traveling to and its culture. Faculty, staff, and American students should also know how to deal with foreigner students and accept their differences