What You Should Know About Adjusting to a New Culture

What You Should Know What You Should Know About Adjusting to a New About Adjusting to a New

CultureCulture

The Learning Resource CenterThe Learning Resource Center

Loyola Marymount UniversityLoyola Marymount University

310-338-2847310-338-2847

How do you feel about living How do you feel about living in in Los Angeles and attending Los Angeles and attending Loyola Marymount Loyola Marymount University?University?

Happy? Happy? Fearful? Fearful? Excited? Excited?

Depressed?Depressed?

If you answered yes to any If you answered yes to any of these questions, then we of these questions, then we have good news for you….have good news for you….

You are perfectly You are perfectly normal! normal!

In fact, most people who In fact, most people who live live in a new culture for very in a new culture for very long experience these and long experience these and many many other conflicting emotions.other conflicting emotions.

At first, the visitor usually At first, the visitor usually feels fascinated with the new feels fascinated with the new country. However, after country. However, after many days or weeks of many days or weeks of struggling with a new struggling with a new language and different language and different customs, customs,

he or she he or she typically typically

begins to begins to feel a roller feel a roller

coaster of coaster of emotions. emotions.

This experiences is often This experiences is often referred to as…referred to as…

Sounds scary, right? Well, Sounds scary, right? Well, it’s not as bad as it sounds. it’s not as bad as it sounds. Culture shock does not hit Culture shock does not hit like a lightening bolt. It is like a lightening bolt. It is not fatal, and it need not be not fatal, and it need not be debilitating. debilitating.

If you take the time to learn If you take the time to learn what to expect from this what to expect from this process of cultural process of cultural adjustment, you should adjustment, you should survive it just fine, as survive it just fine, as millions of people before you millions of people before you have. have.

One good thing about One good thing about culture shock is that it is culture shock is that it is predictable. In fact, most predictable. In fact, most experts agree that it experts agree that it involves a four-step process involves a four-step process of adjustment that tends to of adjustment that tends to repeat itself in cycles. repeat itself in cycles.

The steps may not always The steps may not always occur in the exact order occur in the exact order they will be presented here, they will be presented here, and some steps may be and some steps may be skipped by some people. skipped by some people.

Remember, everyone is Remember, everyone is different, and the way you different, and the way you adjust to a new culture may adjust to a new culture may

not be exactly the same not be exactly the same way your friends adjust. way your friends adjust.

Step One:Step One: The Honeymoon Period The Honeymoon Period

During the first few days, During the first few days, weeks, or months, the visitor is weeks, or months, the visitor is usually happy to be in the new usually happy to be in the new culture. Everything seems culture. Everything seems exciting and new, the people exciting and new, the people are interesting and the future are interesting and the future looks bright.looks bright.

After the first few days, After the first few days, weeks, or months, the weeks, or months, the newcomer may begin to feel newcomer may begin to feel like a fish out of water from like a fish out of water from constantly straining constantly straining to perform well in a to perform well in a foreign environment. foreign environment.

Step Two: Step Two: The Irritation PeriodThe Irritation Period

Mental and emotional Mental and emotional fatigue often set in at this fatigue often set in at this point. The visitor starts to point. The visitor starts to feel stressed and frustrated feel stressed and frustrated from constantly trying to from constantly trying to negotiate in a language negotiate in a language that may be quite different that may be quite different from what he or she from what he or she learned in textbooks. learned in textbooks.

Situations that a student Situations that a student could handle easily at home could handle easily at home require twice the effort in require twice the effort in the new country. the new country.

Finding housing, registering Finding housing, registering

for classes, making friends, for classes, making friends, understanding people’s understanding people’s behavior and responding behavior and responding appropriately can begin to appropriately can begin to feel overwhelming. feel overwhelming.

It is common at this point It is common at this point for the visitor to sometimes for the visitor to sometimes feel hostile toward the feel hostile toward the people of the new culture, people of the new culture, who don’t seem to notice who don’t seem to notice the great difficulty that the the great difficulty that the newcomer is experiencing. newcomer is experiencing.

Some newcomers may Some newcomers may begin to feel that they do begin to feel that they do not belong, and may be not belong, and may be inclined to withdraw from inclined to withdraw from contact with contact with members of members of the new culture.the new culture.

Step Three: Step Three: Initial AdjustmentInitial Adjustment

With more time spent in the With more time spent in the new culture, everyday new culture, everyday activities eventually start activities eventually start becoming easier. becoming easier.

The student begins to The student begins to understand and communicate understand and communicate better in the new language, better in the new language, and the customs and and the customs and expectations of the new expectations of the new culture become clearer. culture become clearer.

The newcomer feels more The newcomer feels more able to get the information he able to get the information he or she needs and begins to or she needs and begins to feel relieved as he or she feel relieved as he or she succeeds at important tasks, succeeds at important tasks, such as writing papers or such as writing papers or participating in class. participating in class.

Other people may comment Other people may comment to the student that he or she to the student that he or she seems more relaxed or seems more relaxed or happier. happier.

Step Four: Step Four: Acceptance and IntegrationAcceptance and Integration

The student begins to feel “at The student begins to feel “at home” in the new culture. He home” in the new culture. He or she starts to realize that it or she starts to realize that it has both good and bad things has both good and bad things to offer, like any culture. to offer, like any culture.

The student learns to accept The student learns to accept the behavior, customs, food the behavior, customs, food and characteristics of the and characteristics of the people in the new culture. He people in the new culture. He or she develops a greater or she develops a greater sense of belonging. sense of belonging.

At this point, the At this point, the

student has student has

successfully successfully

adapted.adapted.

Returning HomeReturning Home

On returning home to visit or to On returning home to visit or to live, many students experience live, many students experience a “re-entry shock” similar to a “re-entry shock” similar to the four-step process just the four-step process just described. However, the described. However, the stages of re-adjusting to one’s stages of re-adjusting to one’s home culture are usually home culture are usually shorter and less intense.shorter and less intense.

Individual DifferencesIndividual Differences

While most experts agree that While most experts agree that all students experience some all students experience some degree of culture shock, the degree of culture shock, the degree to which it is felt degree to which it is felt generally depends upon generally depends upon personalities, personalities,

……language ability, emotional language ability, emotional support, how long the visitor support, how long the visitor will stay, and how different will stay, and how different the cultures are. the cultures are.

Symptoms of Culture ShockSymptoms of Culture Shock

The symptoms of culture shock The symptoms of culture shock are numerous. Among them are numerous. Among them are:are:

• negative changes in eating and negative changes in eating and sleeping habitssleeping habits

• irritability, sadness, frustrationirritability, sadness, frustration• being more easily angered than being more easily angered than

usualusual

• feelings of hostility toward the new culture and feelings of hostility toward the new culture and its peopleits people

• great homesicknessgreat homesickness• withdrawal from peoplewithdrawal from people• lonelinessloneliness• inability to concentrate inability to concentrate • depressiondepression• loss of self-confidenceloss of self-confidence• recurrent illnessesrecurrent illnesses

How You Can CopeHow You Can CopeWith Culture ShockWith Culture Shock

1.1. If you develop symptoms If you develop symptoms of culture shock, remember of culture shock, remember that this is perfectly normal. that this is perfectly normal. Millions of students before Millions of students before you have survived culture you have survived culture shock, and you will too.shock, and you will too.

2.2. Keep in touch with your Keep in touch with your home country. Call home home country. Call home regularly, watch regularly, watch international television international television channels, and keep personal channels, and keep personal photographs where you can photographs where you can see them.see them.

3.3. Take good care of Take good care of yourself. Eat well, exercise yourself. Eat well, exercise regularly, and be sure you regularly, and be sure you get enough sleep. Don’t fall get enough sleep. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to into the trap of trying to study all night to make up study all night to make up for difficulty listening in for difficulty listening in class. That will just create class. That will just create more problems for you.more problems for you.

4.4. Get involved. Make an Get involved. Make an effort to get out of your effort to get out of your room, meet people, develop room, meet people, develop friendships, go out for friendships, go out for coffee, study in groups, and coffee, study in groups, and join clubs. You’ll feel join clubs. You’ll feel better, adjust more quickly, better, adjust more quickly, and enjoy your experience and enjoy your experience at LMU much more this way.at LMU much more this way.

5.5. Ask questions if you Ask questions if you don’t understand don’t understand something. Most something. Most Americans will be happy to Americans will be happy to help you.help you.

6.6. Identify a specific Identify a specific American who is friendly and American who is friendly and under-standing, and talk to under-standing, and talk to that person about specific that person about specific situations and your feelings situations and your feelings about them. It will be about them. It will be helpful to you to understand helpful to you to understand how an American perceives how an American perceives the situations you discuss.the situations you discuss.

7.7. Try not to label things Try not to label things either good or bad as either good or bad as compared to your own compared to your own culture. Most cultural culture. Most cultural differences are just that—differences are just that—differences. differences.

8.8. Take advantage of the Take advantage of the tutoring and language support tutoring and language support services available to you services available to you through the Learning Resource through the Learning Resource Center. To make an Center. To make an appointment, call 310-338-appointment, call 310-338-2847.2847.

9.9. If you feel overwhelmed, If you feel overwhelmed, talk to someonetalk to someone!! Call other Call other international students who are international students who are going through similar going through similar experiences or call family experiences or call family back home.back home.

10.10. Call the Office for Call the Office for International International

Students and Scholars at Students and Scholars at

310-338-2937.310-338-2937.

11.11.Call LMU’s Student Call LMU’s Student Psychological Services atPsychological Services at 310-338-2868 t310-338-2868 to make an o make an appointment with a therapistappointment with a therapist.. If If you feel you are having an you feel you are having an emergency, a therapist will see emergency, a therapist will see you without an appointment.you without an appointment.

Remember to be patient with Remember to be patient with yourself. Adjusting to a new yourself. Adjusting to a new culture takes time, and it isn’t culture takes time, and it isn’t easy for anyone. easy for anyone.

However, if you know what to However, if you know what to expect from the process of expect from the process of cultural adjustment and do cultural adjustment and do your best to follow the tips your best to follow the tips outlined here, you should outlined here, you should adjust just fine. adjust just fine.

In fact, you may find, as many In fact, you may find, as many students before you have, students before you have, that living in a new culture that living in a new culture becomes one of the most becomes one of the most rewarding experiences of your rewarding experiences of your life.life.

We at LMU are glad you will We at LMU are glad you will have that experience with us.have that experience with us.

Welcome!Welcome!