How to adapt to a different culture as an international student?

Introduction

My name is Clément Fischer, I am a french international student living in Canada and studying international management at the University of Ottawa. When I was 15 years old, I got lucky enough to travel and live in Argentina for a whole year thanks to the Rotary Youth Exchange Program . This was my first experience living abroad, in a country that had a different language and culture. During this year, I learnt about Argentina's history, culture, folklore and language, to the point where I became fully fluent in Spanish by the end of my cultural exchange. As nice as it sounds, this experience also taught me how challenging and difficult adapting to a totally different culture can be. The reason why I moved to Canada to study international management was directly linked to my experience in Argentina, I wanted to further improve my knowledge about those challenges and how to handle them while also reliving a similar culture shock experience. 

This blog aims at addressing those challenges while also giving some tips, that I learnt along the way, to students who would like to study abroad.

The four stages of culture shock

As I mentioned it before, living abroad is not always easy and international students often experience different emotional stages along the months or years: "Honeymoon", Culture shock, Adjustment and Adaptation.

Honeymoon period or Euphoria

The honeymoon period happens to students when they first arrive in a new country. It is a state of euphoria where we get to experience everything for the first time such as new local dishes, language, landscapes, weather and meet new people. The international exchange feels like the best decision that we have ever made. It is the exact same feeling we experience while traveling as a tourist. However, it is important to remember that this stage is ephemeral and will not last forever when we decide to live in this new country as it will help us get through the culture shock phase.

Culture Shock and frustration

The culture shock stage generally happens after a few months. It is the most difficult stage when adapting to a new culture and it is the reason why studying abroad is a challenge. The culture shock usually occurs after realizing how frustrating things can be in your new country. For example, how hard it can be to talk and be understood by locals or the fact that you missed an important event back home such as Christmas, a wedding etc. In my case, I still remember how I experienced the culture shock of living in Argentina, I was FaceTiming my family back in France for Christmas Eve and everyone was there but me which made me feel homesick. 

The important thing to remember when experiencing cultural shock is to accept it as something natural and normal, bound to happen when living abroad. What helped me a lot overcome this culture shock stage was to talk to my friends in Argentina about it. Usually, as an international student, you will meet other students in the same situation, knowing that you are not alone in this situation can make a big difference in overcoming this state of mind. If you have no one to talk to, I encourage you to connect with me via my social medias or my email!

Adjustment

The adjustment stage usually happens when students start noticing improvements such as a better understanding of the culture, the language or how to deal with negative thoughts. In my case, the first adjustment that I made was to stop comparing my own culture and my habits with what I was experiencing in Argentina. I then noticed improvements with my Spanish when I managed to land my first joke!

These small adjustments to my life abroad made me feel better and helped me overcome my frustration and the feeling of being homesick.

Adaptation

The adaptation stage is the final stage of culture shock. For some international students, it can take years while for others it can be a matter of a few months. International students who managed to accept and adjust their habits to a culture which seemed new and sometimes overwhelming now feel at home in this new country. Understanding that adapting to a new culture, a new country and its language means changing your lifestyle and sometimes your beliefs instead of trying to live with the ones you have been taught since you were born is a big part of the adjustment and adaptation process. 

Just as a chameleon, adapting to a new culture means embracing it instead of trying to modify it to your liking! 

If you enjoyed reading this post or found it helpful, feel free to share it with your friends who want to study abroad!