Most students experience anxiety as the date of their first day in college approaches near them. The most obvious feeling is nervousness when they step into the university culture, especially for international students. However, there lies a part of anxiety deep inside under the excitement. On the first day, you may feel like you are walking on eggshells inside the college. You experience culture shock at that time, especially as an international student. The challenges you must encounter in adapting to culture shock will become less complex with time.
Overcome Culture Shock and Get Along with University Culture
Culture shock is when you experience uneasiness and nervous you feel in a new place due to separation from your family, friends. However, it is good for you to adjust to a new location at a certain of time in life. The most important skill you will acquire is to learn to cope with the culture shock. Therefore, we will discuss 4 tips to get along with university culture and overcome culture shock. The below 4 steps will make it even easier coping with culture shock.
Have Patience and Take Your Time to Fit into Your University Culture
Do not put yourself down if you feel nervous around a new place without familiar faces. Rather, you can get busy exploring “what’s new”. Accept the new culture, and it will take you to consider that it will be only possible for you to do so after a significant amount of time you spend in the new place.
See the Situation from a Positive Perspective
In the initial days of arriving, coping with the culture shock will be the hardest. You are going to miss familiar faces and dishes dishes served on the table to which you used to wake up. Those days will reflect in front of you when you see a new sunset from a different part of the world. However, it would be best not to worry about all this stuff. See-through all these cravings, and immerse into learning the ways which surround you. Appreciate the opportunity to study abroad and explore how life is on the other end of the world. Feel fortunate to be able to see the sunset at the other end. Take the chance to make new friends and spend a new evening.
To Get Along With the University Culture You Must Avoid Comparing Yourself with Others
Say no to comparing yourself with others. Whether they are native students or have also travelled from overseas, you will feel that you are lagging if you make this mistake. You will tend to remain more frustrated as you will be bound to think that you need to improve and maintain your pace of progress.
Open-Minded
Once you are in a different place, an open mind to look at other people is the only way to get along in the new culture. There will be several situations when your teachers or batch mates may communicate and ask questions that may differ from what you have been used to hearing. However, keep a neutral and positive reaction if you encounter a different conversation. Also, if the people around you have difficulty continuing the conversation, feel free; to give yourself some time and speak with at least 2-3 people daily, and the culture will slowly fade.
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