Culture Shock: What It Is & How to Deal With It While Studying Abroad
Studying abroad is an exciting, eye-opening, and life-changing experience. But that doesn’t mean every day will be an adventure.
Moving to a new nation means you're adjusting to much more than just a new school. You can be in a different language, eating new foods, foreign social interactions, different classroom norms, and even everyday routines that seem different compared to what you're used to.
All these differences can be a bit overwhelming, but it's a normal part of living abroad, often referred to as culture shock.
Understanding culture shock before you go abroad can make navigating the highs and lows of studying abroad much easier. So here's a guide on what to expect and what to do when culture shock hits as a study abroad student.
What Is Culture Shock?
Culture shock is the term for the emotional and psychological adjustment that might occur when you are in a foreign culture for some time.
Consider all the things you do without thinking much about how: ordering lunch, riding public transportation, saying hello to a person, participating in class, buying groceries, processing a joke, etc. When you're abroad, even basic conversations will demand more attention, and adjusting to that new reality is an understandable challenge.
The U.S. Department of State says culture shock can include feeling homesick, frustrated, irritable, tired, or just feeling out of place. The intensity may vary depending on factors such as past international experience, expectations, flexibility, the duration of time overseas, and differences between home and host cultures.
It's also worth saying that none of this necessarily means you don't like your host country or that you made a mistake studying abroad. It's just that you're processing new, unfamiliar information.
Common Phases of Culture Shock
Culture shock is sometimes described as a roller coaster of emotions. It doesn’t occur at the same time for everyone. You may go through one stage and then another, you may go back to a stage, or you may hardly go through some stages at all.
The process of cultural adjustment can be described differently by different groups, but the following steps are most typical.
Arrival & Honeymoon Phase
You've made it! Everything is new at the start of a study abroad program, and students are usually full of excitement and curiosity. You might want to walk around every area, eat every kind of food, and learn the language. Even the most ordinary things can be interesting simply because they are different.
IES Abroad calls this time a cultural “high,” where students may find their host nation fascinating and delightful. However, some students can feel confused or anxious straight away, especially when dealing with jet lag, lodging, transport, or strange surroundings. Both reactions are normal!
The Plunge & Periods of Despair
Some of the "new" feeling will wear off eventually. Then, the small changes that at first seemed interesting can become irritating. You may become tired of trying to communicate or miss your favorite foods. Your classes may work differently than what you expected, leading to confusion. You may grow tired of misreading social signals and everyday life feeling complicated.
This is generally when homesickness starts to come around. Students may compare everything to their home life and fixate on all the things they miss. It's not unheard of for students to feel physically or emotionally drained from the ongoing adjustment.
Adjustments & Periods of Improvement
Everything becomes easier over time. After a while, you will figure out basic life things like the transport system and where to get food. You get into a routine and your language abilities may be improving faster than what you thought possible. Or you make friends that can explain things you don’t understand.
The experience may differ, but the point is you will start learning how to operate in your host culture rather than constantly comparing it to home. Things that felt stressful at first become normal—and even fun!
Adapting & Assimilating
Eventually, your host country can start to feel less like a foreign place you're visiting and more like a place you actually live. You may not understand or agree with everything about your host culture, and that’s fine.
That’s one of the best lessons of studying abroad: there are different ways of communicating, learning, working, socializing, and everyday life. You may develop preferences for certain aspects between different cultures, but none are inherently "better."
How to Deal with Culture Shock When Studying Abroad
Culture shock often cannot be avoided. However, you can help smooth the process of culture adjustment by preparing yourself for it before you leave.
Learn About Where You're Going
Researching your destination isn't only about making a list of places to see. Try your best to look into local customs, history, social etiquette, politics, food, communication methods, academic expectations, etc. All this will help you gain a better understanding of what daily life could look like for you.
A common tip is if a different language is spoken, learning even basic phrases can make daily encounters less intimidating.
Set Realistic Expectations for Yourself
On social media, it seems as if travel consists of an endless highlight reel of weekend getaways, stunning architecture, new friends, and delicious meals.
Real living abroad means laundry, homework, missing buses, confusing discussions, bad weather, and days when you want the comfort of home. Be aware of this, and don’t let a bad day or mood define your whole trip.
Stay Curious About Cultural Differences
If something is different from back home, try to replace “that’s weird” with “why might they do it this way?”
Many acts we consider typical are actually cultural norms we have internalized without realizing it. So use your investigative skills to find out why this new culture does things the way they do. Having an interest in differences can turn frustrating circumstances into intercultural learning opportunities. It may even reveal things that you find "weird" about your own culture!
Develop Relationships with Locals
There's no doubt that it is a relief to be in the company of students from your own country, especially when you're homesick.
But our advice: don't make that your whole social group! Try to get into a club, participate in university events, and even just talk to your classmates. You can also volunteer or go to the neighborhood cafes, markets, athletic events, and festivals to learn more about your new host home.
Settle into a Routine & Life
Find a favorite coffee place. Phone home at scheduled times. Cook a favorite meal at home. Walk around the neighborhood often.
These ways of familiarizing yourself with your new surroundings can be very helpful for adapting to a new home. You will run into new habits or cool things you enjoy, and you should do your best to enjoy them.
Note that. you can accept another culture without abandoning your home culture too. Part of your new life will be figuring out how to be yourself in a new setting. Do not shy away from that challenge.
Prioritize Self-Care
In any case, just make sure to take care of yourself! Restful sleep, regular meals, exercise, relaxation, and staying connected with supportive people are all important parts of life—no matter where you go.
Journaling is common way of coping with negative emotions. It's highly recommended when studying abroad since it relieves anxiety and documents how your perspective changes!
Tip for SAF students: if homesickness, anxiety, sorrow or other challenges are interfering with your everyday life, remember that you can get in touch with us!
Culture Shock as a Part of Study Abroad
What is most crucial to understand is that culture shock doesn't have a set timeline or duration. One week you can feel entirely at home, and the next you can be missing home terribly.
Slowly over time though, you will adjust. One day you’ll wake up and realize you didn't have to think about which train to catch. The joke your classmate told, you understood it. You ordered your favorite food at a restaurant you know you like. You may even become the friend who can answer when a fellow confused student asks a question about daily life. Moments like these are indicators that, somewhere along the way, a place that once felt totally foreign has grown to be a little bit more like home.
It may seem odd now, but you should know that culture shock will help you appreciate things more. You'll adjust to a new lifestyle temporarily, and you'll maybe take parts of it home afterwards too. In any case, you'll return home with a newfound confidence that you can try new things, enjoy them, and adapt to any situation.
If you have questions about exploring other cultures or would like to learn where your next adventure can take you, contact an SAF counselor today for a consultation.