Studying in a new country is never easy. You will face many different challenges. One of the most common challenges you will meet when going abroad is culture shock. Culture shock is defined as “the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes.” In other words, the feeling of discomfort being at a place you’ve never been before and around people you’ve never met. No matter if you are moving from the US to Europe, from Northern Europe to Asia, or from South America to Australia, you’ll be exposed to new ideas that might collide with your habits and way of life. Culture shock may develop over time, sometimes over months, and there are four different stages of culture shock you might find yourself trapped in.
"A nation's culture resides in the hearts
and in the soul of its people" - Ghandi
The Honeymoon stage - This stage is often overwhelmingly positive, and all you can think about is how amazing this new place is! You love the people, you love the food, and you feel like this is the best decision ever made. You simply want to stay here forever! Speaking from experience, this stage of culture shock doesn't always last a very long time. You are so overwhelmed by all the new impressions, that you forget that you’re actually trying to establish a normal everyday life. The Honeymoon stage is usually the stage you are in when you go on a vacation because the real effects of the culture shock don’t have time to kick in. On longer trips, for example, backpacking trips, this stage will often pass before you have finished your trip.
"One's destination is never a place,
but a new way of seeing things" - Henry Miller
The Frustration Stage - This stage is the most difficult stage to handle, and probably the most recognizable one for anyone that has studied abroad. When you are trapped in this stage, you are confused about the way of life around you. This can include gestures, signs, language, or any miscommunication that might happen on a daily basis. This can make you unhappy at the moment, and small things can trigger frustration. It’s normal to find yourself in this stage when spending a good amount of time in a new country such as a summer program lasting 2-4 weeks. Often you’ll feel a bit of homesickness and a longing after a life that is comfortable and familiar.
"I realized adventures are the best way to learn"
The Adjustment stage - This is the stage when you start to adapt to your surroundings. You are getting more and more comfortable with the new culture, the people, goods, and language. Your life becomes easier again because you know how to navigate, make friends, and you have established a support system around you.
The Acceptance stage - Reaching this stage of culture shock doesn’t mean that you have a new culture all figured out or are an expert on your new location, but it means that you have come to terms and are accepting this way of life and that you feel comfortable in the new surroundings. You’re done fighting the unknown, often after weeks, months, or even years of being in the stages mentioned above. It is when your sense of understanding for the host culture kicks in and you feel like you function without making an extra effort. At this stage, you are able to find the resources you need to make life easier for you, and actually implement them into your life.
Now that you know a little bit about what culture shock is, let us look at different ways to reduce, if not avoid, the amount of time you spend in the first stages.
The first thing you can do is research before you leave. Learn as much as you can about the new culture by reading the local news, watching videos, reading articles, talking to locals online, finding blogs or podcasts. Do whatever it takes for you to get a certain understanding of what is going on in that country. This will prepare you for your new life and keep you updated at the same time. An important step of adapting is actually understanding why things are the way they are. You might want to go the extra mile and buy a book about the history of the destination!
Create a list of things that you think will be a challenge for you and put down solutions on how to make it work. You can get creative with this one! Think about all the different obstacles that you might meet at your destination, and make a mind map. This will give you an overview and make you feel like you’re in charge of the situation, which is true! Write down solutions to these obstacles, how to solve the problems, and all the different ways you can handle them being on your own. You will see that a lot of the things you thought would be a problem are actually very easy to fix and that there is absolutely no reason to worry.
Create a success network right away (Teachers, fellow students, coworkers, roommates, friends) and write down all of their information in case you need help or someone to talk to. Being surrounded by people you trust is a big part of feeling integrated into a new community. Know that even though you might have moved to a new country all by yourself, you’re never alone. If you are on an SBCC Study Abroad program, you will have a schedule, housing, classmates, and staff to turn to. There will always be people around you that care about you, and you will always have someone to talk to if a personal emergency occurs. It is your job to find those people, and to create relationships that might last a lifetime!
Have a sense of humor! When you make mistakes at your new destination, like missing the bus because you didn’t understand the schedule, or not being able to answer a local that’s asking you a question, do it with a sense of humor. Understand that everyone makes mistakes and that you are definitely not alone in that situation you are in right now. Rather than getting upset and emotional about it, laugh it off and think that you’re now more educated the next time you’re in this situation. The key is not to be so harsh on yourself, allow yourself to learn and grow into your new way of life little by little.
The most important tip: Don’t back out! When you find yourself in what seems like the worst stage of culture shock and you just want to book a ticket home, don’t. It might feel like the end of the world at that particular moment, maybe you feel alone or don’t like your studies or your home, but trust me, it will get better. I moved to Santa Barbara from Norway a year ago, and I spent six months finding an apartment that I liked, and a year finding out what I wanted to study. It does take time, and it won’t always come easily, but if you don’t give it a second or third shot, you might miss out on a really great opportunity. On a short program or semester program abroad, you will usually have resources, online or in-person talking to classmates, program directors, or Service provider staff. There might also be a 24-hour helpline established or other online resources available. Lastly, there are many videos on youtube either to remind you of home or to provide some great tips on how to get over culture shock. Everything will fall into place eventually, stick around and make it happen!
If you find yourself on a study abroad program and feel lonely, anxious, confused, or depressed, make sure you talk to someone. If you do have a mental health condition, make sure you get in touch with your health care practitioner. Don't let negative feelings, anxiety, or feelings of depression linger. It is important that you seek help if you feel that the new circumstances are too hard, or not manageable.
To prepare for an upcoming study abroad trip, use any of these online resources!
Do you want to study abroad with SBCC and grow as a person, but you're not sure where you want to go just yet? Take our fun quiz here, and see which destination matches your personality!