The Challenges of Studying and Living Abroad: Culture Shock

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Challenges Faced By International Students: Culture Shock
Babajide Alao
July 25, 2014

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Table of Contents
Introduction 2
Culture Shock – The Trauma 2
Culture Shock – The Effect 4
Possible Solution to Culture Shock 5
Conclusions 6
References 7

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Introduction
Learning is an on-going process, that is, it is never ending. There arise a need for knowledge
of diverse culture and differences in beliefs for humans to co-exist in this global economic
village. Humans have migrated from society to society and sojourn to learn from and impact
one another’s rich cultural heritage. Hence, the evolution of students studying and living
abroad. Nevertheless, it is vital to spot out challenges of humans’ slow adaptation to change
and exposure to culture shock. It is needful for the learning institution and the host community
to be aware of these challenges and incorporate structures to help international students
integrate properly into the society as this also promotes a good public image for the institution
and the community.
The purpose of this report is to identify the challenges faced by international students living
and studying abroad and to proffer possible solutions to such challenges.
The report has three sections: Culture Shock – The Trauma, Culture Exposure – The Effect
and Possible Solutions to Culture Shock.
This report has information collected from Journal of Higher Education Policy &
Management, International Studies Perspectives, Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology,
and Higher Education Quarterly.
Culture Shock – The Trauma
According to Raymond Cohen, “as long as one lives within the confines of a single culture it is
difficult to achieve cross-cultural awareness”…“cross-cultural awareness is a state of mind in

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which one is alert to alternity, the existence of others possessing different and equally valid
world views and way of life” (2001, pp. 151-160). Achieving cross-cultural awareness would
involve living within other culture and then realizing how one’s own culture and others’
differences become suddenly obvious. Fortuijn supported this premise with the saying,
“Internationalism is an experience for students and staff but it creates language and cultural
problems that must be solved if they are to gain the benefit of diversity” (as cited in Higher
Education Quarterly, 2012, p. 25). Many international students who have migrated into Canada
get exposed to the nostalgia of a first-hand experience with the Canadian culture with the
expectations to integrate successfully into the society, and to match the similarities between
their goal perceptions and the actual reality of an intending expectation of culture shock.
Furthermore, the term culture shock was first used by Oberg; he described culture shock as
“the distress experienced by some expatriate Americans who migrate abroad” (as cited in
Pantelidou & Craig, 2006). According to Taft, “the concept of culture shock was idealized as
comprising six distinct aspects, including the strain of adapting to the new culture, a sense of
loss, confusion in role expectations and self-identity, a feeling of being rejected by members of
the new culture, and anxiety and feelings of impotence due to not being able to cope with the
new environment” (as cited in Pantelidou & Craig, 2006). However, the effect of culture shock
negates some avenues of international students’ expectations in a diverse Canadian society.
Shaikh Babar and Deschamps Jean-Pierre report that “foreign students live in a much more
difficult situation and face the dilemma of adapting into a new culture, new language, and
financial difficulties” (2006, pp. 43-51). More so, psychological challenges like isolation, fatigue,

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stress, depression, and difficulties in coping with day-to-day problems are frequent notions
associated with international students (Shaikh & Deschamps, 2006, pp. 43-51).
Transition process resulting from international students migrating from varying climates can
be very demanding. However, there are many other challenges faced by international students
in their academic sojourn.
Culture Shock – The Effect
The need to migrate from one environment to another is an old nature of mankind.
According to Ryan and Twibell, “migration has been identified as a stressful process, which can
pose a risk to the psychological and physical health of migrants” (as cited in Pantelidou & Craig,
2006). Therefore, international students suffer a varying degree of health challenges as a result
of differences in time zone, lack of social support, currency conflict, excessive academic
workload, and absence of familiar foods (Pantelidou & Craig, 2006). Initially, an international
student experience a great deal of excitement sojourning in a new environment and then gets
alarmed by the reality of the inevitable; which is change. Berry, Hamburg and Adams concluded
that, “the move to a new environment is cited as one of the most traumatic events in a
person’s life as in most sojourners some degree of culture shock is inevitable” (as cited in
Brown and Holloway, 2008, pp. 33-49). Furthermore, Hall and Oberg defined culture shock “as
anxiety that results from losing the familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse, and their
substitution by other cues that are strange” (as cited in Brown and Holloway, 2008, pp. 33-49).
Therefore, amongst these number of issues affecting the successful academic aspiration of an

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international students studying an living in Canada, culture shock seemto be a major concern,
opening possible avenues for physiological and psychological distress.
Possible Solutions to Culture Shock
Despite the many challenges encountered by international students studying and living in
Canada, there are many remedies to salvage the situation and help international students
achieve a balanced academic and social excellence in a diverse culture. The article, “Effects of
Cultural Diversity on In-Class Communication and Student Project Team Dynamics: Creating
Synergy in the Diverse Classroom,” express means by which culture shock can be well managed
and how to assist international students cope with the challenges of integrating into the
society. First, the wealth of knowledge brought together by international students provide a
huge pool of initiatives and ideologies of different perceptions to addressing and solving
important issues. Second, according to Janis, “diverse groups are less likely to fall into the
‘group-think’ trap” (as cited in Taras & Rowney, 2007, p. 75). Bringing students from across
different culture together in a team project does not simultaneously evolve into a progressive
performance. Furthermore, Davison supported this premise stating, “Although this initial cross-
cultural training may require some time, it will yield great performance improvement” (as cited
in Taras & Rowney, 2007, p. 76). Taras and Rowney concluded stating that, “skewed
representation should be avoided when assigning students into their project. This will minimize
the negative effects of inequalities” (2007, p. 76). Local students and tutors should always
consider giving international students the opportunity to voice their opinion, thereby proving
there is equality.

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Promoting social support and social integration initiatives through implementing a variety of
activities on-campus and off-campus to improve on social interaction of international students
and the local community at Lambton College and Canada generally. Sporting, social,
community, communication, work –related and welfare activities are necessary indicators to
ensure a tenable healthy social integration for international students to overcome culture
shock (Taras & Rowney, 2007, p. 75).
Conclusion and Recommendation
Living and studying abroad is not as exciting as it is being propagated especially on issues of
culture shock, loss of social support and currency conflicts. Hence, it is important for higher
institutions and local community who are accommodating international students to understand
the challenges international students experience in order to assist them in successfully
achieving a collective synergy and mutual symbiotic relationship. “After all, international
relations is above all about the interaction between communities possessing separate identities
and autonomous wills“(Cohen, 2001, pp. 151-160).
Enabling international students integrate richly into the Canadian society would open
diverse of opportunities of a first-hand experience of a different culture and also open avenues
of international students bringing helpful perceptions and insights to solving social and
economic issues.

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References
Shaikh, B., & Deschamps, J-P. (2006) Life in a university residence: Issues, concerns and
responses. Education for Health: Change in Learning & Practice, 19(1), 43-51. Retrieved
from http://web.a.ebscohost.com
Brown, L., & Holloway, I. (2008). The initial stage of the international sojourn: Excitement or
culture shock? British Journal of Guidance and Counselling. 36(1), 33-49. Retrieved from
http://web.b.ebscohost.com
Cohen, R. (2001). Pedagogy in international studies: Living and teaching across culture.
International Studies Perspectives, 2(2), 151-160. Retrieved from
Pantelidou, S & Craig, T. K. J. (2006). Culture shock and social support: A survey in Greek
migrant students. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 41, 777-781. Retrieved
from http://web.a.ebscohost.com
Philip, K., & Yvonne, M. (2012). Culture shock and higher education performance: Implications
for teaching. Higher Education Quarterly, 66(1), 25. Retrieved from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com
Taras, V., & Rowney, J. (2007). Effects of cultural diversity on in-class communication and
student project team dynamics: Creating synergy in the diverse classroom. International
Studies in Educational Administration (Commonwealth Council for Educational

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Administration & Management (CCEAM)), 35(2), 76. Retrieved from

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