What You Should Know About Adjusting to a New Culture

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What You Should Know About Adjusting to a New
Culture

• The Learning Resource Center
• Loyola Marymount University
• 310-338-2847

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How do you feel about living in Los Angeles and
attending Loyola Marymount University?
Happy? Fearful? Excited? Depressed?
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If you answered yes to any of these questions,
then we have good news for you.
You are perfectly normal!
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In fact, most people who live in a new culture
for very long experience these and many other
conflicting emotions.
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At first, the visitor usually feels fascinated
with the new country. However, after many days
or weeks of struggling with a new language and
different customs,
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he or she typically begins to feel a roller
coaster of emotions.
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This experiences is often referred to as
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Culture Shock
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Sounds scary, right? Well, its not as bad as it
sounds. Culture shock does not hit like a
lightening bolt. It is not fatal, and it need
not be debilitating.
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If you take the time to learn what to expect from
this process of cultural adjustment, you should
survive it just fine, as millions of people
before you have.
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One good thing about culture shock is that it is
predictable. In fact, most experts agree that it
involves a four-step process of adjustment that
tends to repeat itself in cycles.
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The steps may not always occur in the exact order
they will be presented here, and some steps may
be skipped by some people.
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Remember, everyone is different, and the way you
adjust to a new culture may not be exactly the
same way your friends adjust.
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Step One The Honeymoon Period

• During the first few days, weeks, or months, the
  visitor is usually happy to be in the new
  culture. Everything seems exciting and new, the
  people are interesting and the future looks
  bright.

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Step Two The Irritation Period

• After the first few days, weeks, or months, the
  newcomer may begin to feel like a fish out of
  water from constantly straining
• to perform well in a
• foreign environment.

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Mental and emotional fatigue often set in at this
point. The visitor starts to feel stressed and
frustrated from constantly trying to negotiate in
a language that may be quite different from what
he or she learned in textbooks.
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Situations that a student could handle easily at
home require twice the effort in the new country.

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Finding housing, registering for classes, making
friends, understanding peoples behavior and
responding appropriately can begin to feel
overwhelming.
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It is common at this point for the visitor to
sometimes feel hostile toward the people of the
new culture, who dont seem to notice the great
difficulty that the newcomer is experiencing.
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Some newcomers may begin to feel that they do not
belong, and may be inclined to withdraw from
contact with members of the new culture.
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Step Three Initial Adjustment

• With more time spent in the new culture, everyday
  activities eventually start becoming easier.

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• The student begins to understand and communicate
  better in the new language, and the customs and
  expectations of the new culture become clearer.

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• The newcomer feels more able to get the
  information he or she needs and begins to feel
  relieved as he or she succeeds at important
  tasks, such as writing papers or participating in
  class.

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• Other people may comment to the student that he
  or she seems more relaxed or happier.

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Step Four Acceptance and Integration

• The student begins to feel at home in the new
  culture. He or she starts to realize that it has
  both good and bad things to offer, like any
  culture.

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• The student learns to accept the behavior,
  customs, food and characteristics of the people
  in the new culture. He or she develops a greater
  sense of belonging.

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• At this point, the
• student has
• successfully
• adapted.

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Returning Home

• On returning home to visit or to live, many
  students experience a re-entry shock similar to
  the four-step process just described. However,
  the stages of re-adjusting to ones home culture
  are usually shorter and less intense.

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Individual Differences

• While most experts agree that all students
  experience some degree of culture shock, the
  degree to which it is felt generally depends upon
  personalities,

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• language ability, emotional support, how long
  the visitor will stay, and how different the
  cultures are.

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Symptoms of Culture Shock

• The symptoms of culture shock are numerous.
  Among them are
• negative changes in eating and sleeping habits
• irritability, sadness, frustration
• being more easily angered than usual

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• feelings of hostility toward the new culture and
  its people
• great homesickness
• withdrawal from people
• loneliness
• inability to concentrate
• depression
• loss of self-confidence
• recurrent illnesses

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How You Can CopeWith Culture Shock

• 1. If you develop symptoms of culture shock,
  remember that this is perfectly normal. Millions
  of students before you have survived culture
  shock, and you will too.

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• 2. Keep in touch with your home country. Call
  home regularly, watch international television
  channels, and keep personal photographs where you
  can see them.

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• 3. Take good care of yourself. Eat well,
  exercise regularly, and be sure you get enough
  sleep. Dont fall into the trap of trying to
  study all night to make up for difficulty
  listening in class. That will just create more
  problems for you.

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• 4. Get involved. Make an effort to get out
  of your room, meet people, develop friendships,
  go out for coffee, study in groups, and join
  clubs. Youll feel better, adjust more quickly,
  and enjoy your experience at LMU much more this
  way.

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• 5. Ask questions if you dont understand
  something. Most Americans will be happy to
• help you.

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• 6. Identify a specific American who is
  friendly and under-standing, and talk to that
  person about specific situations and your
  feelings about them. It will be helpful to you
  to understand how an American perceives the
  situations you discuss.

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• 7. Try not to label things either good or bad as
  compared to your own culture. Most cultural
  differences are just thatdifferences.

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• 8. Take advantage of the tutoring and language
  support services available to you through the
  Learning Resource Center. To make an appointment,
  call 310-338-2847.

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• 9. If you feel overwhelmed, talk to someone!
  Call other international students who are going
  through similar experiences or call family back
  home.

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• 10. Call the Office for International
• Students and Scholars at
• 310-338-2937.

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• 11.Call LMUs Student Psychological Services at
• 310-338-2868 to make an appointment with a
  therapist. If you feel you are having an
  emergency, a therapist will see you without an
  appointment.

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• Remember to be patient with yourself. Adjusting
  to a new culture takes time, and it isnt easy
  for anyone.

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• However, if you know what to expect from the
  process of cultural adjustment and do your best
  to follow the tips outlined here, you should
  adjust just fine.

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• In fact, you may find, as many students before
  you have, that living in a new culture becomes
  one of the most rewarding experiences of your
  life.

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• We at LMU are glad you will have that experience
  with us.
• Welcome!