Cultural Shock

Almost everyone arrives excited. This initial honeymoon period, which may last anywhere from a week to a month or two, is often followed by a slowdown and homesickness. Little differences in cultures that may have been interesting and novel before may now cause irritability or stress, and that's normal.

These feelings can increase when you are in an unfamiliar setting in class or in the local area, and familiar available items or services can be difficult to find. You may find yourself thinking things like, “this isn’t the way we do it at home,” and that's commonly how people feel. Some people will want to withdraw; others may act aggressively when faced with an uncomfortable situation. This is your opportunity to learn how to sit with that discomfort and learn how to problem-solve. This is an important skill to learn and it will teach you more about yourself and how you handle situations more than any other practice.

Sometimes this can be overwhelming by yourself, and you need help. Take advantage of any services that your program or host university offers to help get through this culture shock. You also have familiar NJIT services to help you with this process.

Eventually, your host country will begin to feel more familiar; you will feel more comfortable with the second language, the education system, and your new social group. You will be able to pick up on cultural cues more easily. Your sense of comfort in situations will return, and you’ll notice that you can function now in both cultures. This is what in global education is known as "cultural competence.”

Remember that all these different stages are a normal part of the process!