Culture Shock: what is it?
Does everyone experience
culture shock?
culture shock?
Culture Shock is the experience of confusion, disorientation, homesickness or loneliness associated with being immersed in an unfamiliar culture.
Symptoms of Culture Shock may include:
Symptoms of Culture Shock may include:
- Feeling isolated
- Loneliness and temporary homesickness
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Hostility towards other cultures
- Depression
- Irritability
- Loss of Appetite
Coping with culture shock
- First and foremost, know that your reactions are normal and that you can talk about them with other people.
- Stay in touch with your family and friends back home, but do not spend all your free time sending emails to them or reading your local newspapers.
- Make friends with other people. Although it will be comforting to have some friends from your home country, try to make friends with people from other countries as well. It will enrich your expatriate experience.
- Get some physical exercise. For many people sports is a good way to stop worrying.
- Find shops and restaurants that sell food you are used to at home.
- Get out of the house and do something.
And, most of all: enjoy yourself! You have the rare privilege of living in foreign country and experiencing another culture - it will certainly be a memorable and valuable time in your life.
Things you can do
- Cultural sensitivity – Educate yourself on customs and on things you may not understand, or be familiar with.
- Reach out – communicate with friends, family etc
- Get involved – on campus events, clubs, social groups
- Be prepared – accept that it is a normal experience and identify your feelings as normal and expected
- Language Course – If you are going to a foreign speaking destination, it is advised to prepare yourselves as best you can with the language barrier
- Be positive – avoid stereotypes and be able to laugh at yourself.
- Seek help – Most universities including Swinburne will have counselling available before, during and after your exchange. Also consider Swinburne e-Counselling.
If you find it overwhelming to deal with how you feel both on exchange and when you return – reach out.
Chances are other people are feeling the same way you do; so if you are feeling down or like you need to talk, use the support network of your international friends, and others around you.
Coming Home
- Be prepared to come home, anticipate the feeling and avoid shocking yourself by not mentally preparing (and packing!)
- If you want to continue exchange – decide early. If it is at the end of semester, you may feel isolated as your friends might be leaving for the break – keep in mind that exchange is about ongoing new experiences.
- Remember: your exchange destination and friends you made overseas do not magically cease when you return home. It’s important to keep in touch and utilise them as a support network when you return home.
Tips from other students
- Enrol in language classes, or even online courses before and during exchange.
- Keep a contact list of friends you’ve made. Ask your friends to sign a journal and leave their details.
- Write a blog, it’s often good to express your feelings and then recall your progress at the end.
- Consider travelling after to ease yourself back to Australia
- Ask a returned home student on academic challenges and how to deal with issues that you might not have thought of
- Consult Swinburne Abroad to see if students are presently at your intended host university
Learning Overseas
- The Australian system of learning and the way you learn will be different at your host university. You will need to adapt not only culturally but academically also.
Research your host institution via their International Office, or get in touch with a Returned Student to find out more. Some areas of difference may include the following: - Language
- Different grading systems
- Expectations regarding academic performance (workload quantity and quality)
- Different curricular expectations.
- Differing levels of formality in
- terms of staff-student interaction
Student Academic Performance
- As international students at your host university, academics may be very accommodating to you, or they may treat you equally to their local students.
- The subject workload at Swinburne may differ significantly from what your academics expect of you.
- Clarify with your academics in your first week of classes what they expect of you in terms of workload and quality Some institutions may sound like they’re teaching the same thing, the curriculum might be quite different
- For example, “Communication” courses in the US tend to be much more theoretical than they are here, and come from quite a different intellectual background.
- Anticipate that there may be some differences.
Formality Between Staff and Students
- Australia tends to have a flat hierarchy where it’s natural to address most academics by their first name, as opposed to their formal titles (e.g. Professor Johnston, Doctor Jones).
Most host universities will go through expected formalities in their Orientation program with you. It is important to ask if you are unsure.
Remember your manners and communicate with your academics to avoid confusion.
Different grading systems
- Swinburne’s exchange program is Pass or Fail, you will get exemptions from units you completed whilst overseas (granted you do not fail any subjects) and receive a graded transcript from the host.
- Confirm this information with both Swinburne Abroad and the International Office at your host university, or returnee students from your host university.
- Before you leave, work out how your host credit’s transfer to Swinburne’s grading system.
- EG
You need at least 70% to pass a subject at Tec de Monterrey, whereas you only need at least 50% to
receive a Pass a unit at Swinburne
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