Contents

Cover

Title Page

Introduction

Section 1: Preparing you before you go

Chapter 1 Preparing to go abroad

Chapter 2 Money and documents

Chapter 3 What should I pack?

Section 2: What to expect from college/university life

Chapter 4 Dealing with culture shock

Chapter 5 Making friends

Chapter 6 College/University life

Chapter 7 Staying safe and well

Chapter 8 Dealing with difficulties

Section 3: Studying in another country

Chapter 9 What is expected of you as a student?

Chapter 10 Adjusting to new ways of teaching and learning

Chapter 11 Skills for success at college/university

Chapter 12 Communicating with staff and classmates

Chapter 13 Problems with your studies

Chapter 14 Avoiding plagiarism

Chapter 15 Cultural reference

Section 4: Preparing for the end of the semester/term

Chapter 16 Preparing for exams

Chapter 17 Making the most of your time off

Chapter 18 Graduation

Chapter 19 Preparing to go home

Chapter 20 Reverse culture shock

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction
Congratulations!

You’ve been accepted onto a college/university program in an English-speaking country! This is great news. You’re probably full of excitement and at the same time possibly a little anxious. This may be your first time away from home. It’s also likely that you’re changing from studying at a high school to undergraduate or graduate study which requires new skills. You may have lots of questions:

 What will it be like?

 What do I need to know?

 How should I prepare myself?

 What should I do or say?

 How do I make the most out of my time studying abroad?

The information provided here will help you to make the move from your home country (where you live now) to the host country (where you’re going) as smooth as possible.

Who is this book for?

This book has been written to provide advice to anyone going to study (or already studying) in an English-speaking country. In this book, you’re called “international students” and the students who are from the country you’re studying in are called “home students” or “local students.” It’s likely that there are lots of other international students at the college/university. Some of these will be non-native speakers like yourself and others will be native speakers from other English-speaking countries. Some of the advice in this book helps you to make friends with other students, either other international students or home students.

Contents

If you look at the contents page, you’ll notice that the 20 chapters in this book are divided into four main sections that cover how to prepare before you leave, what to expect from college/university life, what it’s like studying in another country, and finally, how to prepare for the end of the semester/term or going home. Many people find going home as much of a change as arriving in a new country so the information in this section is important too.

Language

The language in this book has been graded so that it’s easier for learners of English to understand. If there’s a difficult word in the text, a definition of the word is provided in a box under the text. The definitions are taken from Collins COBUILD Advanced Dictionary which is a dictionary that is specifically written for learners of English. This dictionary may be useful to you while you’re studying abroad. You can access this dictionary for free at www.collinsdictionary.com/cobuild

Useful websites

The book also contains links to other useful websites to offer further help. That’s because the aim of this book is to act as your companion throughout your studies. Collins also has other resources that you might find useful. You can find these by going to www.collinselt.com.

Specific information

The authors who wrote this book are based in the US, the UK, and Australia so the book contains general information on studying abroad and specific information on studying in these three countries. Key terms used at college/university in the US, the UK, and Australia are included in this book.

Here are some examples of some of the key terms:

US | UK | Australia
college | university | university
class | lecture | lecture
diploma | graduation/degree certificate | graduation/degree certificate
dorm/dormitory | halls/halls ofresidence | studentaccommodation
faculty | staff | staff
major | course | course
professor | lecturer | lecturer
semester | term | term
vacation | holiday | holiday

Make the most of your time abroad

Between them the four authors have over 60 years’ experience working with international university students. They have watched many international students achieve success when studying abroad and they wanted to share their experiences and knowledge with you in this book so you can make the most out of the wonderful opportunity of studying abroad.

Jenny Siklós, Madison English as a Second Language School, Wisconsin, USA

Dr. Fiona Swee-Lin Price, Tamago Consulting: The intercultural education specialists, Melbourne, Australia

Els Van Geyte, University of Birmingham, UK

Anneli Williams, University of Glasgow, UK

1 Preparing to go abroad

So you’ve decided to study abroad! Studying in another country is more than just a degree: it’s an experience. You won’t just be going to classes, you’ll be adapting to a new culture, new people, and new places. Make sure your experience is as positive as possible by finding out as much as you can. The more research you do before you leave, the easier life will be when you arrive. Here are some things you can do before you go.

Do:

 Talk to other people who have studied in the same institution or town.

 Read the website of the institution where you will be studying. Some institutions have webpages with information for international students.

 Read about the town where you will live, not just the country in general.

Don’t:

 Don’t always assume what you see on TV shows or read in news reports is 100% correct. The job of TV and news reports is making a good story about a country, not necessarily informing people about everyday life there.

 Don’t assume that all the people in countries like the UK, US, and Australia are white and English-speaking. These countries have immigrants from all over the world.

Preparing for your first week

The first week in your study country will be both exciting and overwhelming. There will be many things you need to organize: finding your way to and around campus, registering for your course or classes, and making decisions about your studies and accommodation. Here are useful terms to know when you arrive.

Orientation Week

Most institutions provide information about the course and campus in the week before classes start or the first week of the semester/term. This week is called Orientation Week, Welcome Week, Freshman Week, or Freshers’ Week.

Registration Day

Registration Day (or Enrollment Day) is when students confirm what they are studying and get their ID card. This may happen on campus on a specific day or online. Find out what documents you need for Registration Day and bring them with you.

Course of study

Most majors/courses are made up of several units/classes each taught by a different professor or tutor. In the UK the term “lecturer” is also used.

Pre-requisite: A pre-requisite is a unit/class you must take before you can study something else.

Required/Compulsory: A required class is a class which every student in the major must study.

Electives/Elective units: An elective is a class which you can choose to study. Students must study all required classes and a certain number of electives of their choice.

In the US, you’ll have a combination of required classes and electives. Required classes may be part of your major, or part of general requirements for a BA, for example. Even if you’re an English major, for example, you’ll still need to take a certain number of science classes.

In the UK, the different parts of your course are usually called modules. There will be compulsory modules and possibly also optional ones, which can also be called elective modules. Sometimes these can be taken in subjects which aren’t part of your main discipline (e.g. in English language while you’re studying mathematics).

Before you enroll, find out which parts of your major are required, which have pre-requisites, and which parts you can choose.

Student support services

Most institutions have support services to help students find somewhere to live, handle problems (with health, finances, etc.), difficulty with studies, and so on. Some institutions will have services specifically for international students.

How your classes are taught

The types of classes students attend abroad may be quite different from the classes you attended at home. Most international students are used to sitting in rows and listening while their professor/lecturer speaks. In English-speaking countries, these are called “lectures.” You’ll also be attending other types of classes where both the professor/lecturer and the students speak. You should be able to find out what sort of classes your major will be running from your college or university website or from the information they have sent you.

Below is a list of common types of classes.

Lectures: In lectures, the professor/lecturer speaks and students listen quietly and take notes. Your professor/lecturer may put up a podcast and/or PowerPoint slides online for students afterward. You may sometimes be given the slides or a reading list beforehand to prepare for the lecture.

Discussion groups, Tutorials, or Seminars: These are classes for small groups of students. Students are expected to ask questions and discuss things with the professor/lecturer and other students.

Workshops: These are also classes for smaller groups. Workshops focus on practical activities, sometimes as a follow-up to a lecture.

Online classes: The professor/lecturer provides materials to read and links to websites and videos. There may also be an online “board” where students discuss things with the professor/lecturer and other students.

College/University culture

Every university and college has a different flavor. Before you leave, find out as much as you can about the institution where you’ll be studying and the town or city where it is. How does it compare to your hometown and the schools you’ve attended there? Here are some questions to think about.

 Location: Is it a big city or a small town? Inland or on the coast? Close to home or a long flight away?

 Classmates: How many students per class? Will other students be mostly locals, or from other states, or other international students from other countries?

 Activities: What activities do you enjoy? Can you buy food you like, practice your religion, play favorite sports, and do other things you like?

Where to stay

There are many kinds of places where you can stay while you’re studying. The main types of accommodation are explained below.

Campus accommodation:

Many institutions have accommodation for students on campus. This is usually a bedroom with shared bathroom and possibly a kitchen. Sometimes the bedrooms have their own bathrooms so you don’t have to share. Sometimes you may have to share the bedroom with another person. You will not be expected to share a bedroom with a person of the opposite sex but you will find men and women living in the same campus accommodation.

Sometimes a building with lots of bedrooms (for one or two students) and a shared bathroom is called a dormitory or in the UK, a hall of residence. Meals can sometimes be provided too in which case there may not be kitchen facilities. Living in campus accommodation is convenient, and can be a great place to make friends.

Private student residences:

In some cities there may be privately run dormitory accommodation for students. These residences often offer many of the services and advantages of campus-run accommodation, though they tend to be further from campus and more expensive.

Host families:

Some students arrange to stay with a local family, who provides a bedroom and meals. If you decide to do this, make sure you talk to the family about their rules and expectations. Find out whether they expect you to eat most meals with them as a family, how flexible they are about when you come home, what tasks they expect you to do around the house, and so on.

Private rental:

Many international students rent a house or apartment/flat to live in. This is usually done through a real estate or rental agency. You’ll usually be asked to complete a rental application form. This form will ask you to prove you can pay the rent and provide the contact details of people who will confirm that you’ll take care of their place (called referees). Remember that you’ll be paying for utilities (electricity, water, gas, etc.) if you rent a place. You may also need to pay for the Internet and arrange this through an Internet Service Provider (ISP). If you’re studying in the UK and want to watch television, you may also have to pay for a TV licence. In some countries, like the US, you’ll be required to pay one month’s rent as a deposit as well.

 Real estate agencies near your institution list houses and apartments for lease every week. Visit them or their website for details.

 Most towns have at least one online search engine for finding places to lease. For the US, try www.collegestudentapartments.com. In Australia, you might like to try www.realestate.com.au or www.domain.com.au.

 Your institution may have an accommodation board or website where people with student-type housing advertise. Check with them.

 Check newspapers, public noticeboards, and kiosks: some people still advertise places for rent in these places.

If you want to rent, you need to look at what sort of places are available and how much they cost. You also need to decide where you want to live. Close to campus? Close to the center of town? How long are you prepared to spend traveling to get to classes? Do you want to be able to walk to classes? Is there convenient public transportation? If you plan to drive, is parking available and free or cheap?

 How much can you afford to spend on rent? Remember that you’ll also need to pay for other things like utilities and the Internet. You may also need to pay to have these connected when you move in.

 How close to campus do you want to live? Don’t assume you’ll be able to find and afford somewhere within walking distance of your classes. Think about how much money and time you are happy to spend on travel.

 Do you want to live by yourself, or with other people?

 Living by yourself gives you privacy, but it’s more expensive and can get lonely.

 Sharing with people you know (friends, relatives) can be a good option, though remember that good friends don’t always make good roommates!

 It’s also possible to share a place with new people. You can rent a place with more than one room and look for people to stay in the other bedrooms, or apply for a spare room in a place where people are already living.

 If you decide to share, remember you’ll need to come to an arrangement with your roommate(s) about how to divide up the housework and the cost of rent and bills.

 Be careful: make sure you read all the information on your lease and know how much you have to pay at the start of the process. Many colleges/universities have a housing service or a student legal advice department which can help you with your contracts and can answer your queries. Don’t sign anything before you know exactly what it all means.

When you first arrive

 Give yourself time to rest after your flight, especially if it’s a long one. Don’t plan to do too much for the first couple of days. Make sure you know how to get to where you’re staying from the airport when you arrive. Keep your first address details with you at all times so you know how to get back to where you’re staying.

 If you plan to find somewhere to stay after you arrive, make sure you have temporary accommodation (a hotel, a friend’s place) where you can stay for at least two weeks if necessary. Finding somewhere long-term to live may take longer than you think.

Transportation

Even if you’re living on or very close to campus, you’ll probably want to travel around the town sometimes to go shopping, sightseeing, or have fun. How do you plan to travel in your new country? Here are some options to look at.

On foot: If you’ll be living on campus and close to shopping and entertainment, you may be able to walk to most places. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes, especially if your campus is large! Some institutions can arrange for a security guard to go with you if you’re nervous walking around the campus after dark, or you can call a saferide service (in many parts of the US). Be sure of safety issues around your campus before you walk around too much.

In the UK, the weather is very changeable, so take an umbrella with you even if it’s not raining.

Campus bus: Institutions which have very large campuses or more than one campus may have free buses for students and staff to get around more easily.

Bicycle: Cycling is a cheap and effective way to travel short distances. Check the laws for cyclists in your new country: Do all cyclists have to wear helmets? Is it legal to cycle on the sidewalk/pavement? In the US, it’s not illegal to cycle on the sidewalk, but it might annoy people who are walking. Bicycle lights and a bell may be a requirement; you may need to buy these separately. Make sure you buy a strong lock for your bicycle (not just a thin chain!): bicycles are often stolen on campus.

Car: If you plan to drive in your new country, bring your driver’s license with you and research the laws for drivers from other countries. The traffic regulations may also be different from what you are used to—avoid fines by reading the highway code. Make sure you can afford to drive: buying or renting a car, paying for fuel, parking, and repairs and so on can be very expensive. If you plan to drive to classes, check the cost and availability of parking on campus and near campus.

Public transportation: What public transportation is available around campus and where you plan to live? Check the fares and whether you can get a student concession or student discount. Do you need to pay beforehand, with prepaid cards or exact cash? This can differ from city to city. Check transportation timetables: international students sometimes find that buses and trains stop running earlier and run less often than they are used to. You may also find that buses are not as reliable, so allow extra time for traveling if you’re not sure.

Cab/Taxi: Cabs/Taxis are generally quite expensive in English-speaking countries. In the US, unless you’re in a big city such as New York or Chicago, you’ll have to call a cab/taxi ahead of time. You should tip in the US—15–20 percent is the norm. In Australia and New Zealand, passengers often sit in the front next to the driver instead of in the back seat. In the UK, there are two types of cabs/taxis. You can hail a black cab on the street if their amber light is on, but private hire cars (“mini-cabs”) need to be booked before the trip on the phone or in person. It’s not necessary to tip the driver but passengers often round the price up.

2 Money and documents

Don’t be careless with cash … or caught out at Customs and Immigration! Make sure you budget for what you need before you leave home, and manage your money wisely when you’re there. Make sure too that you bring all crucial paperwork. Without the documents you need, you may not be allowed to enter the country!

Important documents

Here is a basic list of documents you should bring. You may need others, depending on what you plan to do in the new country.

 your passport and visa details

 your health/travel insurance details

 prescription for any medication you take regularly

 prescription for your glasses or contact lenses

 your driver’s license, if you have one (even if you don’t plan to drive overseas, photo ID is a useful thing to have)

 documents from the institution where you’ll be studying (the offer letter, Confirmation of Enrollment, class details, etc.)

Managing your money

For many international students, their study abroad experience is the first time they have ever had to take care of their own money. Make sure you have a realistic idea of how much money you’ll need, and keep track of how much money you’re earning and spending. You don’t want to be under financial stress while you’re studying!

How much money you’ll need will depend on where you’ll be living and what sort of lifestyle you choose. Contact your institution or check their website—many institutions tell students roughly how much they should expect to spend on rent, bills, and groceries. Here is a list of things to consider:

 your income (money from your parents, money from work (if it’s legal))

 accommodation (rent, furniture, bed linen, cleaning products, electrical appliances, etc.)

 bills (telephone, gas, electricity, water, Internet service, cable TV, etc.)

 transportation (public transportation tickets, cab/taxi fares, car expenses like fuel, insurance, tax, road tolls, and maintenance if you plan to drive)

 study-related (study fees, textbooks, stationery, IT related, photocopying, etc.)

 health (insurance payments, doctor, optometrist/optician, glasses or contact lenses, physiotherapist, dentist, etc.) In the UK you may be able to go to a National Health Service (NHS) doctor or hospital for free, but medical insurance is still a good idea. In the US, health costs can be huge. Make sure you understand your insurance policy and how much you’ll have to pay at the time of the visit (co-pay), or for medicine. Don’t go to the Emergency Room for anything other than a true emergency.

 food (groceries, eating out, etc.)

 recreation (travel, concerts, movies/films, entry fees, nights out, gym fees, etc.)

 personal (clothing, cosmetics, haircuts, etc.)

Finding work

Many students help support themselves by doing part-time work. If you plan to do this, check your visa restrictions. Most student visas have rules about the number of hours you’re allowed to do paid work, and the number of hours when you’re expected to attend classes. Only some jobs are open to international students. Some will only be open to citizens or permanent residents of the country. In the US, these jobs must be campus-related jobs.

Many institutions have an employment service for students who are looking for jobs. This service is a great place to start, as the service will help you find a job that is suitable for a student. They may also help you with the process of applying for a job.

Online job search engines like www.seek.com or www.monster.com/.co.uk are also great places to look for work. With these, you enter the town where you want to work and the type of job you want. The search engine comes up with a list of jobs.

WARNING: Sometimes international students are offered illegal jobs. Employers who hire students illegally usually pay in cash. This means the government doesn’t find out how many hours you work or how much you’re being paid. As a result, your boss can ask you to work more hours than you want, pay you too little, and threaten to call Immigration if you complain. Do not accept this kind of job. In the US, you could also be deported if you’re caught working illegally.

Practical issues

For most jobs, your pay will need to go into a local bank account or a credit union account. Decide which bank you want to use and go to a bank branch to open an account. You’ll need to bring along identification. Good forms of identification include your passport, your driver’s license, your student ID card, or a bill with your local address on it. In the UK you’ll need your passport or national ID photo card, and a letter confirming your study details.

You’ll also need to register for tax. Check what you need to do in the country where you’ll be staying. In Australia, this means you’ll need to apply for a tax file number. In the UK you’ll need to pay income tax when you earn over a certain amount. You’ll also pay “national insurance” (NI) and need an NI number for this, but you only have to apply for this after you start work. In the US, you’ll need to apply for a Social Security card, which is used for tax purposes and many other banking-related issues. Never write this number down or give it to anyone over the phone or email. You’ll also have to fill out a tax return by April 15th of each year. If you don’t do this, you can get into trouble with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Talk to your college/university job center for advice on this issue.

Words you may see when looking for a job

 CV (curriculum vitae) or résumé: “CV” is the word used in the UK and Australia whereas “résumé” is usually used in the US (except in academic and many high-level positions, where you might see “CV”). This is a summary of your education and previous work experience. You can also include any awards you have won, and a description of any other activities or interests which are related to the job you’re applying for. It may also list referees (see below). Look online for examples of how to put together a CV. Prepare this before you leave your home country.

 References (Referees): You usually list two or three people who can recommend you when you apply for a job. These people are called “references” or “referees.” A reference could be a previous boss, a professor/lecturer, or someone else who knows you well. If you want to use someone as a reference, contact them, tell them about the job (or that you’re going to use them as a reference on your CV or résumé) and make sure they’re happy for you to give out their contact details.

 Cover letter (or Covering letter in the UK): This is a letter that you submit to possible employers with your CV or résumé. The letter says which job you are applying for and why you think you would be suitable for the job.

 Selection criteria: Sometimes employers will put up a numbered list of the qualities they want in the person they want to hire. These qualities are called “selection criteria” or “job specifications.” You need to show them that you meet all of their selection criteria to get the job. Sometimes they divide the criteria into “essential” (which you must have) and “desirable” (which if you have, you have a better chance of getting the job).

Job interviews

When you apply for a job in writing, employers may invite you to come to a job interview. This means that they have read your application and CV or résumé, and would like to talk to you to decide whether they will give you the job. This usually means that they think you have the skills to do the job, but want to find out what kind of person you are before they hire you.

Here are some tips if you’re invited to a job interview.

Do:

 Turn up at least ten minutes early. This shows your employer that you’re reliable and punctual, and gives you time to rest a bit and prepare yourself before the interview.

 Dress carefully. What you should wear will depend on what sort of job it is. For a professional position, such as an internship at a big firm, you should dress well (e.g. a suit and tie for men, a nice skirt or pants/trousers and a blouse for women). For a casual job, you may not need to dress up so much, but your clothes should still be clean, tidy, and free of any wrinkles or damage. If you need ideas on what to wear, ask your college careers advisor or friends who’ve had similar jobs. If you can, look at what other employees of a similar level to the job you’ve applied for are wearing. Check photos on the company website, or look at employees at work or walking into the building.

 Try to be relaxed, friendly, and confident. Remember that you’re being interviewed because the employer thought you sounded like a good employee! Show them that you’d be a good person to work with. Breathe deeply, sit up straight, look your interviewers in the eye, and speak clearly.

Don’t:

 Don’t try to be humble, or downplay your achievements. In English-speaking countries, you’re expected to “sell yourself” at a job interview. Focus on your strengths, and remember that you can always learn new skills and obtain new knowledge if they need it.

 Don’t keep referring to information that’s written on your résumé or CV, such as your grades or marks, unless the interviewers ask you about it. Your interviewers will have read your résumé, and probably have it in front of them. Even if your grades are excellent, remember they’re looking for a good worker, not just a good student!

3 What should I pack?

What will you need during your time abroad? Many international students take too much stuff! Remember you’ll have a luggage allowance on your flight. Go online to check what your luggage allowance is. The airline will charge you a lot of money if your luggage is too heavy.

Start thinking about what to pack a few weeks before you leave, especially if you haven’t lived abroad long-term before. This gives you time to buy things before you go. Check the website of the institution where you are going. It often has suggestions for what to pack.

You’ll also need to think about dividing up your luggage into carry-on luggage and what goes into the hold.

Carry-on luggage

Carry-on luggage is the luggage that you take on the plane with you. You have access to this during the flight. This can also be called “hand luggage.”

You’ll need to decide what you’re going to take as carry-on and what items you’ll put in your main luggage that goes into the hold. Remember airlines have restrictions on how much carry-on luggage you can take and what you can take, in particular regarding liquids and gels, so check the website of the airline you are flying with.

These are some of the things you should carry with you in your carry-on luggage:

 your passport

 your visa if you need one

 your credit card or bank cards

 details of your travel or health insurance

 a list of people to contact in case of emergency

 details of any significant health issues

 prescriptions for medication, contact lenses, or glasses

 documents relating to your study, such as the enrollment details for your classes, results from previous study, transcripts, etc.

 Anything of high value, such as jewelry. You don’t want to risk things being stolen while being handled by the airline.

You might also want to consider taking the following:

 Toothbrush and toothpaste. Don’t forget that you can only take a very small tube of toothpaste in carry-on luggage.

 a clean pair of underwear and change of clothes in case your luggage goes missing on your flight

Most airlines are pretty good about returning lost luggage to passengers. Often this takes place within 24–48 hours so you don’t need to take too much with you on the plane.

Clothing

Don’t pack vast amounts of clothing. Remember that the fashions and climate in your home country are likely to be different from those in your study country.

Make sure you research the climate of the place where you’ll be studying. Don’t trust what you’ve heard about the weather in that country: depending on where your campus is, the weather may be very different from season to season, and even from day to day. Go online to do research. There are lots of good websites where you can find out about local weather.

A good plan is to pack enough clothing for the first couple of months, and then one key item of clothing for the other seasons. For example, if you’re arriving in early fall/autumn, check the weather, pack clothes for that weather, and then add a warm coat, a scarf, a pair of boots, etc. for winter, and assume you’ll need to buy more after you arrive.

Don’t forget the small things like an umbrella. Also, comfortable shoes are useful, especially if you’re heading to a large campus where you may end up doing lots of walking.

Most students (and often staff as well) dress very casually at colleges/universities in English-speaking countries. Most colleges/universities don’t have a dress code, though you will be expected to wear shoes inside buildings. In some places, you may be asked to take off your hat, or remove your hood, when you go inside.

If you’re very different in size or shape from the local people where you’ll be staying, it may be hard for you to find clothes and shoes. You may need to shop online.

You may see students wearing clothing that exposes more of the body than you’re used to during summer. In English-speaking countries it’s acceptable and normal for men and women to bare their arms and calves, and they may bare more than this when it’s hot.

Food and drink

We don’t recommend bringing food, drink, or cooking equipment from home. Trying new foods is part of living in a new country. You may find that your favorite foods are available where you’re studying anyway, especially if you’re in a multicultural city or university town. If you really need foodstuffs from home, organize to buy online or ask someone to mail them to you once you’ve arrived.

Australia and New Zealand have very strict laws about importing foods, and may take them away from you at Customs when you arrive. Don’t take food in your suitcase if you’re going to Australia or New Zealand. In the UK, you’re not allowed to bring in any meat or dairy products if you’re traveling from outside the European Union (EU), and there are limits on other foods too. The US also has strict rules on meat or dairy products from anywhere outside the country.

Toiletries

Pack enough toiletries to last you for the first few weeks: small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, and/or cosmetics if you use them.

Don’t bring big bottles and tubes: buy toiletries at your destination. If you can’t get your favorite products there, see if you can order them online and have them delivered to where you’re staying.

Most airlines will only let you carry very small bottles and tubes of liquids in your carry-on luggage. Check with your airline and put anything too big in your checked luggage.

Other

If you plan to bring electrical devices, check what voltage and what sort of power sockets are used in your destination country. You’ll probably need to buy adaptor plugs. For more details check this website: www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/.

Consider bringing an electronic translator and a small bilingual dictionary (which translates from English into your language and also from your language into English). These are usually faster, cheaper, and more accurate than using your cell phone/mobile phone to access translations on the Internet.

Don’t fill your suitcase with sheets, towels, blankets, and pillows. Many residences will provide these, and if yours doesn’t, you can buy them cheaply at your destination.

Don’t bring lots of stationery such as notebooks, pens, and so on. Buy these at your destination.

4 Dealing with culture shock

Even though you may be excited about studying abroad, you shouldn’t underestimate the adjustment you’re going to have to make. Think of the biggest change you have had to make in your life so far—now multiply that by ten. Not only will everything around you change, you too will begin to change, and that can be confusing.

Culture shock

We often use the expression “culture shock” to describe the confusion people feel when they are trying to fit into a new culture. However, this expression can be a bit misleading because it suggests that culture shock is like a sudden, upsetting event. In fact, most people experience culture shock as a process—like the process they might go through when they have to adapt to any life-changing event, such as getting married, or having a baby.

Many people have researched and written about culture shock. Although every individual experiences culture shock in his or her own way, researchers have identified certain “stages” that people who live abroad commonly go through. Here, we’ll describe those stages, explain what happens when you “get stuck,” and suggest strategies that you can use to help yourself move on. But remember, this model of culture shock is not a description of what will happen to you—it’s a framework to help you understand your own experience of culture shock.

Stage 1: The “honeymoon”

When you arrive and begin exploring your new environment, you may find the experience very enjoyable at first. Everything may seem fascinating to you: what people eat, the way they move, the sound of their language. Even everyday objects might seem interesting to you because they are so different from what you’re used to: the streetlamps, for example, or the look and feel of a bus ticket. All these new impressions can be very exciting—you may even feel “over the moon” at times. This phase of exploration is therefore often called the “honeymoon” stage of culture shock.

Stage 2: The “let down”

For many people, the excitement of the early days wears off after a while. As you start trying to achieve what you set out to do in your new environment, the “high” is often replaced with a “low” of disappointment. Ways of doing things that seemed interesting at first now seem overly complicated and difficult. Maybe it’s the way officials speak to you that suddenly seems annoying or rude. Or maybe it’s the opening and closing hours of stores that seem so inconvenient. You can’t understand why everything has to be so difficult and why it takes so long to get anything done. You may feel frustrated, angry, or sad. You may start comparing everything in this new place with the way things are at home and find that nothing is as good as it ought to be.

Stage 3: The “adjustment”

Over time, and after several highs and lows, you’ll most likely begin to adjust to your new environment. You’ll learn how things work, and after a while all of those things that seemed so exciting and, later, so annoying, will simply be familiar to you. Everyday tasks such as shopping or getting around on public transportation will become easy. You begin to feel capable again. Your opinions become more balanced: you can see that your new home is neither perfect nor completely awful. You may begin to see the home you left behind in a different way too. Aspects of your culture that you once thought of as “the normal way of doing things” you may now see as simply things that are particular to your culture. Your mind will have opened up to new possibilities, and ideally you’ll realize you have many more choices about how to live your life than you thought you had.

Getting stuck

For most people, the process described is not a smooth or easy journey. There are many difficulties to overcome and it is easy to “get stuck” in one stage or another. Understanding how or why this may happen can help you find a way forward.

Getting stuck at Stage 1: “Going native”

Some people who move abroad never seem to move beyond the honeymoon phase: they seem enchanted with everything around them. They want to dress like a native, speak like a native, act like a native. Every detail of the new culture is important. As they try to transform themselves, they may cut ties with the people and things that remind them of home.

At first glance, this may not seem like a bad thing. Immersing yourself in the new culture in this way can be exciting. But there are also disadvantages. If you try to replace your “old self” with a “new self,” you may in the end not know quite who you are or where you belong. The place you came from may start to seem like a foreign country, but no matter how much you copy the people in your new country, you’re still a foreigner. Moreover, when it’s time to go home, you may not know which “self” to take with you.

People who tend to “go native” when abroad, sometimes lack confidence in themselves. They may feel that there are parts of themselves that do not “fit” their home culture. When they go abroad they start imitating everything about the foreign culture in order to belong.

If you think you may have this tendency, try to accept yourself as you are. Remember that the parts of you that do not seem to “fit” in are also valuable. You do not need to be the same as others in order to belong. Remember to keep in touch with people from home. Value all of the aspects of yourself that have developed through your life experiences, both at home and abroad.

Getting stuck at Stage 2: “The Complainer”

Stage 2: The “let down” is a common sticking place. Those who are stuck at Stage 2 complain all the time. Every new day seems to bring new bad experiences, and each bad experience seems to confirm the complainer’s most negative opinions of the host country and the people who live there. Complainers are miserable and hard to be with.

In order to understand why this happens, it’s important to remember that living abroad is very challenging, even if you’re normally an easy-going person. You’ll probably struggle to understand others and make yourself understood. You’ll sometimes misunderstand the “unspoken rules” of your host culture and make some embarrassing mistakes. You may have to rely on others more often than you’re used to. You may feel like a child again. All of these things can make you feel very vulnerable. For people who are used to being good at things, feeling vulnerable may feel like not being good enough. Feeling this way about yourself can be difficult. Without realizing it, you may “project” these unpleasant feelings onto others. For example, rather than simply accepting your own feelings of confusion, you might blame your host country for being “disorganized” and “confusing.”

To prevent this from happening to you, try to have realistic expectations of yourself. Being vulnerable is not the same as being inadequate. Take things slowly and give yourself time to learn. With each small success, give yourself a small reward—do something you particularly enjoy, for example. If you know people who are willing to talk honestly about their experiences, open up to them and share stories of your mistakes and embarrassing moments. Experiences that were humiliating at the time can seem funny when you share them with someone you trust. Eat well, exercise, and try to go to bed at a regular time. Above all, be kind to yourself. When you’re kind to yourself, it’s easier to be more generous to others.

Getting stuck at Stage 3: “The Coper”

Now that you’ve read about Stage 1 and Stage 2, you might decide that you’re better off fast forwarding to Stage 3 and be reasonable and “well-adjusted” right from the start. This option might be particularly attractive to you if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t like making a fuss. You’re probably a hard worker and good at coping with most situations. However, jumping ahead to Stage 3 is not often possible and may not even be good for you in the longer term.

Living in another country can be a profound experience, but only if you allow it to affect you deeply. If you choose to avoid the confusion and unhappiness of the earlier stages, you may be cheating yourself. These more difficult feelings often mean that you are allowing your new environment to affect you and that a profound change is taking place. It’s important to remember that these feelings are natural, and for most people, not overwhelming. However, pushing them away not only limits your experience but can affect you in other ways. You may, for example, become physically ill, or suddenly very anxious for no obvious reason.

If this sounds like you, try to stay in touch with your feelings. Make sure that there are times in your day when you’re not busy. Allow yourself to notice what’s happening to you. Consider keeping a journal. Try to open up to people that you trust and remember that you don’t always have to be strong and capable for other people to like you.

Will I be homesick?

Whatever your experience of culture shock, homesickness will probably be a part of it. When you move abroad, it’s natural to miss home at least some of the time. In fact, some research has found that 85–95% of young people who move away from home report feeling homesick. The good news is that for most people, feelings of homesickness are relatively mild. Although you’re more than likely to miss your friends and family at home, you’re unlikely to feel worse as time goes on, or to have too much difficulty managing your daily life.

However, for a small percentage of people (around 6–9%), homesickness can be quite severe and difficult to manage without help. People who are severely homesick think about home most of the time. They may become depressed or angry, and avoid spending time with people around them. They may have these feelings right from the start, and feel even worse as time goes on.

There is no way of knowing for certain why some people become more homesick than others—but there are several known risk factors. To see if you might be one of those affected, try the questionnaire below then read the explanation afterward.

Homesickness Questionnaire

Circle the option a, b, or, c that best describes your response to questions 1–9.

1. How much experience do you have of being away from home for an extended period of time? (i.e. longer than 2 weeks)

a) a lot of experience

b) some experience

c) little or no experience

2. How homesick do you expect to be?

a) very homewsick

b) somewhat homesick

c) not at all homesick

3. How easy do you think it will be for you to make friends?

a) quite easy

b) not sure

c) very difficult

4. How do you usually feel about trying out new things?

a) excited

b) curious

c) worried

5. How organized do you like your life to be?

a) very organized

b) somewhat organized

c) not very organized

6. When you have a problem, how do you normally deal with it?

a) I try to sort it out myself

b) I hope that things will get better

c) I get help

7. When you are upset, how often can you rely on family members for support?

a) always

b) it depends

c) not usually

8. How does your family feel about you studying abroad?

a) excited

b) neutral

c) worried

9. How involved have you been in making decisions about your study abroad?

a) very involved

b) somewhat involved

c) not really involved

Key

1. a = 1, b = 2, c = 3

2. a = 3, b = 1, c = 2

3. a = 1, b = 2, c = 3

4. a = 1, b = 1, c = 3

5. a = 3, b = 1, c = 2

6. a = 1, b = 3, c = 2

7. a = 1, b = 2, c = 3

8. a = 1, b = 2, c = 3

9. a = 1, b = 2, c = 3

How to interpret your score:

 If you scored 9–13 in total with no 3s, you’re probably at a low risk of being severely homesick.

 If you scored 14–18 in total and one or two 3s, you may have a moderate risk of being severely homesick.

 If you scored 19+ in total and three or more 3s, you may be at a high risk of experiencing severe homesickness.

Risk factors explained

There are many factors that could affect your chances of becoming homesick. These include factors related to your experience, your attitudes, your personality, and your family relationships. Finding out more about these risk factors can help you understand your own vulnerabilities and identify the strategies that are most likely to help you.

Experience

Not surprisingly, your experience of being away from home is an important factor. If you’ve never or rarely been away from home for long periods of time, you’re more likely to feel homesick when you move abroad. Having had bad experiences of being away from home, being in the hospital for example, can also make acute homesickness more likely.

Attitudes

Your attitudes and expectations are also important. If you expect to be very homesick, you’re more likely to be very homesick. Attitudes and expectations tend to be “self-fulfilling” because of the way they influence what you notice and the way you behave. For example, if you don’t expect to make friends, you’re less likely to make friends because you may not notice when people are being friendly toward you. When strangers speak to you, for instance, you might think they are simply giving you information rather than making conversation in order to get to know you.

Personality

People who don’t like to try out new things or dislike feeling out of control are more likely to miss the familiarity of home. The tendency to be well-organized can be an advantage when moving abroad, but if you need to be organized and in control all of the time, you may be at a real disadvantage. If you don’t like the “chaos” of new experiences, you’re more likely to yearn for the familiarity of home. The way you cope with unexpected events is also a significant factor. If you tend to respond to difficulties with helplessness, you’ll probably also want to be where you’re used to being taken care of, that is in your family home.

Family relationships

In order to feel secure and happy abroad, you need to feel you have a secure and happy home to go back to. If your family does not support your decision to go abroad or is very worried about you, you may not have the confidence to go out into the world. If there are difficulties at home that are not being talked about, you’re also much more likely to be preoccupied with home. Finally, if the decision to study abroad has been made for you—by your parents, for instance—or if you have not been fully involved in planning your studies abroad, you’re less likely to make a success of your venture. All of these factors increase the likelihood that you’ll be troubled by homesickness.

Preventing homesickness

There are steps that you can take before you leave home so that you are less likely to suffer homesickness. Taking part in all of the planning and decision making around your study abroad experience can be a major help. Involving friends and family members who are enthusiastic about your journey will also give you the support you need. If possible, try to talk openly about problems among family members or close friends so that you’re not worried about things at home when you’re abroad.

To prepare yourself for greater independence, practice doing small, unfamiliar tasks on your own. If you’ve never cooked a meal for yourself for instance, or washed your own clothes, learn how to do these things. Practice until you feel more confident of your skills. Experiencing yourself as a capable person will give you greater confidence when you’re on your own.

What to do when you feel homesick abroad

Of course there will be times when you do feel homesick. But there’s plenty you can do to help yourself. Forming at least one good trusting relationship in your new country is key. Sometimes, when people have come abroad with very high expectations, they can find it difficult to talk openly about difficulties and disappointments. If family and friends at home are very worried about you, you may feel pressure to tell them only “good news.” Being able to talk to someone about how you really feel can be a great relief.

Taking good care of both your body and mind will help: eat well, keep regular hours, exercise, and take care of your health. When you’re feeling homesick, distract yourself by getting out of your room and doing something active. It can be difficult at first to take care of yourself when what you’re really wanting is someone to take care of you. But once you get started, you’ll soon feel not only better, but more self-confident.

How often should I call home?

Staying in touch with people you’re close to at home is important. However, it should not be the focus of your life abroad. Having a regularly scheduled phone conversation or Skype session is generally preferable to calling whenever you feel homesick. This is because people generally feel more secure when they have a regular routine. Knowing that you’ll have contact with home at a set time each week, for example, can help you feel more stable. Moreover, when it’s not time to call, you’re likely to feel free to pay attention to what’s going on around you in your new home.

A final word on adjusting to a new culture

When we hear the words “a new culture,” we often think of an outward journey, an adventure in a new land. However, after reading this chapter, you may realize that the process of adjusting to a new culture is very much a journey inside of yourself. You’ll meet parts of yourself that may have been hidden or unfamiliar to you. Not only that, as you work through each stage of the process, you’ll open up new territories within yourself: new skills and ways of being. It’s the fruits of this inward journey that you’ll keep and take home with you. You’ll need them as you face your next great challenge: readjusting to the culture you left behind. That, however, is the subject of another chapter!

5 Making friends

In this chapter, we’d like to help you to understand the best ways to make friends and to get involved in student life at your college/university. Although studies are very important, it’s also important to remember that college life can be a wonderful opportunity to meet native-speaker students, as well as other international students from every corner of the globe.

Try to make friends with people who don’t speak the same first language as you. This doesn’t necessarily have to be native speakers of English. Being friends with other international students from other parts of the world who don’t speak the same first language as you will mean that you have to speak English to communicate. Although it seems very comfortable and safe to make friends with people of the same nationality as you, you will not improve your English or learn the host culture or learn about other cultures in any deep way. Remember that college/university abroad is about much more than just your degree. You’re also improving your foreign language skills, and learning about a new culture.

What kind of accommodation is best?

Try to live with native-speaker students, or at least a mix of nationalities. If you live with your own nationality, it makes it more difficult to meet native-speaker students. One of the best ways to do this, if you’re an undergraduate, is to live at the dormitory/student halls of residence. There’s always lots going on and lots of people to talk to in these places, and there’s often a sense of community.

Another great option that is often available to college- and university-level students is a homestay. In a homestay, you’ll live with a local family. At their best, homestays provide many benefits such as:

 better speaking and listening skills because of the opportunities to practice with the family;

 detailed cultural knowledge;

 a view of life “from the inside” of a culture;

 a quieter living option than the typical dormitory or shared apartment;

 people who look after you and can help you;

 a home environment;

 experience with children and the elderly, who you don’t often interact with on a college/university campus.

What if you’re just not meeting people from the host country?

If you do end up spending time with other students who speak the same first language as you, make an agreement with your friends to speak in English at all times. The key is to make yourself aware of the fact that you can’t keep going back to your first language. This way you’ll still get to practice English.

Contact with home

Don’t stay in constant contact with home! Some students try to call home every day, or at least several times a week. This is a big mistake. You’ll make it harder for yourself to adjust to your new place and life if you’re always thinking about what’s going on in your country. You’ll also lose your focus on what you’re doing: studying. You need to explain to your friends and family at home that you need to focus now. Make a plan to contact them once a week if necessary, but not more than that unless there’s a problem. Also remind them that it’s best if you’re not told about every problem and crisis at home. This can cause a lot of stress and worry for international students. It’s often difficult for the family and friends back home who have not studied abroad to understand just how stressful it can be for you to constantly hear about crises that you can’t do anything about.

Finding friends at your college/university

Whether you’re trying to make friends with local students, or just want to feel like you’re really involved in the life of your new college, there are usually many different opportunities for you to become an important part of your college or university’s social life.

The student union

On many college/university campuses, there will be a student union or common building that will have many different events happening. These are usually the social heart of the college. From rock concerts to free classes, there is usually much more going on than you could possibly have time for!

The student council

At many colleges/universities, there are opportunities for students to become involved in the political planning and activities of the college. Student councils’ members work with the college or university’s administrators. They represent the students and help with decision-making on policies at the college or university. These are usually voted-for positions, so even the process of trying to become a council member will help you meet and network with many different types of people across the campus.

Clubs/Student organizations

Depending on the size of your college or university, there should be many different clubs to join. These clubs give you a perfect opportunity to meet other students who share the same interests as you. In the UK these clubs are usually called “societies.”

The clubs are usually focused on things such as:

 sports;

 foreign languages;

 music (anything from booking bands to playing in one);

 film;

 art;

 dance;

 subject-based, academic clubs (astronomy, history);

 political groups;

 martial arts;

 religious groups;

 interests (baking, knitting, gaming, books);

 sober (people who don’t drink alcohol) social groups (a great option for people who don’t like drinking or who can’t drink due to religious beliefs or health issues).

In Australia, many campuses have an International Students’ Society which you may like to join.

Fraternities and Sororities

In the US, there’s the opportunity to join a fraternity (for men) or sorority (for women) on many campuses. These are formal, lifelong organizations that usually involve much of your social time being spent with your fraternity and sorority “brothers” and “sisters.” The process of joining a fraternity or sorority is long and involves many rituals and meetings, where both you and the house decide if you’re a good fit for each other. It’s a good option for people who want a very strong social network, but it’s not suitable for everyone.

Foreign language exchange

Many foreign students meet native-speaker students through foreign language exchanges. When you find a partner, usually through the foreign language departments of your college/university, you then meet regularly with your partner. Usually, one hour is spent speaking in your language, and the other hour in English. Many strong friendships have been formed this way, and even if you don’t become friends, it’s a great way to help other students learn more about your language and culture, while you learn from them.

Community involvement

Many colleges and universities encourage students to become a part of the wider community than the college is in. English-speaking countries have a long history of charity and charity organizations that are run for the most part by volunteers who work without pay. Students in the social sciences such as social work might enjoy working with the elderly, for example. There is usually a charity organization to fit any area of interest that you might have from helping with homelessness or working with wild animals.

Religious institutions

Pretty much every religion is represented in English-speaking countries. Going to mosque, for example, is usually possible wherever you study. Students will often meet native-speaker Muslims in that situation, for example, which can mean an easier friendship due to having similar values or beliefs. Most religious institutions in English-speaking countries, of course, are Christian. These churches will often have many different social organizations attached to them. Many churches throughout the English-speaking world have strong ties and experience with charity organizations in the community. Many also have “international friendship” groups that like to reach out to foreigners in the area. If there isn’t a group like this on your campus, there’s likely to be one in the wider community. These groups don’t usually try to change your mind about your religion, but rather offer friendship and opportunities to get to know the locals.

Making friends with internationally-minded native speakers

Native-speaker students are often a mystery to international students, especially to those students who come from cultures that are very different from English-language culture. But hopefully we can help take the mystery out of making friends with native speakers.

Students from English-speaking countries are usually very casual and can be quite friendly. Here are some basics you need to know.

Friendships in English-speaking countries can be made very quickly (especially in the US and Canada), but they may not involve the same level of closeness and obligation that many friendships in places such as Asia and the Middle East can.

Friends in English-speaking countries love to spend time together, but they also need time apart. Don’t expect to get calls and texts from your English-speaking friends all the time, and you shouldn’t call them all the time either.

The beginning of a friendship may be a little confusing and difficult. You may also find that not all native speakers want to make friends with international students. Try to find out if people you talk to are “internationally minded” that is they want to learn about other cultures. These native speakers are often interested in becoming friends with international students.

Starting a conversation

Don’t be embarrassed about your English! Try to be confident and don’t worry about asking people to repeat themselves or explain things that you don’t understand. Speaking to you is often an opportunity for English-speaking students to learn something about a new culture. But how do you start the first conversation? What you need is an “icebreaker” to help you do this.

icebreaker (noun): An icebreaker is something that someone says or does in order to make it easier for people who have never met before to talk to each other.

Other ways to “break the ice” (or start a conversation)

There are a few common ways that English speakers usually break the ice. If you’re interested in sports, you might mention something about the local sports team.

“How about those Giants?” (the New York Giants American football team)

If you’re interested in fashion, you might compliment someone on her clothes, nails, or jewelry.

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