Academic Achievements And Social Adjustments Among International Students

In the article, “Colleges Adapt to New Kinds of Students from Abroad,” Karin Fischer (2011) explains the increase of foreign students in U.S. universities leads to make more problems in campus and how universities are trying to overcome those problems and help foreign students to adapt to campus. Fischer explains the increase of the foreign undergraduate students due to the support from foreign governments. Fischer quotes Wesley Young, the director of services for international students and scholars at the University of California at Davis, to discuss that the increase of foreign undergraduate students especially requires more care and help than graduate students. While older students know what they need to do and what to do in U.S. university,

A sudden change in one’s surroundings can result in culture shock. Culture shock refers to the anxiety and surprise a person feels when he or she is discontented with an unfamiliar setting. The majority of practices or customs are different from what a person is used to. One may experience withdrawal, homesickness, or a desire for old friends. For example, when a person goes to live in a different place with unfamiliar surroundings, they may experience culture shock. Sometimes it is the result of losing their identity. In the article “The Phases of Culture Shock”, Pamela J. Brink and Judith Saunders describe four phases of culture shock. They are: Honeymoon Phase, Disenchantment Phase, Beginning Resolution Phase, and Effective

Making friends on U.S. campuses could be challenging for those who are an international students. It’s not easy to make friends with American students because they tend to be independent and keep distance from others. In Rebekah Nathan’s book “My Freshman Year”, Nathan claims that social life and developing friendships on U.S. campuses is difficult for international students because American students would make them feel uncomfortable and invisible at times. Nathan’s argues that American students don’t put any effort in talking to students from different race, ethnic, and background. International students are usually on their own or be with their friends since Americans wouldn’t make friends with them. In nathan’s book, she discusses about the

Pederson (7) explains that there are stages of culture shock, which he identifies as the honeymoon, negotiation, adjustment, and adaptation. In the honeymoon phase, a person is likely to get excited about being in a new place, meeting new people, tasting new foods, and acquiring new habits. However, as time passes by, they get into a phase of negotiation, where the differences between the culture one is used to and the one they find themselves in start to become apparent. Feelings of anxiety, anger, and frustrations start to take shape as unfavorable events perceived as strange come in the way of the person 's life, especially if a person does not feel accepted in the new culture (Mukherjee 273). Loneliness may set in, and the urge to go back to the familiar culture strongly comes into play. However, as time goes by, adjustment sets in, usually within six to twelve months, and one gets accustomed to the culture and also comes up with a routine. By this phase, one knows what is expected of them, and life once again becomes ‘normal.’

College level requires students to be prepared at all cost to face various challenges and learn how to overcome them before it affects their future. College also instructs students to a higher level of responsibility and management at their work place, at their house, and everywhere they might be in contact with people. As an International Students, I have had ups and downs throughout my journey in High School, and college, and I have learned so much from my mistakes. My first

Desiring to have a better life in future inclines people to focus on their academic career. Schools, exams, busy schedules and a pile of work are quintessential this goal. Therefore, students who want to achieve a better future prefer undergoing hard work instead of engaging in social activities. However, social sides of college do not only occupy a big role, but also has plenty of benefits. Social life in college becoming increasingly essential in today’s world triggered an acceptable consideration: Social parts of college should be considered as equal as the academic parts because of psychological, social reasons and its benefits in terms of future.

Adults usually have a harder time adjusting to the new culture. Many times, they simply do not want to have anything to do with a new culture because they already have an identity with the culture of their past home.

International students attending U.S. colleges and universities bring valuable cultural and educational diversity as well as economic contributions to American campuses and their communities (Andrade, 2006). Internationalization on college campuses encourages cultural awareness which can provide beneficial skills for students as they enter the workplace in our globally interconnected society. As international student recruiting increases, research suggests that universities must become more aware of the adjustment and acclimation challenges international students face and provide appropriate services to keep them enrolled. This qualitative study of international students in a North Eastern Tennessee university, will attempt to explore best institutional efforts to boost student retention, confirming that additional recruitment resources alone does not guarantee international student retention.

People need to get used to their landscape and weather. While living in an new are, they need to get used to a new climate or land they live in. When I was in Florida, it was hot, but when in Texas when we left, it was cold and windy.

Living with a different culture to our roots can lead to changes in our lives. Migrating to

The difficulty of moving to a new culture is that a lot of people would feel fear because they are so use to their own culture, so now they leave what they are used to a new way and it will be hard for them to adapt. Some may like the new food and the pace of life, then later on in the month’s people may feel like the new life and culture is unpleasant life for instance: public hygiene, the language barriers, traffic safety, and food accessibility. Still the most part in relocating to a different culture is the communication because they might not understand the language or might say the wrong word thinking it means the same in the other countries. People adjusting to a new culture often feel lonely and homesick because they are not yet

Rebekah Nathan’s central significant point writes to us that international students saw individualism and independence in various places such as dorm rooms, students’ home and social life around the campuses. She related that in America, “there's much more independence here”. At home, students live with their parents. Here families aren't tangled together and they call their parents, perhaps once a week” and the “international students generally saw family as more naturally integrated into their social life when you're not near your family”. Additionally, She inscribes “”Oh, I like you so much”, they say. But then if I’m in trouble, it’s “Oh, I’m so sorry for you”, “So sorry for you”, doesn’t help” She inscribes about how in America, the U.S.

In Nathan’s article, she keeps her principal focus on how foreign students interact with American students and the distinctive type of relationships that they build. It is quite strange to some of the foreign student’s that Nathan has interviewed about how non-committed American students are to the foreign students because American 's students do not socialize as much, and tends to spend more time alone. Furthermore, they will make small talk rather than being close friends or let it evolve into more. At that point, Nathan turns her center towards the difference between a relationship and a friendship between American and foreign students. She also discusses with different foreign students with different background and how they interact with their American roommates, and the relationship that they bond. In addition, American student’s family is a distinct subject from school but for international students, it is something naturally integrated into their social lives, which is why they care so much about their parents (Nathan 73). Furthermore, she discusses how many foreign students make comments about how different students look and the lack of attention that they give their professor compared to in their home country. Nevertheless, the social life and making companions in American can be quite troublesome for any foreign students. However, once you become acquainted with American students and get to be

This results in few friends and international students tending to isolate themselves or keeping to a group of the same language. Depression comes into effect for those that cannot find peers of the same language. Therefore being forced to have very or no friend which leads to loneliness and depression. The barrier between international students and English speaking students create obstacles that impede the building of interpersonal relationships with fellow students. International students not fluent with the English language experience difficulties that students who are fluent do not. They difficulties include needing extra time to read assigned reading, difficulties understanding class lectures and discussions, and difficulties communicating concerns and view points (Tam. K, Donghyuck. L, & Huang. L, 2007) International students tend to disconnect from their previous social life and find new connections to develop new social Support networks in their new host country (Tam. K, Donghyuck. L, & Huang. L, 2007). Pedersen (1991), point out that a loss of social support as an impact on the psychological well-being of an international student. The unpleasant experience of forming new support networks in host country leads to feeling of disappointment and discontent. Overtime, these feeling lead to social isolation (Mallinckrodt and Leong 1992).

International students face many different challenges when studying abroad. This is due to many factors. First, they are living in a country very far away from their own. The country they are studying at has a very different way of life than theirs. Further more, the laws in that country are much different than the laws in their own country. Due to that they face a lot of problems trying to adapt to this new culture. Me personally as an international student in the US studying at ASU, have faced three particularly difficult challenges that I was able to overcome through time. In this essay I will explain how international students can overcome tough challenges and situations.