Moving to a new country – or even just a new city – can be confusing or unsettling. Domestic and international students alike experience culture shock and take some time to get used to living in a new place. Throughout your Husky journey, you will experience different foods, customs, social norms, and even academic expectations than you are used to. CIRCLE is here to help you navigate this transition and offer support when you need an extra boost.
Culture Shock
It’s important to remember that culture shock happens to anyone who moves to a new place – you are not alone! Typical adjustment to a new culture follows the phases below, also shown on this graph:
Honeymoon phase: Everything is fresh and exciting! You are curious about new things and are feeling good.
Culture Shock: This is when people start to feel homesick, a little confused, and maybe frustrated or misunderstood. It’s very normal to feel a little sad or even depressed. Other common symptoms of culture shock are fatigue, anxiety and stress, irritability, and self-isolation.
Recovery: You will eventually recover from your culture shock phase and start to readjust to your new home.
Adaptation: Not everyone reaches this phase, but you may find yourself adapting to – or even adopting some of – the culture of your new home. This is a truly international experience, which might also create some confusion when you return home.
You will probably experience “reverse culture shock” when you return to your home country, which can be just as challenging as arriving in a new place. It might even feel more surprising because those emotions about “home” are unexpected. This is a normal experience and, just like the other adjustment phases, will pass with time.
Cultural Adjustment Tips
This will look different for everyone, but some of the tried-and-true ways to get through culture shock and adjustment challenges are:
- Find Community: Avoiding isolation and finding social support is critical! That can look like making friends in your classes, joining a club, sports team, or church, or even just dropping by the CIRCLE office and our events where you’ll meet other international students going through the same things as you.
- Stay Open-Minded: You come on this journey because you are excited to expand your horizons and embrace new perspectives. Try to be open to new experiences and cultures, without judgment. Ask questions and keep a curious mind!
- Practice English: Even if you don’t feel completely confident, practicing everyday interactions in English is the best way for you to improve your ability and connect with others. CIRCLE offers a weekly casual conversation practice for students of all abilities on Wednesdays from 12:00-1:00 PM.
- Call Home: Your family and friends back home can provide emotional comfort and support. It can help to talk things through with them.
- Seek Support: If you feel that you are having a particularly difficult time, please reach out to us at CIRCLE. We can help you connect with many different resources here on campus that are built to help you, often at no cost. No one manages a move like this alone – there is no shame in asking for help!
Like any other culture, American culture has a lot of nuances and unique customs and many vary by region or even city. You will learn them in time! We also recommend checking out some of these helpful guides:
American Culture and Etiquette (from PennState)
“Americanisms” (from MIT)
Common Idioms in American English (from MIT)
Individual Support
Our Student Success & Wellbeing Coach, Maja Kelly, is an expert in helping students through adjusting to a new culture and making the most of their international experiences. She offers one-on-one coaching for students to explore strategies and resources to feel successful and supported. Schedule a session below or email Maja at circlecoach@uw.edu.