Top Ways to Reduce Homesickness While Abroad
Now that the four phases of cultural awareness have been examined, it’s important to provide 6 important strategies to deal with culture shock that will enable you to navigate culture shock . Moving to a new country is exciting and provides many rewards, but culture shock can still drag you down into low feelings of missing home. In the mastery stage individuals are able to participate fully and comfortably in the host culture. Mastery does not mean total conversion; people often keep many traits from their earlier culture, such as accents and languages.
Be prepared to hear some stories of frustration, and keep in mind that your student may be just looking for an understanding ear rather than asking you to solve the problem. This is an offer for educational opportunities that may lead to employment and not an offer for nor a guarantee of employment. Students should consult with a representative from Lovefort success stories the school they select to learn more about career opportunities in that field. Program outcomes vary according to each institution’s specific program curriculum.
- Culture shock is simply the deepest trough of the “U-curve” and rarely lasts more than a few weeks.
- As a result, students can withdraw from social activities and experience minor health problems such as trouble sleeping.
- In the case of students studying abroad, some develop additional symptoms of loneliness that ultimately affect their lifestyles as a whole.
Since we didn’t have billing information, we had to rely on a host based in the UK to deal with all these matters. The local property manager didn’t respond to our phone calls or texts. Despite the beautiful photos I shared on Facebook and Instagram, we also had to deal with a lot of problems. I still shower in the evening, arrange my wet hair into braids, and wear my softest t-shirts and shorts to bed.
The Honeymoon Stage
Things look great from a distance that might not be as wonderful if you were there. Your friends are likely looking at your social media too and marveling at your great adventure.
Coping with the Changes
It’s important to find a person you can http://www.121webcams.com/blog/brazil-ladies-dating-10-tips-on-how-to-date-brazilian-women/ trust who can help you talk through your thoughts. Culture shock is a normal part of study abroad, and it shows that your daughter or son is experiencing the differences between American culture and that of the host country. Once in the U.S. participants face an adjustment period referred to as “culture shock.” Moving to the U.S.can be a very stressful experience.
The Frustration Stage
Some students might experience homesickness within the first few days or weeks of being abroad, while others might not be hit by homesickness until later on, or closer to the holidays. Holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, family events or even family illness or death can all cause you to feel homesick, or make you wish you were at home. Also, many students report increased feelings of homesickness during the winter months when darkness, rainy weather and the cold can lead to feelings of depression. Even though https://premios.pladur.com/pushing-forward-countering-anti-feminist-backlash-in-ethiopia-africa-renewal/ it may be challenging to think about your life back home, it’s crucial not to neglect your relationships with your family and friends.
Take photos of your new home and show them to your family back home. Explain why you love these photos and what they mean to you.
You might be facing a language barrier, feel like you are not on the same academic level as other students, or be lonely without your home friends around you each day. Studying abroad can be a life-changing experience filled with adventure and growth, but it can also come with its challenges. One of the most common struggles faced by students who pursue study abroad courses is homesickness, missing friends and family back home, and feeling disconnected from familiar surroundings.
Don’t worry though – culture shock, as it is known, is natural. Adjusting to your new environment will take time – and maybe some expert guidance. Follow these tips on how to overcome culture shock when studying abroad. One of the most helpful ways to battle homesickness is to focus on the things you love about your expat home. Make a list of things you want to experience and set aside time to actually go do them. Is this your first time living in a big city with lots of museums and cultural events? If you love having easier access to traveling places on your bucket list, start planning a trip.
During Ash’s time on campus, she made sure to do things that helped alleviate her homesickness, like reaching out to her extended family in the D.C. Area and keeping in contact with her close family back in Alabama. Although staying connected with her extended family helped her feel less alone on campus, she still longed for the personal connection and familiarity she had with her parents and siblings back home. There is no one definitive college experience.
Even small things like washing my face or washing dishes were put off. Instead, we canceled our plans and I spent the day messaging back and forth with our remote host in the UK. And looking for new Airbnb’s in case the power didn’t get turned on. However, we didn’t arrive in SE Asia until the end of October 2019. So we basically reached that 3-month mark on a bit of a delay because we spent so much of our summer visiting friends and family.
John, who is currently studying abroad in London, is familiar with leaving the country for extended periods of time. Having already studied in Amsterdam and heading to Japan in just two weeks, her passion for travel is evident, but the lingering feelings of homesickness never seem to fully go away. Even after being in Amsterdam for about four months, John went through bouts of depression for two weeks after she arrived in London. Frustration may be the most difficult stage of culture shock and is probably familiar to anyone who has lived abroad or who travels frequently. At this stage, the fatigue of not understanding gestures, signs and the language sets in and miscommunications may be happening frequently. Small things — losing keys, missing the bus or not being able easily order food in a restaurant — may trigger frustration. And while frustration comes and goes, it’s a natural reaction for people spending extended time in new countries.