Reflect on the Culture Shock video and your own experiences and expectations of culture shock
Culture shock is an experience that a person moves to a new cultural environment which is different from his or her own. He or she might feel uncomfortable and unfamiliar in the new environment. I googled online and found out that culture shock can be described as consisting at least one of four distinct phases: honeymoon, frustration, adjustment and mastery.
The culture shock video touched me a lot. It talked about different aspects from international students such as academic difference, problems they have, how international students receive support and friends. All those problems are common for most of international students studying in US and struggling in their first semester.
I had some same problems as they mentioned in the video. For academics, University of Richmond is restrict. Attendance and participation are required and important which I didn't understand why at the beginning. Maybe I was shy to say in class since I was not used to express my opinions in class in China. We just listened to teacher and took notes, that's all. But in US, asking questions and expressing your opinions are important that is beneficial for professors to think from your aspect. So I changed gradually but the progress was hard. The most impressive shock I feel is that everyone is independent in US. They have friends, but they are independent persons. In China, I feel like I always stay with my friends almost everyday. We have classes together, have lunch together and study together. A few people are in a group and we stayed the whole day together until we went home. However, Americans they do have friends but they won't stick together all the time. Also, making friends is not very hard but having friends who truly understand you is hard. Since we have different cultures, I don't understand your culture and you don't understand my culture, it is even difficult to make jokes.
So cultural shock really exists and bring problems to international students. I agree with the suggestions someone mentioned in the video to be open-minded. Don't limit the ways of thinking and don't always insist your opinion is the best. Try to be open-minded and try different new things. Participating in more activities and making more friends. If feeling helpless, talking to your friend, your advisor and your favorite professor.
Comments