Adjusting to a new life

After many months of tedious preparation, you are finally ready to leave home and sojourn to the US to engage in study. We are glad that you have chosen Emory University as the site for such an important part of your life.

As you pack the last suitcase and wonder about your new home, we want you to consider the process of adjusting to a new culture that is often described as "culture shock."

Culture shock refers to a feeling of disorientation or confusion that often occurs when a person leaves a familiar place and moves to an unfamiliar one. Coming to Atlanta from another country entails encountering a multitude of new and unfamiliar things that may make you feel confused and uncertain.

Please know that this is all part of the adjustment process and is perfectly normal. Research in the area of cultural adjustment abounds. While often described in steps or stages, the process is cyclical in nature, not linear. Gregory Trivonovitch has identified four stages of adjustment.

The "Honeymoon" stage is characterized by exhilaration, anticipation and excitement at the newness of everything. In the students' enthusiasm during this stage they are eager to please and often smile and nod to indicate understanding when in fact they have not understood. When the misunderstandings begin to mount, the student moves into the second stage described as the "Hostility stage."

The hostility stage is characterized by frustration, anger, fear, anxiety and sometimes depression. The weariness of university bureaucracy and speaking and listening in English everyday begins to take its toll. The hostility stage is painful and difficult, but the stage does not last.

As students begin to learn how to resolve the various situations that make for daily challenges they move into the third stage, the "Humor" stage. The humor stage begins when the student starts to feel comfortable and relaxed in the new environment.

One can now smile and laugh at one's mistakes and misunderstandings. In doing so, students are able to obtain needed information and feel a sense of accomplishment at managing the complexities of US daily life.

The final "Home" stage occurs when international students feel at home in US culture while retaining allegiance to their home culture. The student, at this stage, has successfully adjusted to the norms of the new environment and has acquired the ability to live successfully in both cultures.