Culture Shock and Assimilation: The Process of Adjusting to a Foreign Country

Traveling can be more than just an adventure; it can be an educational experience. If you have a passion for traveling and learning, there is no better experience than studying abroad. As an undergraduate, I studied in both Cuernavaca, Mexico and London, England. It was a life changing experience that I highly recommend to all college students.

One of the primary benefits of studying abroad is the extended stay. An extended stay is the only way to immerse yourself in the local culture and truly come to appreciate it. If you decide on an extended stay, it's important to stay for at least four weeks. Living in another culture will have a huge emotional and psychological impact, and you'll need time to go through the four stage process.

Novelty

When you first arrive in a new country, you'll bring all of your cultural baggage with you. You'll look like a tourist, sound like a tourist, and act like a tourist, no matter how much you try to prepare for the experience. The local customs will seem quaint and you'll want to visit all of the famous attractions. It will be hard for you to see beyond your preconceived notion of what the country is like, and it will be hard for the locals to see beyond their preconceived notion of the country you represent. You'll be an outsider and most likely you'll be treated as one.

Culture Shock

Somewhere around the second week, the honeymoon wears off. All of those quaint customs start to become a little annoying. You might miss your favorite comfort food, your daily routine back home, or the social expectations you grew up with. Everyone goes through it. Culture shock can also make people act in unusual ways. Quiet people suddenly become loud and rowdy. Social butterflies may have the urge to withdraw. Patient well mannered people might suddenly become short tempered and rude. Understanding that it's a temporary phase will take the edge off the frustration.

Assimilation

By the third week, you'll start to grow accustomed to your new environment. You'll probably find new foods that you enjoy, you'll develop a new daily routine, and you'll adjust to local etiquette. You'll start to see the culture from a local's perspective, and the local's may begin to view you as a sympathetic visitor. You'll probably chuckle as you see the new groups arrive, wondering if you really looked that out of place just a few weeks before as you order another beverage at the local café.

Acclimation

By the fourth week, interacting in your new environment will become natural. Quite frankly, the idea of leaving so soon may start to bum you out. There's still so much more to see and do. You've made new friends that you're going to miss. The country has made a profound impact on your personality and you'll go home a slightly different person. Don't worry you can always go back for a visit.