To make your international stay a fruitful and safe one, consider these important things…

Contact your embassy and register with them. They will help you with different kinds of emergencies. They will also help you with information about the country’s legalities, culture.

Call the person you are supposed to contact at the University, when you arrive. They will help you get familiar with the city and the new life style. They will help you with the school year and details of class registration.

You are a foreigner in that country. You are  more likely to face thefts than the local people from that area. Be alert.

Keep your important documents carefully such as the passport, university ID, Credit cards.  Spread them out and always keep photocopies of them. Never flash around large amounts of money.

If you have promised your family a call when you get there, do give them a call. It puts your family at ease to know you have arrived safely.

You are in a foreign country and therefore under its rules and laws. Get to know them and also follow them. If you do have a problem with legal situation, do not hesitate to call your embassy for help.

If you have an onward flight, reconfirm 3 days prior to your flight departure.

Look around the city.  Preferably go in a group rather than individually.  Find out the nearest police station, hospital, restaurants and other sightseeing spots.

Culture Shock

Most often, everybody who studies or lives abroad will go through some amount of culture shock. The differences range from the language to the food, from the transport system to their educational system.  Getting used to these differences might be difficult especially if they go against everything that you have been brought up with.  In the beginning you may feel homesick. Going through this kind of culture shock is very normal. Don’t give in and panic. Don’t get depressed.  Here is something that can help you…

Contact your International Student Office.  Speak to the counselor, if something is troubling you who will try and help you cope with it. Speaking to someone will enable you sort out your problems more effectively.

Avail of the services offered by the university, church or community services.

Prepare a diary and make notes of all the things that you come across as new. Also write in your reaction to them.  These entries will make you laugh when looked back upon.

Take part in some kind of physical activity. Run, Jog, Swim, play a sport or anything which will keep you active. It keeps you in shape and also allows you to meet people with similar interests. 

 A sense of humor is important. Things that are meant as a joke take with a pinch of salt.

 With every experience, you will learn something new. Challenge the bad ones and find some good out of it.

There is no clear way out of culture shock. No right treatment or Medicine. Understanding it and acknowledging it will make you get on with life faster.

Plenty of international students go abroad to study. The experiences that you are surviving are shared by all.  Only time will help you get adjusted to the new environment and your new home.

Always remain calm and courteous and friendly. You are a foreigner in some else ‘s country. Behave like that.  Always be polite. Niceties are important in the United States. American have a habit of “kidding” which is they are often joking or having some kind of fun.  Physical contact in the states is not such a big deal as it is here. A pat on the back or a hug is no big deal for them.

Cultures differ from country to country and from people to people.  Making general theories will only mislead you. Be appreciative of the customs and traditions. Make a compromise that will be acceptable to all and most importantly to you too.

Your new home and university will be an experience. Develop other interests and build some kind of a support system. Go out and interact with others - meet friends, teachers, counselors. The good life also comes with kind responsibility. While you enjoy the freedom that you have you are also responsible for keeping your apartment neat and tidy, submitting class assignments on time and securing good grades. With a little kind of personal initiative and discipline, you will get on just fine.

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