How to adjust to a new culture!!?

Moving to a new country can be a very stressful experience; and I honestly believe that after reading about burnouts, you would agree that going there to attend graduate school only compounds the process.

With the right attitude, however, attending graduate school can actually make adjusting to your new home easier. It’s just a matter of attitude, a willingness to open yourself up to new experiences, and your ability to bend to a new culture. So while the following suggestions are certainly not solutions to all the problems you may encounter, they are sure to help. And the philosophy behind them is generally applicable to most of the stresses you will experience as you adjust to life as an American graduate student.

Just remember: it’s more than possible, and it’s extremely rewarding.

Remember Who You Are. A person who was raised in the United States would likely have a very different outlook on the world, and a very different way of doing things, if he were raised in Russia or France or Namibia instead. It is widely accepted that much of who we are is determined not by intrinsic internalities but rather by the accumulated experience of having lived in a specific place at a specific time. In other words, though we are who we are no matter where we’re from, the details of how we go about our lives are very much determined by the culture in which we have always lived.

And this is one of the most difficult and complicated parts of living in a foreign country. We remain who we are, but the cultural references that we have always used to order our lives are missing. Thus there is a need to adjust to and accept the ways in which things are done in the country you migrate to study! Don’t forget your ways, of course, and don’t ever pretend to be someone or something you’re not, but by adapting your normal routines to those that are accepted in your host country, you will ease the transition tremendously.

The simplest way is to adjust to the American way of eating for example. Lunch in US is a very hasty affair. For many Europeans and Asians, this comes as a shocker as most of them are used to elaborate meals! Also, once you’ve made friends, you may want to invite them over to your residence for a traditional meal from your home country. This will not only allow you to host your new friends, but it will also serve to bridge whatever culture gap may exist.

Learn To Love The Language

Most foreign graduate students speak a textbook version of English. There’s nothing wrong with this – it’s simply how English is taught around the world. In fact, it is how most languages are taught. And while this will certainly prepare you for the more formalized type of discourse employed in graduate studies, it will not prepare you for the many variations of it that are employed in informal interactions. For example, you may have learned that the proper English-language greeting is “Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you.” In reality, however, Americans are a distinctly casual people, and you may be surprised to discover that the vast majority simply greet each other with nothing more than, “Hey, how are you?” or even, “What’s up?” This is not disrespectful, and it is not an indication that you are being brushed off. Rather, informality like this can and should be seen as a sign of acceptance.

One of the best ways to really learn the English language is through popular culture. Chances are you’ve already spent some time listening to American music or watching American movies. And now that you’re here to attend school for an extended period of time, you should take even greater advantage of this opportunity. Remember, the more you can use the language in the same ways as Americans do, the easier time you’ll have communicating and fitting in. And that will make your time here even easier and more enjoyable.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed With Your School Work

Graduate school is stressful in the best of situations. Indeed, working at this high a level in your specific field is both highly rewarding and extremely demanding. On top of all this is the fact that you’re living in a new country, and trying to adjust to a new way of life. So it is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed at times. In fact, it would be a bit odd if you didn’t feel the strain at some point-it’s one of the natural effects of transitioning to life in a new country.

Therefore, it’s important to make time for yourself. Remember, it is not possible to study all the time, nor is it advisable to lock yourself in the library 24 hours a day and do nothing but work (though this might seem funny to many, classic burnout symptoms are found in more than 1/3rd of the graduate students in US and should be avoided at all costs). You’ll burn out, and as a result, you won’t get anything accomplished. So while you’re here for school, you should still explore this country (maybe 15 hrs in a week – giving you 3-4 days of adventure in a month. Make decisions based on your personality and tastes).Also, try to make friends. Go to restaurants. Enjoy the city or town in which you’re living. Join clubs on campus or in your new community. Whatever you do, make sure you take time out for yourself. In the long term, you’ll be glad you did. And your education will not just have occurred in the classroom, but in the larger world, too. And you will be a better, more interesting person for having allowed that to happen. Plus, you’re bound to have some fun along the way.

I guess you could say this is continuation of my burnout and solutions posts, of which I have had many written in the past month! However, this article was much more optimistic in its language I hope. I must confess that 90% of the article has been directly copied and used from the original source. So, my effort has been minimal – other than probably reading it in thoroughness! However, I hope that you guys do make that minimal effort to go through it!!

Source: http://www.gradschools.com/