'Those First Few Months Were Horrible': Cross-Cultural Adaptation and the J-Curve in the International Student Experience in the UK and Norway
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| Title: | 'Those First Few Months Were Horrible': Cross-Cultural Adaptation and the J-Curve in the International Student Experience in the UK and Norway |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Dailey-Strand, Caroline, Collins, Helen (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education. 2021 13(4):73-84. |
| Availability: | Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education. 3107 B Hampton Highway, Yorktown, VA 23693. e-mail: oic213@lehigh.edu; Web site: https://www.ojed.org/index.php/jcihe/index |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 12 |
| Publication Date: | 2021 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Foreign Students, Cultural Differences, Student Adjustment, College Students, Anxiety, Culture Conflict, Study Abroad, Well Being, Student Attitudes, Barriers, Coping, Social Influences, Persistence, Language Skills, Employment Qualifications |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom, Norway |
| ISSN: | 2151-0393 |
| Abstract: | Since the 1970s, international students have represented a growing proportion of the global student body, yet how they adjust and how universities can support them is relatively unexplored. We conducted a qualitative study of 36 international students of 11 nationalities studying in Norway and the UK and found that their experience did not fit the dominant 'U-Curve' of adaptation that suggests there is a honeymoon period on arrival. Confirmed with conversations with student wellbeing staff, who suggest that anxiety and culture shock are the norm, the data allows us to suggest factors that trigger adjustment and interventions to improve students' experience. Our contribution is a 'J-Curve' model comprising cultural challenge, adjustment, and mastery, to reflect the reality of the international student experience. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2022 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1326576 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Since the 1970s, international students have represented a growing proportion of the global student body, yet how they adjust and how universities can support them is relatively unexplored. We conducted a qualitative study of 36 international students of 11 nationalities studying in Norway and the UK and found that their experience did not fit the dominant 'U-Curve' of adaptation that suggests there is a honeymoon period on arrival. Confirmed with conversations with student wellbeing staff, who suggest that anxiety and culture shock are the norm, the data allows us to suggest factors that trigger adjustment and interventions to improve students' experience. Our contribution is a 'J-Curve' model comprising cultural challenge, adjustment, and mastery, to reflect the reality of the international student experience. |
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| ISSN: | 2151-0393 |
