Student Handbook - NW Services

NWS STUDENT HANDBOOKCULTURE SHOCKCulture shock is real and involves emotional and physical strain. Ithappens when you have to meet everyday needs inan unfamiliar way.Here are some symptoms: You can‟t have a normal conversation with anyone. You are sleeping too little or too much. Everything makes you nervous and you have to go tothe bathroom more than normal. You worry about cleanliness, food, drinking water and bedding. You get angry more often and at things that are not very important. You feel negative toward your host family. You cry more than usual. You feel helpless and think you need help from people from your country. You wish you were home and want to talk to your natural family all the time. You are afraid to go to new places and do new things. You have stomach aches and headaches that you usually don‟t have. You can‟t talk about your feelings to others. You don‟t want to learn more English and even speak the English you alreadyknow. You don‟t feel like yourself.CAUSES OF CULTURE SHOCK Changes in food, housing, climate, transportation and neighbors. Presence of rules and structure where you don‟t want them and lack of rulesand structure where you need them. No place for you to fit into. Not knowing what will happen next. Self doubt. Loss of identity re-enforcement.Revised December 200932