Grads Abroad: Cultural Shock

For an international student, getting used to the social, personal and academic life out of your country can be challenging. Understanding the culture, manners, behaviors and attitudes as a foreign is not always easy. If you have never live outside your hometown boundaries, even getting a bus could be an adventurous task. Accustom to the grading system and catching up with the classes dynamics is a task that takes time to fulfill. Even your tratment to teachers and classmates could be different from your country. And do not even mention the measuring system in the US or England! I´m still calculating inches to centimeters, pounds to Kg. and miles to Km! But it will get better, or at least I hope so.

In order to minimize this shocking phase, the University of Chicago (like many others in the US) offer a Language Camp for their incoming international students. Along with getting to know some of your classmates, this experience become very valuable for those (like me) who are studying abroad for their fist time.

During our Language Camp, we watched a video from an israeli student at Columbia University that in a very funny way illustrates this cultural shock issue and give advice for those international students coming to the US. Check the 5 parts of it!

International Student Experience: Part I