Supporting Your Child Through Culture Shock and/or Homesickness

Almost everyone who participates in a study abroad program (or who travels abroad in any other context for that matter) is almost certain, to a greater or lesser degree, to experience culture shock at certain moments in the process.

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, defines culture shock as "a sense of confusion and uncertainty sometimes with feelings of anxiety that may affect people exposed to an alien culture or environment without adequate preparation." Most study abroad professionals would hasten to add that even with adequate preparation, experiencing culture shock intermittently throughout the period of study abroad (especially in the beginning) is a normal part of the experience. In fact, unpleasant and disorienting though the experience may be at times, culture shock actually presents students with some of the best opportunities they will have for exactly the kind of intercultural learning and personal growth that is one of the best, and most lasting, benefits of study abroad.

How can parents recognize, and best help their children deal with, the symptoms of culture shock?

Culture shock is rarely identified as such by a student who is experiencing it: he is much more likely to perceive the problem as something wrong with the country he is in, the program he is participating in. the teachers at his host institution, his program advisers, his roommates, the food, the "peculiar/disgusting/annoying" habits and ways of the local population, and so on.

Managing Expectations: During

What are some reasonable expectations for a study abroad experience?

• Experienced, responsible staff who are available to students for emergencies on a 24/7 basis.

• Safe and (relatively) clean accommodations.

• Support, assistance, and advice from on-site staff in resolving problems. (Note: This does not mean solving problems for him.)

• An academically sound program.

• That the student abroad will have "I hate Country X days," as well as "I love Country X days." This is a normal and natural part of the up-and-down cycle of adjustment to another culture.