‘Those First Few Months Were Horrible’ Cross-Cultural Adaptation And The J-Curve In The International Student Experience In The UK And Norway

Collins, Helen, Dailey-Strand, Caroline and Callaghan, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8918-3541 (2021) '‘Those First Few Months Were Horrible’ Cross-Cultural Adaptation And The J-Curve In The International Student Experience In The UK And Norway'. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, Vol 13, Issue 4, pp. 73-84.

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > Health Administration and Organization > WA 590 Health education, Health communication WM Psychiatry > WM 100 General works
Faculty: Department:	Education
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.32674/jcihe.v13i4.3267
Depositing User:	Stacy Murtagh
Date Deposited:	28 Sep 2021 12:03
Last Modified:	20 Jun 2023 15:06
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/19038

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