How does moving abroad affect a student in high school?
1. What I Already Know
The outcome of moving to another country for a teenager mostly depends on the experience of integrating into a new school. The time of year a family relocates also has an impact because the beginning of a new semester is the ideal time to start. I started halfway through a semester, and while I was able to catch up on most of the work in my classes, I still received lower grades than I could have if I had been there the whole semester.
If the new school is relatively similar to the school the student is used to then it makes it easier too. Even so, I was surprised at the difference between the high schools of two countries that both speak English. In my opinion, the relocation of my family, and mine and my teenage brother’s adjustment into the American school system has been a success. It has now been 18 months we have been living here and I would say about the whole of the first year was spend acclimatizing.
I still get home sick a lot, and I think it is the same for every person who is separated from their loved ones. From what I have experienced, the homesickness comes in two waves, the first after a month or so, and the second after about 9 months. My Mum especially went through similar homesickness patterns to me. The males in my family seemed less affected.
2. What I Want to Find Out
Despite going through the experience of moving to a foreign country in my teenage years, there are still aspects of it I would like to research further. Some questions I would like answers to include:
· Do all teenagers moving abroad experience similar feelings or is there a wide difference?
· Why did I feel the way I did- withdrawn, shy and timid?
Firstly, I would like to research what a professional would say on how moving abroad affects a teenage mind, both mentally and socially- Whether it usually gives them confidence to get attention, or makes them more shy. Also, whether there are higher success rates or failure rates of relocation to another country, and integration into a foreign school system. I would most likely find this in a magazine article.
Secondly, I am aware of two students of Nigerian birth who attend Youngker, so I think it would be interesting to talk to one of them to understand an experience similar to my own, but in the same way much different to my own. I would be interested to know about the difficulties of overcoming a language barrier.
I would also like to find a book or a diary of a true story of a teenager who moved to America from a different country. It would be interesting to have 3 stories to compare- my own, a foreign student attending my school, and a character in a book.
3. The Search
Article:
Cultural Adjustment & Transitioning
Yam, Richard. "International Student Culture Change." Study in the US | US College and US Universities. Web. 05 May 2011. <http://www.internationalstudentguidetotheusa.com/articles/cultureadjust.php>.
Yam breaks down his article into titled paragraphs. International students share similar cultural shocks and their own way to adapt and fit in. Some of the survival techniques of international students are listed in this article.
Feelings of being overwhelmed are very common in international students who move to the US. There is the excitement to deal with- Making new friends, sometimes dealing with being the ‘centre of attention’ for a while. Also, the new food to eat, different fashions, and the friendliness and openness of Americans as opposed to what students are used to. There are so many ways the US is different to other countries.
Culture often refers to an individual’s values; American values differ to those of foreign birth. Often times, what is portrayed of America in movies and in the media is so unrealistic to the ‘real’ America. I agree with this statement, as I personally experienced this slight confusion too. Celebrities, fast food restaurants, and pop culture tend to paint America in a light that foreigners take to heart.
In the classroom, some differences to foreign classes include lack of uniforms, a more informal way of speaking to teachers, and students eating, sleeping, and continuing other work in class. Yam also mentions how some students are not used to receiving criticism of their work, often in front of other students.
The article gives advice and ‘survival techniques’ to international students. They advise them to:
· Talk to people when they feel overwhelmed;
· Prepare for homesickness;
· Be patient and open-minded;
· And stay active and healthy, and get involved.
I found this article both interesting and loaded with advice that seems very helpful to teenagers who are moving to the US. I can identify with all the difficulties Yam mentions and find the advice actually helps me too.
Interview
Hayden Patrick
Hayden is an 8th grader who will be attending high school in the new school year. He is my brother, so I thought it would be interesting to get a male point of view and also the story of someone who had to integrate into middle school before going to high school. Like me, he has been here for 18 months.
C: Can you tell me the hardest thing about moving to America?
H: I think definitely leaving my old friends behind
C: Do you think your opinion on the difficulties of moving is different than a female’s point of view would be?
H: Yes, I think it’s easier for a guy because they don’t get so emotional about everything.
C: Do you think having the opportunity to get settled into middle school helped a lot in getting ready for high school?
H: Yes a lot! I am nervous about high school even now, after having a year to get adjusted. But it was still a big change even going to middle school.
C: What was the easiest thing about moving here?
H: The people were really welcoming which I was worried about because in American movies, the schools look big and they always have mean people who pick on the new kid. But that didn’t happen to me
C: Would you move back if you had the choice?
H: No, at first I would have, but after the first few months I started to want to stay.
C: Did you have a choice in moving here?
H: If I had been really against moving here I could have chosen to live with my dad who still lives in England
C: How does America compare to England?
H: Everything is bigger and less serious. The shops are about 10 times as big, especially Wal-Mart! The food is more processed and there are less healthy choices in restaurants. The people are generally less polite, but more friendly and welcoming than I had expected.
C: If you could tell Americans one thing about England, what would it be?
H: I would probably just explain what the different words I used mean because I always get questions like that. But if I had a choice I would probably do my best to explain that though English culture seems fascinating, we don’t ride around on horseback and wear top hats. Just like I shouldn’t have stereotyped Americans based on movies and the media, they should make up their own minds about English culture too.
Compared to what Hayden said, I think all students who move abroad have their own experiences. Everyone is different and is going to deal with situations in different ways. Things that Hayden struggles with, another foreign student may not have found a problem with, and vice versa. Even though he has been through the same experience as me, it is interesting to see how it affects him differently.
Book
*There are no books in the Youngker High School library about culture shock. Instead, I am writing a report on an article about ‘reverse culture shock’. I became aware and interested in the aspect of reverse culture shock while researching for this paper and I think it ties in with a foreign student’s experience to move abroad. The article is on a website for a college for international students called Occidental College.
Occidental College :: Re-entry and Reverse Culture Shock." Occidental College :: Liberal Arts College in Los Angeles, California. Web. 10 May 2011. <http://www.oxy.edu/x5228.xml>.
Reverse Culture Shock
The article begins by informing international students that returning home after being in a foreign country can cause some of the same feelings as those experienced when moving abroad. A period of adjustment and transitioning is expected on the return to the student’s home country.
When students move abroad, they naturally adapt and change to their new place of residence. They accept the new way of living even without realizing it is happening. It can feel like life has moved on without you and people have changed, leaving you behind. Some stages that students returning home can go through are:
1. Disengagement- students may distance themselves from new friends and family before returning home;
2. Initial Euphoria- Idealistic views about returning home that gives way to loneliness after a few weeks;
3. Irritability and Hostility- Realization that life still went on. Friends and family may not understand the experiences the teenager went through;
4. Readjustment and Adaption- Balance is attained between two cultures, understanding that the world can be viewed a different way after the student’s experiences abroad.
The author sums up the article by explaining how it may take months or years to be able to fully articulate the effects and experiences of living abroad. It gives some advice on readjusting to life at home again.
What I learned
Through researching this topic question, I understand much more about the experience of culture shock and homesickness. I learnt that it is an experience that every foreign student has to get through. Different circumstances cause teenagers to feel slightly varied versions of culture shock. Male and females may experience difficulty in different areas, and younger students may adjust more easily.
I learnt of some ways that people deal with homesickness that I had never thought of before. There are many recommended groups to join and all my resources suggested finding people who were going through similar circumstances and socializing with them. I think the whole process is made so much easier when shared with someone who can sympathize. Moving abroad makes one see the world through completely different eyes. It helps students to accept other cultures instead of refusing a different way of living because it is not what they are used to.
