By Tere Joyce Randolph and Melanie Rubio
The United States hosts over 1 million international students as reported by Open Doors. Assistant US Secretary of State Lee Satterfield said: “Students from around the world have chosen the United States as the top destination for international study. International education is a vehicle that promotes peace and cross-cultural connections and provides the tools necessary to address the shared challenges of our time.”
However, some international students struggle with making cross-cultural connections and might need extra help in acquiring the necessary tools to do so. In fact, many international students experience loneliness, depression, and anxiety.
Moving away from home for the first time may cause stress for any student, but international students struggle with more specific issues such as cultural and social integration. And according to NAFSA, 83% of reports of health affecting an international student’s academic performance were about mental health.
Fresno State International Student and Scholar Advising Coordinator Jasmine Cao said that physically and geographically International students are an ocean away from their home. “It is a huge jump that you could ever imagine,” said Cao.
Cao explained that culture wise maybe you do something back in your home country that you think is completely normal but here in the US, it is considered differently. “When I was an international student, I was so excited, so happy, and so confused,” said Cao.
She said that she had a wonderful first month or two until the novelty wore off. “When I started my studies, and started to miss home, that is when I cracked,” said Cao.
Culture Shock
In October of 2023, the Office of International Services at University of Southern California published an article titled “Navigating Culture Shock: A guide for International Students in the U.S.”
The article explains much of what Cao described. International students go through a “crisis or disintegration phase,” where the novelty fades, and students may feel overwhelmed, anxious and confused.
Renae Keumsook Chung, describes culture shock as being one of the leading issues of international students adjusting to life in another country, in her Stanford University thesis, “The effects of worldview, acculturation process, acculturative stress, and social support amongst first-year international graduate students at Stanford.”
“Psychological symptoms of culture shock manifested by foreign students ranged from mild to extreme depression, loneliness, anxiety, frustration, and hostility…” quoted Chung.
The University of Edinburgh, Scotland’s solution to helping international students with culture shock is by providing information about it on their website. AOE explains that culture shock is the emotionally, and psychologically challenging part of the experience of leaving one’s culture behind to move to a different culture. They further describe culture shock as going hand in hand with the process of cultural learning.
Peer Mentors
One way to help with the process of cultural learning is through peer mentors. Fresno State is one of the many universities that has a peer mentor program for international students.
Cao said that Fresno State peer mentors are their leaders who have similar experiences that connect to new students. She said the peer mentors are introduced through an initial webinar and orientation.
“You get thrown into the country and you don’t know where to start,” said Fresno State peer mentor Lili Boch, who is originally from Germany.
Boch said that as a peer mentor, she is the person to go to if anything comes up at home or anything personal, or if a student just needs someone to talk to.
She said that the International Student Office at Fresno State is very well prepared regarding international student issues. They know the common issues that international students are facing.
“I don’t think there has ever been a time where I felt completely alone,” said Boch.
Liberty University describes peer mentoring as a relationship between students who are at the same career stage or age, in which one person has more experience than the other in a particular domain. This allows for support to be provided as well as knowledge and skills transfer.
Boston University has an International Mentor Peer Program that students can apply for on their website. According to their website, the IMP program assists new international undergraduate students in making a successful academic and personal transition to Boston University, and helps them acquire cultural knowledge, make new friendships, and understand the campus resources available to them.
Student Health and Counseling Center
Cao expressed that the International Students Office has partnered with the Student Health and Counseling Center for years, and they always invite them to their initial webinar and student orientation.
“Students are aware of their presence, and we do have students go seek help from them when they have issues,” said Cao.
However, for some international students therapy is not culturally accepted.
“It’s kind of a common thing here to go to therapy, but in Japan it’s not common,” said Noa Watanabe, a senior majoring in Intermedia Art. “In Japan, if I told someone that I was going to therapy they would ask why?”
Fresno State Student Health and Counseling Center Counselor Myrna Pacheco said that they had a therapist that had been providing counseling and group therapy for international students, but they stopped doing sessions due to lack of attendance.
Pacheco suggested that perhaps they should do a survey to see if international students would be interested in counseling. Why or why not?
“I think that would be great, because they certainly struggle,” said Pacheco.
Isha Devi, a Freshman majoring in business administration, voiced concerns about social issues here at Fresno State. She admitted that she didn’t have many friends and that she felt lonely at times.
“Nobody likes to converse,” said Devi.
She also mentioned that she would definitely be willing to try group therapy and other social activities provided by the counseling center.
If group therapy isn’t the best way to overcome culture shock, then maybe giving international students a sense of belonging will.
According to Ravichandran Ammigan in the Journal of International Students, “Scholars examining different aspects of international students’ adjustment have long recognized the challenges and the need to create a sense of belonging and its significance in improving the academic, social, and cultural experience of all students.”
Some universities such as the University of Edinburgh have acknowledged this and have even established a task group dedicated to making sure that students feel at home. They take feedback from students and figure out how to make students from all backgrounds feel welcomed.
Other schools such as Montclair University have whole offices designated for student belonging. The office provides programs, events, and services for international students to succeed away from home. Their goal is to “foster a strong connection to the university.”
FSU holds several fun social mixers throughout the school year, such as their big doubleheader fun International Night, where students have the opportunity to win a free pair of airpods.
Many international students are fortunate to have so many universities that understand culture shock. They understand that first time international students need a sense of belonging, and a sense of community.
Culture shock may be difficult for international students , but the opportunity for cultural learning is their reward.
Hopefully, those that read this article will someday meet an international student, and they will take the time to bring them a sense of Fresno belonging.
Flourishing Fresno 