Many students in Botswana migrate from small rural villages and towns to the
larger urban centres to attend university, and are subsequently required to
adapt or acculturate to their new environments. However, the existing literature
and research on acculturation experiences of students who migrate from
rural-to-urban centres in Botswana is almost non-existent. The current study was
therefore a qualitative exploratory investigation of the experiences of the
students who migrate from rural-to-urban centres. Purposive sampling was used to
recruit participants who contributed to a Talking Circle focus group.
Researchers transcribed the interviews and used content analysis to uncover
response themes. Findings indicated that the majority of students experienced
some culture shock and a number of environmental and specific systemic stressors
in their first two years of university life. Theoretical implications for
understanding rural-to-urban acculturation and practical implications for
university counselling approaches are also discussed.
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