Challenges of university adjustment in the UK: a study of East Asian Master’s degree students

Abstract

This paper reports on the adjustment of East Asian Masters level students who came to study at a campus based university in the UK 2004-5. International students face challenges in respect to language proficiency, academic expectations and social participation. In this longitudinal study the experiences of a group of students from East Asian countries were surveyed, with a sample of eight students from five countries tracked through regular interviews. The paper describes the level of satisfaction which students experienced and the challenges they faced. It was found that students largely enjoyed their sojourn and achieved satisfactory levels of academic success. They encountered 'culture bumps' rather than culture shock. Adjustment was facilitated by adequate preparation; appropriate academic attainment; and satisfying levels of social participation with other international students. It is suggested that these students were experiencing an 'international post graduate student culture' rather than integration into local culture.

Living and learning as an international postgraduate student at a Midlands university

“…As their initial shock at the unfamiliar ways of living and working which they encountered moderated, students seemed to gain an appreciation of both City and University culture and practice. However, initial senses of culture shock (Chapdelaine and Alexitch 2004;Wu and Hammond 2011) seemed to apply as much to living in the City as to learning in the University, contesting the work of Gu et al (2010,19) that initial sense of shock largely apply to academic processes. Regardless of their initial understandings, however, participants in this study seemed very determined to be successful in their work and to overcome the difficulties they perceived when they first arrived in City and University.…”

“…Within the University their tutors appear to have played a major part in facilitating their familiarisation, echoing the work of Bourdieu, Passeron and St Martin (1994). None the less several of the students in this study referred to their experiences of adapting to living and learning in a strange culture as one of culture shock (Chapdelaine andAlexitch 2004, Wu andHammond 2011). One participant even commented that he/she had written an essay on the topic and noted the symptoms fitted her/his own experience closely.…”

“…Chen, (2007) suggests that the experience of most students is more 'bump' than trauma. Moreover, Gu et al (2010,19) found that these early unsettling experiences are predominantly related to academic, rather than social culture, and act as a catalyst in a complex process of 'transition and transformation' -the re-evaluation to which Wu and Hammond (2011) refer -in which students are proactive in the construction of 'identity, agency and resilience'. How higher education institutions interpret and respond to the social and learning needs of their international students is of some importance (Andrade and Young 2006) if appropriate academic and social support is to be provided.…”

Epistemological and Ontological Challenges of Transnational Foundation Year Medical Students

“…Students in this university cited the pace of delivery and accent of lecturers, use of colloquialisms and engaging with professional medical language as being major challenges in their linguistic journey. Existing research confirms that language challenges affect the transition of non-native speakers of English into higher education (Biggs 1998;Wu & Hammond, 2011), so students who have to understand new and often complex medical terminology in English face an added burden.…”

The Potential of a Mobile Group Blog to Support Cultural Learning Among Overseas Students

“…The nature of the challenge of adaptation has been explored for Chinese students studying overseas and various patterns documented (Wang, Heppner, Fu et al 2012;Wu and Hammond, 2011). Some argued that overseas students might maintain strong connections with own domestic networks without the feeling of loss in a new country; we should not neglect deep negative psychological effect of being isolated in the real world (Arkoudis, Watty, Baik et al 2013).…”