Negative Study Abroad

There are both positive and negative effects to studying abroad. A study conducted on student sojourners found fitting in socially, academic success, and language skills are the top three primary concerns (Ryan and Twibell, 2000). Otherwise they are known as stressors. Stress is the body’s normal response to events that appear threatening or overwhelming to your senses. It can manifest itself through various symptoms, which can affect a person’s health negatively. Considering the theory of acculturation, stress that students experience can turn into eustress (i.e. “good” stress). Though the students have found themselves in an unfamiliar environment, the first reaction would be intimidation but the second reaction is the one that counts. Student
sojourners, after living amongst a new society for a while, will naturally encourage themselves to adapt and become content with their surroundings. The positive and negative effects still need to be taken into consideration as they ultimately determine how long it will take a student sojourner to adapt and become comfortable with a new culture.
Negative Effects. The negative effects of culture shock emerge from the idea that student sojourners not only have to adapt to a new academic setting, but also function properly in a new cultural setting. Students who choose to study abroad often find themselves exaggerating seemingly harmless situations. This is due to the loss of familiar aspects they found in their own cultures and it can lead to a malfunctioning psychological state. International students often come across difficulties such as coping with climate change, diet, language, and even at extreme degrees, racial discrimination (Hamboyan, and Bryan, 1995). Bochner states, “Culturally unskilled persons are less likely to achieve their professional and personal goals” (2003). All these situations are capable of causing psychological distress in a student and can lead to problems with adjusting to the new culture, which can at times cause the student to cease their academic activities in the host country and return back home. A study by Columbia University revealed that 75% of students were concerned over depression; making mental health one of the primary concerns that is more often prevalent in students’ health rather than nonstudents. Symptoms found with international students include feelings of isolation, nostalgia, and disorientation. Sometimes students even feel they are not being helped sufficiently enough to cope with their new lifestyle and find the differences difficult to tolerate and/or accept. There are also cases of ethnocentrism that affect the adaptation process. Ethnocentrism is defined as the belief that one’s own ethnicity or culture is superior to others or when evaluating a new culture; one only looks at it from their own point of view (Hamboyan and Bryan, 1995). This can result in intolerance and lacking adequate presentation of academic skills, which then affects the educational outcomes the student sojourner experiences. This sort of psychological distress can cause a lack of ability to solve problems, make proper decisions, and even decrease motivation to engage in learning activities.
Positive Effects.
In contrast to stressful situations, a study performed by Carlson and Widaman (1988) revealed that studying abroad could be a positive contributor to a student’s international awareness. It also contributes to the development of positive attitudes towards understanding the affairs of international cultures. When entering a new culture, the most important aspect students must have is optimism because it emphasizes on their self-confidence. Optimism and self-confidence work together to help a student be more open to learning and developing new skills that they can use once they leave school. In other words, studying abroad can aid students in the long run and the experiences they come across stay with them for a long period of time. An interesting aspect of culture shock is that it has a reciprocal effect meaning both the student and the host teacher can learn from each other. At times it will take a longer period of adjustment for a student to provide adequate work to a host teacher however it allows the teacher to communicate to the student in a way which supports them and therefore creating the reciprocal effect. Though stress is a negative symptom that leads to psychological distress, it can never be completely avoided and is encouraged in further accelerating a student’s adaption process. Dealing with stress within culture shock gives the student more of an open-mind towards new experiences as they realize it is can be overcome. Psychological adaption and content can also influence the success student sojourners achieve in their host
country.