How to deal with culture shock while studying abroad?

Question

I'm going to another country for a while and I hadn't realized that I would probably end up going through culture shock. I know I'll get homesick but how can I deal with the culture shock? Anyone have any personal experience? Sypmtoms come at different stages, these include:

Sadness, loneliness, melancholy
Preoccupation with health
Aches, pains, and allergies
Insomnia, desire to sleep too much or too little
Changes in temperament, depression, feeling vulnerable, feeling powerless
Anger, irritability, resentment, unwillingness to interact with others
Identifying with the old culture or idealizing the old country
Loss of identity
Trying too hard to absorb everything in the new culture or country
Unable to solve simple problems
Lack of confidence
Feelings of inadequacy or insecurity
Developing stereotypes about the new culture
Developing obsessions such as over-cleanliness
Longing for family
Feelings of being lost, overlooked, exploited or abused

thanks for the answers... too bad it'll be night there when it's day here....

thanks for the answers... too bad it'll be night there when it's day here.... :)

Answer 1

Looks like you're aware of all that could be, now just try and think - it's no different than home maybe even less supervision. you're the adult now so go out, and have a great time!!!!!! If you need something to help you feel at home, turn on yahoo answers where all a sympathetic ear will listen. OH and get back home asap

Answer 2

So you want to late drop a class where you got caught plagiarizing. You've got balls asking the question as well as asking the professor if you could rewrite the paper. No, you can't "late drop" the class. You don't seem to grasp the severity of your behavior, not only by plagiarizing but by failing to disclose it to your adviser (and you've been home for three months).. When he does find out don't give him the excuses about being under pressure and suffering from culture shock. You need to come clean with your adviser because it's the only redeeming thing you can do at this point. The study abroad specialist is going to talk to someone or get an email about it someday. Even if you did hide it from the school and end up graduating, the school will eventually find out, and this is the type of behavior in which degrees get rescinded over. Plagiarizing and getting caught is bad enough but you take it to a whole nother level by hiding it. I guess you could always continue to bury your head in the sand, cross your fingers, and wait for the consequences of this disaster to come knocking on your door. But at some point you are going to need to learn some accountability.

Answer 3

look up at the moon and stars at night, and think, my family and friends back home are under this same moon and stars.
I'll be back with them when this experience is over. Call or mail a friend at home and arrange to be looking at the moon at the same time, or at the sky at the same time each day.

Answer 4

hell, none of the above, well if i went into another culture, its time to explore and learn. theres plenty of good food to eat and learn to make myself. some cultures offer many women to 1 guy, hmm, i would like to enjoy that for while. well other than that, look for what you can add to your life, who says you have to adapt to their culture. i take the best and toss the rest. well you can enjoy feeling bad, but for me in different cultures, its cool. its respect to have fun asking around the culture.