Interest in going abroad for studies is getting higher in Indonesia. But foreign students will find it even more problematic, because they face both the normal adjustment
problems of studying in university plus adjustment problems of adapting to a different culture.Comparisons study between Malaysian and Indonesian Master Students in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia used 80 students (Malaysian = 40, Indonesian = 40) showed that there is a significant difference in counseling needs between two groups (t = 1.954; p<0.05), but local group (Malaysian) counseling needs score was higher than Indonesian group. The well prepared mental set and social support came from Indonesian Students Organization might be potential resources that made adaptation of Indonesian students became easier. The competitive conditions in looking for jobs in Malaysian, the limitation of resources especially in social support, finance might cause the counseling needs in Malaysian students higher than Indonesian students. Both groups showed most needs for counseling in (1) finance, (2) general health, (3)study stress. These findings suggest that responsible consumerism; daily health management,time and stress management were important topics in university’s programmes and services for student
