The initial stage of the international sojourn: excitement or culture shock?

Abstract

This paper presents findings from an ethnographic study of the adjustment journey of international postgraduate students at a university in the South of England, which involved interviews and participant observation over a twelve-month academic year. It was discovered that the initial stage of the sojourn was not characterized by feelings of excitement, as suggested by the U-Curve model (and its successors): though such feelings were present, they were overwhelmed by negative symptoms more commonly associated with culture shock. The implications of these findings for support structures in Higher Education are discussed