Adjusting to a new environment

People go through various phases of adjustment when they move from one culture to another. Your first few days can be a bit disorienting, but at CSU, we'll help you to get settled in and familiar with your campus as soon as possible.

Fatigue

After a long flight, it is normal to arrive feeling tired. Suffering from sleep deprivation and time zone differences, you may soon show symptoms of arrival fatigue. When you are in this state of mind, it is advisable to take things easy so your body and mind can be one again. This is also why we suggest that you arrive a couple days before Orientation to give yourself time to recover.

Getting settled

When you arrive at your campus, you will be shown food outlets, communication facilities so you can contact home, washing facilities and given advice on personal security to help you settle into your first day.

After you have rested and slept off your jet lag, your International Student Support Officer can discuss with you issues relating to living in your new community. You should take this time to ask questions that will help you become familiar with the new environment. You will also receive practical information about adjusting at Orientation.

Getting around campus

It is also a good idea to spend time learning your way around campus and the city community. For this, you will need several companions - maps!

A campus map will get you places:

• Albury-Wodonga
• Bathurst
• Canberra
• Dubbo
• Goulburn
• Orange
• Parramatta
• Wagga Wagga

More on Campus cities and maps

Orientation

Make sure that you arrive in time for Orientation. This will give you time to ease into your new environment before classes begin.

Orientation will provide valuable information about living in Australia, including the culture, norms and language. You will also learn important things about CSU, such as what is expected of you as a student and how the University works. Orientation also gives you an opportunity to meet other students, including new international students who are probably feeling as excited and nervous as you are.

Adjusting to a new environment

Studying in another country can be very exciting but it can also be challenging as you adapt to new ways of doing things.

Living in a new culture means a lot of changes in your life including absence from family and friends, meeting new friends and developing networks, learning new social customs and behaviours, experiencing a different climate and different foods.

You may also be adjusting to speaking and writing in English full-time if English is not your first language. Even people from different English speaking backgrounds will have to adjust to the Australian way of speaking and its own brand of slang.

It will take time to get used to different ways of doing things and to develop a new network of support. You will find new friends, perhaps a teacher, a community member or a flat mate who you can talk to and seek advice.

If you are feeling homesick or experience difficulty adjusting to a new way of life, it can be helpful to talk about it with someone. It is comforting to be able to talk to a friend and share your experiences. Your International Student Support Officer understands the demands of making adjustments to a new culture and therefore is a good place to start.

If you find that you are experiencing any of the following it may be culture shock:

• headaches
• boredom
• depression
• crying
• upset stomach
• loss of appetite
• lack of motivation
• feeling overwhelmed by small inconveniences
• extreme homesickness

It is important to recognise that culture shock is often a normal process of adjustment and a lot of people have a least some of these symptoms at some point in their overseas studies. If the symptoms stay with you, it is important to get some help. Please contact your International Student Support Officer for assistance or advice.

Surviving Homesickness

If you have travelled a long way to study in Australia, adjusting to major changes in your life may be extra difficult for you. The language may be unfamiliar, and ways of talking about things may not be the same as you are used to. You may have to deal with strange food, a different climate, and unfamiliar landscape. Home is so far away, and arranging to go home for a weekend is not a possibility for you. We have an idea of what it may be like for you, and are here to help.

Read more about coping with homesickness

Where to go next:

• International Student Support Officer
• Orientation