International Students’ Workshop

CULTURE SHOCK

ACADEMIC EXPECTATIONS

SETTLING IN & STRESS MANAGEMENT

Adam SandelsonLSE Student Wellbeing Service

Helen GreenTeaching and Learning Centre

Culture Shock – what is it?

• The impact of moving from a familiar culture to one which is unfamiliar

• ‘Culture shock, like love, is a temporary madness’

• (from ‘Culture Shock Thailand’)

Culture Shock

• … is often discussed in terms of “transitional phases.”

These are• Initial shock• Honeymoon period• Distress period• Adjustment Phase• Independence

What students say

‘Sri Lanka is very slow and relaxed. The pace of life there is so different. Coming to London is like jumping on a rollercoaster’

‘I didn’t experience culture shock, I experienced price shock!’ (student from China)

‘You have to depend on yourself in London. It’s easy to feel lonely here’ (student from China)

‘I quickly learned that people don’t touch each other very much here. That is very different from Brazil’

What students say

“When I first came to London and I went on the underground I looked up at the escalator and I saw every race of people and I thought ‘I will never forget this’” (student from India)

Resources• Website created by international students

at Loughborough and Southampton university: www.ukculture.info

• UKCISA:www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/culture_shock.php

• International Students House: www.ishevents.org

• www.ukstudentlife.com

Academic expectations

LSE students are expected to beproactive,critical, andindependent.

But what does this mean? Let’s consider reading and writing

Reading

Select and prioritise readings (and parts of readings) according to your own learning goals. Try to avoid a “passive” approach of reading every page, in order…

Prioritise quality over quantity.

Reading

As you read, stop frequently to consider and write in your own words what you think the author is trying to convey. Understanding some key ideas is more important than reading every page.

Write your interpretation and questions as part of your reading notes.

Reading

Question the author’s arguments and evidence. Question whether the ideas are valid, out-of-date, applicable in all contexts / cultures, etc.

Reading critically involves questioning and evaluating; not necessarily “criticising”.

Reading

Prioritise quality over quantity. Write your own interpretation rather than

copying. Reading critically involves questioning and

evaluating; not necessarily “criticising”.

Teaching and Learning Centre events:How to read for academic work at LSE (7

October)MSc reading workshops (15, 22 October)

Writing

Essays should convey YOUR position, YOUR view on a question. They are not simply a description of what you have read.

Be sure your “voice” is heard and your position is supported with evidence.

Writing

Clear, convincing writing requires several attempts (then rethinking, then trying again!) Leave enough time before your deadline to draft, review, discuss, and re-draft your writing.  

Writing

You are expected to use others’ ideas, and to recognise that they come for other thinkers by citing them appropriately.

Use an appropriate citing and referencing style (e.g. Harvard citation, APA bibliographical style) and understand how and why to avoid plagiarism.  

Writing

State and support your position clearly. Leave time to review, re-write, and edit essays. Cite and reference properly and avoid

plagiarism.

Teaching and Learning Centre events:How to write at LSE (14 and 16 October)How to use others’ ideas in your arguments (without

plagiarising!)(18 November) MSc essay writing workshops ( 29 Oct., 12 Nov., 3 Dec. ) 

 

Participating actively

Learning is a social, collective activity! Engage with your professors, teachers, advisers, and peers. Seminars, classes, and study group meetings are

for testing your understanding-not showing it off! Teaching and Learning Centre event:How to participate actively and make presentations (21 October) 

Academic expectations

LSE students are expected to beproactive,critical, andindependent.

And remember … “Academic English is no one’s native language” (Bourdieu and Passeron, 1994, p. 8)

to learn

Settling in and stress management

•Settling in Tips•Practical approaches•Sources of advice and help

Settling in and stress management

• Talk to others who may feel the same.

• Speak to people at home but also get involved here.

• You are allowed to enjoy yourself!

• Be realistic about what to expect from student life and from yourself

Try to balance work and leisure Give yourself time to adjust You don't have to get everything right

straight away.

• Food and sleep …

Practical approaches• Set realistic and achievable goals• Short term targets, longer term

strategies• Break down huge activities into

small manageable tasks• Focus on the task, not the

outcome• Remember past successes• Time for breaks

Stress Management Skills• Physical, behavioural, cognitive…

• Regularly switch off

• Schedule some kind of physical activity.

• Good self care

• Sleep, diet, etc. Be aware of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine

• Take time out without guilt.• Acknowledge anxiety, rather than

denying it. • Ask: ‘Are my negative thoughts

realistic?’

LSE Student Counselling Service KSW.507

• Free and confidential.• Mainly short-term counselling.• Book appointments in advance.• 20 minutes Drop in sessions at 3.00 each day

• See website for stress-management handout.• Self-help resources on a wide range of

student issues (study-related and personal difficulties)e.g. relaxation MP3’s

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Future WorkshopsHow to deal with study related stress Thursday 28 October, 3.00-5.00: OLD 4.10

How to build confidence for academic writing Wednesday 14 October, 3.30-4.30: KSW.G.01 Friday 30 October, 3:30-4:30: KSW.G.01

How to manage depressionFriday 13 November, 2:00pm - 3:30pm: KSW.G.01

How to manage your time effectively Thursday 19 November, 2.00-4.00: OLD 4.10

How to learn from experience: End of term review Wednesday 02 December, 12.00-1.00: KSW.G.01

Sources of advice and help• Your Academic Adviser Library, IT Services• Departmental staff Student Services Centre • Disability and Wellbeing Service Moodle: Learning World • Student Union and Advice Centre Medical Centre • Deans TLC study-skills advisers • Student Counselling Service LSE Peer Supporters• Language Centre

Don't wait until problems have grown impossibly large … it’s OK to ask for help earlier.