Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog. I have been absent for a long time and I apologize for the wait. In the meantime I thought about new ideas of contents that I will share on this page. Today we’re taking a trip to another country and we’re going to talk about “Cultural differences and cultural shock”. Some of you have already left your home country to go live abroad, some are planning on leaving and you will certainly face cultural shock. I hope this article will help you understand what culture differences are while providing tips on how to face them.
As some of you already know, in December 2019 I applied for Global UGRAD which is an undergraduate exchange program financed by the US department of State. I was lucky enough to be one of the finalists and I got accepted to St Cloud State University in Minnesota, United States. Which means I’ll be spending an entire semester in the United States representing my country and sharing my culture with the world. I left Haïti in August and I am now adjusting to life as a student in the United States. So far there have been ups but also downs and I will do my best to share with you, throughout my articles how my journey is going. This article is aimed mostly towards high school students or anyone planning to move abroad whether it’s permanently or just for school/work.
Coming to the US wasn’t that much of a big deal since it’s not my first time traveling to come here. Nevertheless, the thought of going to school in another country, studying in another language, living on campus far away from my family whom I’m super close to, were things I wasn’t used to and that were stressing me out. It was my first time traveling alone and I had to take three flights back to back to back from Port-au-Prince to Minnesota. The journey was long, stressful and my anxiety level was super high. Thanks to God, I made it safely and I couldn’t be happier but little did I know what was waiting for me there.
As you know, I always have to educate my readers on terms that I will use throughout my articles. Since I got here I have been noticing a lot of cultural differences, things I’m not used to back home. Some are shocking, others fascinating. To understand better here are the definitions I found for Cultural differences and cultural shock.
Cultural differences vs Culture shock
Cultural differences are the various beliefs, behaviors, languages, practices and expressions considered unique to members of a specific ethnicity, race or national origin.
Culture shock refers to feelings of uncertainty, confusion, or anxiety that people may experience when moving to a new country or experiencing a new culture or surroundings.
When I got accepted to St Cloud State University, the first thing that came to my mind was the fact that I know I wouldn’t find other Haitian people around. Quickly, I went on google map and I tried to find if there were any Haitian restaurants in the area but sadly without any luck. I decided to take a leap of faith and come to Minnesota, a state of approximately 85% white people (Source : World population review) . I thought I was prepared for what was waiting for me but once I got there I realized I was not and since day one I experienced some ugly sides which I’ll talk about another day. For now I’ll just share some tips on how to deal with Cultural differences and how to face culture shock.
1. Keep an open mind. Whenever you go to another country, another place or even somewhere within your own country, you always have to keep in mind that not everyone received the same education as you. Therefore, you should refrain yourself from judging too quickly. For example, I’m still trying to accommodate myself to the fact that people here don’t greet each other. You could be in a room and someone else comes, looks at you and doesn’t say hi/good morning…. At first I thought it had something to do with how I look, my race(it might)… Back home not greeting people is considered rude and if the other person is sassy they’ll be like : “M te dòmi avè w?” which translates to “Did I sleep next to you?” Lol. The first few days were hard but now I know it’s a part of their culture so I refrain myself from making judgments. I won’t lie and say I’m used to it now but we’re getting there.
2. Be patient. When you move to another country patience is key. For someone who’s not patient at all, this has been a challenge to me. I was complaining (still am) about the fact that I am not able to really make friends. I have other UGRAD students with me which is amazing but they’ve met other people and have other friends meanwhile most of the time I’m in my room because I don’t have anyone to hang out with. But I’m being patient because I know some people will come along.
3. Ask questions to learn more about the culture. Good thing for me, one of the requirements of the program is that I have to take a US history course. So I enrolled in a class called Race in America and every week I learn something about what makes the United States what they are now. Also every time I get the chance to talk to someone who’s from Minnesota I ask them questions about their culture while also making sure to share a glimpse of mine too.
4. Go out and visit. What better way to learn about another culture then to go out and see it for yourself : try other food, attend cultural events, go to museums etc… Sadly St Cloud is not a big city so there aren’t really many options (at least not for me) when it comes to going out. As someone who loves to stay in her crib, I use this as an excuse to not go out. Regardless, my school has been planning some events for international students and I often participate. So far the Minnesota State Fair was the biggest event I’ve been to and it’s where I got to experience the good and the ugly side of this state.
6. Stay in contact with people back home. It’s important to call/video call your friends and family back home when you have free time. Thankfully technology has made this even easier. After a month, I still don’t really feel homesick and I think it’s because I video-call my family at least once a day. It helps me feel closer to them and also helps me stay strong.
5. Join clubs or organizations, a community group or church. If you wanna meet people (locals) who can teach you about everything that makes the city unique, find a community group or go to a local church. I’ve noticed that those people are super friendly and open. You can also join the clubs and organizations at your host university because you’ll meet people from different backgrounds and cultures but also people experiencing cultural shock just like you.
7. Do not make comparisons . Don’t try to compare this culture with yours. As I always say in my articles Comparison is the thief of joy. When you start comparing, you will not find happiness. For example if you keep comparing the dishes from home and the ones you’re experiencing now, nostalgia will take over. You might not like what they serve most of the time and that’s okay, you’re trying something new.
At the end of the day, being able to willingly leave your country and go study abroad is a blessing. Not everyone is fortunate enough to experience this and I’m forever grateful for this opportunity. Nevertheless, if you’re not prepared mentally, your time there will be awful. You’re never fully prepared but articles like this one can make a difference. If you know someone who’s planning on studying abroad or is already there, share this article with them and make sure they follow my blog because there are more articles coming soon.
That’s it for today people. Thank you for being patient with me as usual! I hope that you appreciated this article and learned something from it. I love receiving your feedbacks so make sure you comment something after reading. Until we meet again stay safe and be blessed… always!!