No matter how old you are, or how experienced a traveller, being away from home can be both an exciting and frightening experience. You may find that you miss family, friends and pets, and even things like eating different foods to what you are used to can cause people to become anxious and upset.
We use the term 'Culture Shock' to describe unexpected or unwanted feelings when someone is taken out of their familiar comfortable surroundings and placed in an unfamiliar and new environment that they are unsure of.
Although experiencing culture shock is normal, it is not pleasant. But do remember that it will pass.
We have made some suggestions below of how you can help to ease the effects and feelings of culture shock:
Contact - keep in touch with your family and friends back home. If you don't have a mobile phone, then send an email. Schools often have a computer which students are able to use if they don't have their own laptop. Ask your teacher or houseparent for the times when you are allowed to use it, or the times of when you are able to use Wifi for your own laptop. If you have a mobile phone, send a text home or ask your parents to call you at an agreed time. Please do check with your mobile phone provider for costs. Alternatively, use Skype to video call home.
Diary - keep a diary, and write down your experiences of your first few weeks at school. Write down how you feel each day, what has made you smile, the new people you have met, and what you have learned.
Communication - Talk! Introduce yourself to other students, find out what you have in common. Involve yourself in games and social activities with others. Often, speaking with someone else who is also experiencing culture shock can help, as you can talk about how you feel to someone who understands. Your houseparents will also listen to you if you want to talk to an adult about how you are feeling, and may be able to offer useful advice, as they will have spoken to many pupils experiencing culture shock before. Your Bright World Buddy is also only a phonecall away.
Letter - write letters to your family and friends and ask them to write back to you. Its always a nice surprise to receive a letter in the post! Photographs - put pictures of your family and friends on your wall, or on your desk in your room. Ask your parents to send a favourite teddy, or posters or postcards from home that you might find comforting.
Food - although you are not allowed to bring certain types of food into the UK from overseas, you may find that a local shop imports and stocks snacks that you are familiar with.
Lastly - use Facebook!! Being the worlds number one social networking site, its a fantastic way of keeping in touch with everyone. You can upload your pictures, and post messages on your friends' walls. Stop by the Bright World Guardianships Facebook page and tell us how you are getting on! We would love to hear from you!
This is Lana and James, Directors of Bright World Guardianships at the Study World Conference in London - Lana is committing to some advertising spend with a new agent for us in the Ukraine, 'Business Link'.
