Regardless of where you’re coming from, living in Canada will undoubtedly bring surprises even if you have done everything possible to prepare for your arrival. Some of your new experiences may be positive, while others may be negative. These occurrences and realizations are what is popularly known as - Culture Shock.

Culture Shock

"In the very beginning, I just felt so lost. I didn’t know where I was, I didn’t speak the language... Everyone around me was excited and I just had this feeling, as if I was in a movie and I was the spectator, just watching it, while everyone else was having a ball, and there I was, totally lost."
- Marina, Netherlands

For those of you who have never heard of this term, it refers to that usual unavoidable state of disorientation. A situation that results from the unexpected confrontation with issues you may be unfamiliar with. Issues based on customs, language, traditions, shared feelings, behaviour, and culture. Some people experience many differences in geography, history and politics all at once. Other phenomena include demographics (size and population of the city), climate and interpersonal relationships. Culture shock may affect both your self-identity and your relationships with others. In some cases, students have experienced a clash of their own values and beliefs with those found here. Your cultural comfort level will vary over time. Culture shock will not happen all at once.

When you first arrive in Canada, you will probably be a bit anxious. You may also be quite curious and excited about seeing new things and meeting new people. ‘Adventure’ is the word that comes to mind. As you gradually continue to immerse yourself deeper in life at Trent, the differences between Canada and your home country become increasingly apparent. These differences may either amaze, irritate, fascinate or anger you. Depending on your reception of these differences, your emotions may vary from a sense of isolation, anxiety, confusion, elation or contentment. In extreme cases of negative Culture Shock, even the smallest difficulties will make you anxious. You ask yourself, “Is there a button I can press to pause and absorb what is going on?”

As the year progresses, you will come to reject these differences and learn to cope. You will stop comparing everything to your home culture. Your feeling of frustration or anger and your hostility towards your new environment will decrease. In some cases, however, the exact opposite happens. Students may hit a real low point after 3-6 months and during holiday periods. They may get homesick and depressed.

Signs and Symptoms of Culture Shock

• extreme homesickness
• withdrawal; spending excessive amounts of time by yourself; avoiding settings that seem threatening
• avoiding contact with Canadians; or negative feelings/hostility about them, their culture, or Canada
• exaggerating problems; suspicion and paranoia, anger, frustration, confusion; feeling of being lost in ambiguity
• compulsive eating and/or drinking
• tiredness; need for excessive amounts of sleep; sleep disturbances
• personal conflicts, irritability; loss of sense of humour
• boredom; inability to concentrate or work effectively; fatigue
• excesses of emotion; over-reaction; worry
• obsession with cleanliness and of avoiding germs; disease
• large fluctuations in weight
• physical complaints
• depression and feeling of helplessness

How Long Will This Last?

"Culture shock does not happen all at once. It builds up gradually."
-NAFSA, 83

Sooner than later, you are bound to feel more confident and relaxed (involvement in university activities will definitely help). You will be able to make choices according to your own personal preferences and values. You will stop worrying about losing your own culture. In fact, learning about this new culture will probably increase your appreciation, and understanding for your own culture. Once you have gone through all of these stages of culture shock, you will most likely feel a deep sense of satisfaction that you have successfully jumped each hurdle you encountered on this journey.

Culture Shock is an experience which may only partially relate to your own individual experience. The process may be quicker or slower or may even reoccur several times. When you return home, especially if it is a year or more afterwards, reverse culture shock may occur!

Re-Entry; Reverse Culture Shock

While you may not be concerned with re-entry now, there are several important aspects of this form of culture shock that you should remember. Much of what you have learned and the ways in which you’ve grown and changed while you have been away from home, won’t become apparent to you until you go back to your old environment. This process is known as “re-entry”.

"If you can, go home at least once during your stay here at Trent. This way, you’ll notice things you never did while you were at home. For example, you go to a railway station and you see masses of people entering a train. Another train comes in and fills up and leaves, and another with more people and leaves. This goes on and on! The crowd’s still the same, the people are no different! You don’t notice all of these when you’re brought up over there, however, when you come back, you say, “geez!”..... You see your own country from a totally different perspective!"
- Zav, India

Although the overall effects of re-entry on people’s personal development tends to be positive, the process itself can be painful!

Feelings of loss of identity, loneliness and an inability to relate to family members and old friends are very common forms of reverse culture shock.

"I started thinking differently, having different values and reacting to issues differently. This could’ve posed as a big problem, especially with respect to older relatives or parents. In fact, I’ve become more aware of my cultural identity here in Peterborough, by attending more cultural and religious seminars, talks on issues like race, more than before because it was something I took for granted. What is kind of funny is that I’m obviously more westernized or Canadianized than before and yet I’ve become more of a traditional Chinese at the same time. I’ve perhaps retained more Chinese values than a lot of people in Taiwan."
-Aaron, Taiwanese-Canadian

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Homesickness

"My first two or three weeks were just terrible. I was thinking, ‘What am I doing here? Where am I? Why should I be here?’ I just wanted to be alone. Afterwards, I realized where and why I was here. I could get into it and reached out. The most important thing to realize is that it doesn’t last forever. It got better."
- Marina, Netherlands

When you’re about to leave home for university, you know you will miss home. However, you are not really prepared for how extreme this feeling may be. A few days, weeks, or even months after your arrival, you may start to feel depressed. You want to eat your home cooking or maybe you hate this weather. Nothing anyone does or says makes you feel better. You don’t feel like studying. You feel alone. All you want is to go home.

Why Me?

Homesickness has little to do with whether you’re vulnerable or not. In most cases it becomes more apparent when or if you’re constantly alone and refuse to make your new dwelling ‘livable’, or you don’t make friends or socialize. The good thing about homesickness is that the more you become aware of your surroundings, spend time with people with whom you share common interests, the greater your chances of beating homesickness.

"Homesickness has nothing to do with whether you like Canada, Peterborough, or Trent or not. It has more to do with your desire to be in an environment with which you are more familiar. When you start getting used to this new environment, you will find that you will continue to miss home, but it won’t be a sickness; just a feeling, which you will eventually overcome!"
-Rutendo Chitiga, 4th year, Zimbabwe

Overcoming Culture Shock and Homesickness

Remember this is a normal experience; others are experiencing it too (to a greater or lesser degree). When something bothers you, step back, assess the situation, and look for an appropriate explanation and response.

In order to beat homesickness, talk to a friend, family member, counselors in the Counseling Center in Blackburn Hall, and of course members of the TIP staff.

Do's

• Try to immerse yourself in both academic and social aspects of university life
• Keep in touch with friends and family at home, through email or by phone (with respect to cost, find out the best times to make international phone calls)
• Display personal things or artefacts in your room
• Exercise regularly (e.g., enroll in TISA’s intramural sports), get enough sleep, and maintain a healthy and balanced diet
• On the weekends, go out sight-seeing with friends
• Talk to upper year students. Most, if not all, have gone through what you are experiencing
• Try to do what seems more familiar to you, for example, enrolling in a faith community
• Learn more about Canada, you’ll be surprised what fun it can be!

"Don’t be a loner - the best support for culture shock are the people around you."
-Aznan, Singapore

Will Living in Residence Help Me Overcome My Anxieties?

To some extent, yes it will. It’s a good idea to spend your first year living in residence if you can. This way, you are bound to get to know the students around you more easily and you can participate in activities organized by your representatives. Additionally, living amidst other students will give you more access to a knowledge base.

"People often worry about how to make friends in such a different environment. I always say that making friends in Trent and Peterborough, is no different from making friends at home or elsewhere. The key to doing this is immersion. You have to be open to new things. You have to teach others and learn from them. If possible, be open minded about social issues that may be new to you. Eventually, you will see that lasting friendships will come naturally and will be enriched by everyday experiences you face together!"
-Ana Maria Vega Baron, 4th year, Colombia

Caution: University Life, Drug Use, and Alcoholism

It’s always fun to go partying with friends. Even nicer is the fact that you’re miles from home and independent. In many cases, alcohol will be a part of the scene.

Precautions

• Whenever you go to a friendly event, do remember to drink responsibly.
• Advise a friend patiently, to be careful about alcohol or drugs. Likewise, listen when you’re being advised.
• Avoid being convinced by someone, how good the drink or drug is and how wonderful it will make you feel. Remember, there is still the next morning to deal with.

Alcohol ceases being a beverage and starts being a poison when too much of it is consumed. This explains why some people pass out when they have too much to drink.

Signs of Alcohol Poisoning

• breathing slowly or irregularly
• unconsciousness and cannot be awakened
• cold, sweaty, skin turns bluish
• throwing up, while passed out
• does not respond to being talked to or touched
• cannot stand up or wake up

What to Do

If you spot any of these symptoms in someone
immediately do the following:

• Call First Response
• Call 911
• Do not leave the person alone
• Turn him or her on their side to prevent choking in case of vomiting
• Watch their breathing
• Do not attempt to give fluids
• Induce vomiting if conscious and feeling sick. Never induce vomiting in a semi-conscious or unconscious person

Illicit Drugs
Possession of and trafficking in restricted drugs (marijuana, cocaine, heroin etc) are illegal.

Date Rape Drug
Rohypnol, known as roofies or the “date rape” drug is not manufactured or sold legally in Canada. In combination with alcohol, it can induce a blackout with memory loss and a decrease in resistance. Girls and women around North America have reported being raped after being involuntarily sedated with rohypnol, which was often slipped into their drink by an attacker. The drug has no taste or odor so the victims don't realize what is happening.

Stay aware and alert! Don’t accept drinks from someone you don't know or trust. Never leave your drink unattended. Someone can easily and quickly slip this drug into your drink without your knowledge.

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Common Cultural Differences

"I don’t think everyone has a common idea of what culture shock is. For me, it meant not being able to be myself, not being able to relate to other people the way I would want to; not being able to express myself and therefore, not taking as active a role as I would have liked to because I couldn’t relate to people."
- Gaurav, India

Language

" I could feel that a person who spoke to me, could not understand what I was saying. I was afraid to ask if they could repeat the question or phrase. Once is alright, but twice, three times and so on is very awkward and I thought it would offend people. So I’d just say ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘okay’. I think it’s very important to make it clear if you don’t understand. People here are very accommodating; they’ll understand. They took time to explain things to me."
- Ako, Japan

"My friends at home call me Canadian, my Canadian friends tease me about my British accent and Britons find my Latin accent ‘lovely’. I don’t belong anywhere, yet I can fit perfectly in almost every place. At times, I come to the cross-roads where I need to find myself: the self who is not Argentinean born, Canadian educated or British influenced, but the self who feels at home everywhere yet has no roots. Such is the essence of the travelling international student."
- Claudia, Argentina

Attempting to speak a language that is not your first, or that you can’t speak very well, can be very tiring and frustrating. Sometimes certain issues such as the nuances in accents will make it even harder to understand or to be understood. People may speak too quickly, use slang or acronyms (short forms for words). These may not coincide with what you have been taught or know. There is no harm in politely asking people to repeat phrases or speak at a slower pace. With time, it will become less of a ‘chore’ to interact with others! By socializing, your ears will get used to differences in accents or wording.

Food

Most people have to adjust to Canadian food. “It took me a while to get used to bland food because I am very used to spicy food. So I put lots of peppers and I even bring my own spice when I eat res food. Still, I like bland food now; it just required getting used to” says Zav from India. Others may be too scared to even try different foods at the risk of getting ill. Others have allergies. Do not hesitate to ask what ingredients have been used in a particular dish or how it was prepared. Searching for food stores that have your preferences is another option.

"Keep in mind that food available on-campus varies (from full meals with desserts to quick snacks and sandwiches) and can get quite delicious when you get used to the change in diet. On occasion, you may also choose to go to downtown Peterborough where you’ll find different cuisines, including Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Indian, Greek and Japanese. If you prefer to cook for yourself, you will find most products you need for low prices in all grocery stores downtown. Don’t forget that you can only cook if you live off-res or in a townhouse."
- Katya, Ukraine

"An important part of staying healthy is eating a balanced and nutritious diet. Exercise also contributes greatly to your health. If you exercise regularly, you’ll get sick less often, have more energy and feel less stress; all of which will improve your self esteem and academic performance."
- Nelly, Kenya

Greetings

• A smile, usually accompanied by a wave and verbal salutation, is the common form of greeting in Canada.
• More often, a handshake serves well for business purposes. One may also include introductions.
• There is a lot of embracing or hugging in Canada. You are bound to witness this often especially after a long vacation because people haven’t seen each other for so long.
• When you see a friend or colleague in the distance, it’s ok to wave.
• The question, “How are you?” is used like a greeting. When asked this question you may answer by saying, “Fine thanks and you?” or “ Good thanks. And you?” Occasionally, you may hear some people ask, “What’s up?” this is a more informal way of asking how a person is doing.
• Most Canadian names start off with the first name, middle name and then last name. It is advisable, (especially for your professors) to use the person’s title and surname until you are told otherwise (in most cases, this happens immediately).
• In Canada, first names are often used over the phone.

Gestures

• Respect peoples’ personal space. Always remember to leave approximately 60 cm of space between you and your conversation partner.
• A non-verbal way of showing approval of anything, such as the OK sign, is done by making a circle of the thumb and index finger. You may also do the thumbs up sign. This is done by making a fist and pointing the thumb upwards.
• Direct eye contact is an indication of sincerity. Try not to make your vocalizations too intense, as this could carry various (often wrong) meanings.

Cultural Orientation

• In business and study, facts are very important, and feelings are often less important.
• Canadians believe in independence: this refers to the ability to depend on yourself for most things. It is important to take personal responsibility for things you do or want to do. As a result, the phrase, “it’s up to you,” is very common.
• Respect people’s privacy. For example, call before you visit a friend and knock on their door before you enter. If you visit someone and you realize they are holding a book and are still hanging on to it even though you are present, it could be a subtle way of saying, “Please go away I would like to study”.
• Often times, there is a public display of affection. Acceptance of this, varies from culture to culture, society to society or person to person. In Canada, it is very common. For example, you may see two people holding hands in public.
• Competitive behavior is normal among colleagues or friends.
• Try to be direct and open (but polite), about your likes, dislikes or preferences. Remember that here, honesty is the best policy. Trying to ‘save face’ doesn’t always work!
• It may be difficult to say words like “no” to others. Try to be firm when the need arises. That way, you can ensure that you are not taken advantage of.
• Do not be ashamed to ask questions when unsure about something. Others will ask you! It’s a very good way to learn from, listen to and understand one another.

Conversation

"The problem I had with making conversation was that I didn’t know any movies, any music, pop stars and I still don’t. And I find it difficult trying to communicate with people because that’s what seems to be the topic of conversation in everyday life. I think the best advice to give any one who immerses themselves in a different culture is to try not to make judgements right away. Wait and observe for a while. I gave myself a year to observe things. I think the strength comes from being able to take things and trying not to react all at once"
- John, Vanuatu

Canadians prefer to make small talk based on the weather, sports or work. These topics are common compared to issues surrounding politics, religion, sex, and personal topics. When speaking to each other, Canadians often say no more than a few sentences at a time. Then they pause, to give their partner a chance to say something. In most cases, they try to avoid heated arguments during conversations.

"I found distance and personal space the most difficult thing. I longed for my high school friends and the way we all walked arm in arm to classes. I do, on the other hand, notice that people here are very warm in conversation, maybe even warmer than home. There is personal space, but there’s much more warmth in the conversation!"
- Annalies, Swaziland

"In China, if you’ve got a problem, even when you don’t voice it, people will come over to ask, “What’s the matter?” In Canada, people hardly mention anything because they believe they shouldn’t interfere. Canadians are very warm and friendly. Their desire to help is genuine. Most times, however, they don’t know how because they don’t know your cultural habits and such."
- Kaiyu, China

Relationships

"For 19 years, I’ve stayed with my own people and wasn’t allowed to ‘cross the border’. Around here you can choose to be with whomever you want."
- Mofolo, South Africa

• Soap operas, sitcoms and movies made in the Americas, often give distorted messages especially to those who have never been to this part of the world.
• Canadians do not hesitate to associate with members of the opposite sex. They are very casual and open about this.
• People may date each other for a considerable amount of time, without any intentions of marriage.
• Either sex may ask the other out for a coffee, dinner or to go see a movie.
• Some relationships are informal, others are not.
• Always ask when in doubt. Avoid conflict or misunderstandings.
• Some requests are spontaneous, while others may be done even months in advance!
• Keep in mind that not all invitations have romantic connotations! Canadians like to do things together, be they romantically involved or just friends.
• Always remember to clearly state your view, likes, dislikes, or preferences. Say, “ no” or “yes” if that is what you mean.
• Always listen. You will also be listened to.
• Canadians in general are very open-minded towards homosexuality in society.
• Respect others’ views and preferences, and yours will be respected in return.