Razan Baker Saudi Gazette LONDON — Culture shocks are one of the primary reasons why students from around the world return home without achieving their educational goals. This applies to students from Saudi Arabia as well. Since 1990 the number of international students has reached 3.7 million with the US, UK and Australia attracting the bulk of foreign students, according to 2009 figures released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2009. In a recent study conducted among approximately 900 international students in Australia, Russell et al. (2010) found that 41 percent of them experience substantial levels of stress, which are often a result of homesickness, culture shocks, or perceived discrimination. However, the awareness of the importance of education is increasing, and the competition between bachelor and postgraduate degree holders who are looking for good job opportunities is rising too. This led a large number of youth to become determined to pursue their higher degrees abroad to be able to find themselves a good place in the job market. The number of Saudis studying abroad reached this year 130,000 students spread over 46 countries, according to Deputy Minister of Higher Education Ahmed Al-Saif. This segment of youth traveling abroad alone, or sometimes with their families, faces a lot of cultural changes. “You could feel that everything is running against you and you are overwhelmed with pressure and commitments and cannot study, function, or achieve what you traveled for,” said a Saudi female PhD student. “I'm studying medicine and it's a very competitive field. However, at some point I thought of just quitting everything and returning back home especially when my mother was diagnosed with cancer and I didn't know who to talk to, or get comfort from,” said the 28-year-old postgraduate. “During my five years I went to three psychologists and counselors and it was very useful but there are things I couldn't talk about because only someone from my culture would understand it or respect it and advise accordingly,” she said. The cultural bureau paid her bills, but when she found a Saudi counselor who was not registered she paid out of her pocket and could not get financial assistance. “Living on a student budget makes it hard to prioritize your finances,” she added. “Universities here offer free counseling, and now with the new AVIVA health insurance agreement provided by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) it covers it, but employing Saudis to guide us and running workshops to increase awareness on the importance of seeking the right and appropriate guidance would be really helpful,” she said. “As a conservative society maybe we still fear sharing our problems with strangers even if the problem lasts for years, but sometimes that is what we need as long as they are qualified,” she said. “I'm not the only one who turned to counseling. I've been hearing a lot about those girls who get beaten by their husbands, or those who turn to drugs and other addictions and talking about it is still a taboo for them. Why wait for the worst to happen to take action and, returning home then becomes the only option left!” she added. The Saudi Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) stated that in 2008, 512 students were brought back, and 1,573 in 2009 with such experiences. In an attempt to help the situation, Adel Alyami, a PhD student at Brunel University who is specialized in counseling and occupational therapy, adds, “It is a small percentage — 1.5 percent — but it is a negative symptom and must be dealt with before it increases gradually,” he said. Previous studies, he said, indicated that more than 60 percent of international students traveling abroad to study in a foreign country return home due to failure, bad behavior, or even family problems including divorce in some cases, and cultural shocks are the main factor for this. Culture shocks, he explained, are caused by the international student's differing cultural background, education system and social norms. These three aspects of life create imbalances in the life of some students causing them to fail academically, become physically ill and socially isolate themselves. Students tend to feel lost, home sick, lonely, unwanted, weak, over-anxious about health, afraid of discrimination or being picked on because of differences, and become violent against others. It takes from six to 12 weeks for the students to try and adapt themselves with whatever he/she is facing and hence may follow one of the four strategies: accepting social differences (integration), approving new society after abandoning original culture (assimilation), disapproving both original and new cultures (marginalization), or finally becoming overcautious with original culture and not accepting the present one (separation). “We came here to learn, exchange experiences and benefit from new situations, and it would be a shame if we face such difficulties and seek guidance from the wrong quarters that will lead us to nothing but going back home with excuses and disappointment,” said Alyami. And for this reason, Alyami said, he was encouraged to propose his study to the MOHE, which was very supportive. Alyami now has an office at the Saudi Cultural Bureau in London to address students' concerns and worries. “This is just the beginning,” he said. When the program starts to spread and succeed it would hopefully be implemented at all Saudi student missions abroad, he added. “When a student faces difficulties he may seek help from a friend or a psychologist which would cost between £100-£150 per session, not to mention that he might not understand your cultural background,” said Alyami. “Hence there is a need for such counseling facilities and services to be provided for our students by Saudi nationals and for free, because the success of our Saudi students abroad is part of the scholarship program's success.”
