Conditions for the adaptation of foreign students to universities

Abstract

The article discusses the features of adaptation of foreign students and postgraduates in universities in various countries-Europe, Asia, America and Australia. In foreign psychology, there are a number of external and internal factors that determine the success of adaptation and cause difficulties in the course of adaptation processes. The main external factors include the cultural distance between the home and host countries, the age and gender of students, the specifics of living in campuses, household problems and climate. Socio-cultural adaptation depends mainly on the degree of proximity of cultures, although in any case, foreign students experience a "culture shock". The main internal factors include communicative competence, the nature of motivation, self-efficacy, and value orientations. While studying at a post-graduate at University in another country, the same problems arise as while obtaining higher education, but they are more acute due to the inclusion in research activities, especially those related to the use of equipment and requiring coordination of the work regime with colleagues. In foreign psychology, much attention is paid to the social support of foreign students – informational, emotional and instrumental.

Keywords

• foreign students
• foreign postgraduates
• acculturation
• academic adaptation
• socio-psychological adaptation
• social support