Coping with differences in educational experiences
Whether you are an international (or a UK based student), at times you will inevitably experience feelings of confusion, isolation, doubt, anxiety, worry, inadequacy (language and/or subject knowledge) and stress in your studies. Please remember, this is normal.
You could choose to address these feelings in several ways, including negative behaviours such as missing classes or believing you are not as good as you thought you were. If this starts to happen speak with your personal tutor if you are able or discuss it within your peer group and ask your friends for support.
Far better and immeasurably more productive, though, is to think about developing coping strategies.
Coping strategies
Coping strategies are learned and practised behaviours that help you to understand new and different learning environments that will help you to relax and enjoy your studies more, and by extension help you to secure higher grades in your work.
Coping strategies you can develop include changes in how you think (using emotions and thinking cognition) and how you act (evaluating problems and situations)– so for example:
- Thinking about how you see your feelings and recognising that feeling unhappy in your studies, especially at the start, is not uncommon nor unusual.
- Seeking to value and understand change as a positive life experience that will support you as you develop your professional career more.
- Being open and engaged with your personal tutor
- Being willing to actively seek support from the university services – this could be, for example, developing new/better skills for note-taking, recording sessions for personal review, joining a language class from the International College if thought helpful.
- Being willing to develop a friendship network and then share how you feel with those friends.
- Occupying your time with activities to minimise the time you might be thinking negatively by joining sports clubs (especially student-managed ones through the Student Union) and enjoying physical activity.
- If you have strong faith, then reflecting upon faith-based guidance to help you address how you feel.
- Read more – think about spotting and then using key phrases from texts and journals relevant to your study in your work.
- Develop your own personal timetable in addition to your study timetable, to help you allocate and manage your time better. This will also minimise distractions.
- Try not to worry about being a ‘passive’ or quiet member of the classroom – it does not mean you are bad or a failure in your studies. Forbearance is a viable coping strategy (in other words, allowing yourself time to adjust and accepting that there are differences in how you engage in class compared to others).
- Give yourself time to walk around the university and buildings; getting to know your environment will help build a feeling of stability and belonging.