Culture shock can happen to the best of us regardless of if you are an international student or not. Starting a new life in a new country takes time and a whole lot of patience before you can adapt to the changes. For many first year international students, culture shock can have be hard and knowing how to deal with it is very important. Here are some things you can do that can help you adjust :

• Learn as much as you can, while you can— whether it is reading about a country and its culture or interacting with those who lived or visited there. Absorb the good and the bad, learn from it and apply it each day as you go along.
• Let positivity be your guide. Be hopeful that things will get better and try to focus more on the positive then the negative. The key is finding the balance.
• Make goals and achieve them. Go the old fashion way and sit down with a pen and paper and make a list of things you would like to achieve while you are in the U.S. This will help you stay focused and motivate you to keep pushing each day.
• A healthy distraction keeps your mind and feelings off of homesickness and doubts. It boosts your motivation level and introduces you to new things. Volunteer, get involved on campus or just be more active. Whatever it is that makes you happy, go out and do it.