Patterns of Adaptation of Chinese Postgraduate Students in the United Kingdom

Abstract

International students coming to the United Kingdom have to adapt to academic cultural differences as well as general cultural differences. Questionnaires were administered to 257 Chinese postgraduate students on anticipated and actually experienced difficulties and on perceived differences between Chinese and U.K. academic cultures before departure, soon after arrival, and about 6 months after arrival. Some participants ( n = 45) responded to questionnaires at three stages; others responded at just one or two stages. A sample of the 45 students ( n = 28) were interviewed about their pre-departure expectations and post-arrival experiences. Patterns of adaptation over time differed in relation to general life, social life, and study life. A major finding was the different patterns of specifically academic adaptation of students who came in groups and those who came individually.