adversity

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School exchange programs are always good opportunities to learn and get a new perspective of another institution, its culture, and way of doing things. Foreign exchange programs go the extra mile by involving international travel associated with studying in a foreign country and getting the chance with experiencing a different culture and history. Foreign exchange can be difficult because of culture shock which can be overwhelming. This case represents a foreign exchange program that involved learning in a different country. I got the chance to visit the Republic of China and spend a few months as an exchange student there. Before going leaving for China the idea of visiting a foreign nation and spending some time there was very appealing, but once there, everything changed, and it became distressing because of culture shock. Everything was different especially coming to terms with the unfamiliar culture and the need to follow a different set of attitudes. The most disorienting was being a foreigner in this nation which also involved being different from the rest of the society. I was very conspicuous because I was from a different nation and the attention gave me a lot of anxiety. There was a great dilemma between trying to adapt to the new life and the difficulties associated with being a foreigner.
Being in a different country with a different way of life was more challenging than expected. I had taken a lot of time to learn about the differences in cultures between the west and the east and tried to learn about it as much as possible.

Everything was extremely different. I had to learn the language, I had to eat the different food, I had to adopt the different mannerism and accept the different culture. As a result, I took a lot of time to adjust, and it greatly affected my studies and my social life in this country. I had a lot of difficulties with finding friends who could have helped me navigate through life. I became socially awkward and felt lonely most of the time.
However, I banked on the fact that it was an opportunity of a lifetime and tried my best to cope with the situation. I decided to take every day at a time, by staying calm and not adding pressure to myself. Despite taking too long, I managed to learn more about the country, its people and its unique cultures. It is a very social culture with the community being a fundamental aspect of the social organization. This was quite different from the western way of life that focused on individualism. Several students including me had been selected for the program and therefore, I was not alone. The other students and I were in the same predicament and we, therefore, offered support for each other. Together we embarked on a mission to solve the dilemma of coping with the hardships of the program and at the same time we tried to appreciate the unique aspect of the program based on the different aspects of this nation. We had met some of the teachers from China back home, and they were dedicated to ensuring that we had a smooth stay during the program. They are people that offered great advice, support, and guidance throughout our stay.