IndexIntroductionWhat is culture shock?Stages of culture shockConclusionIntroduction 358,895 international students are enrolled in German universities. Some of them are facing difficult times during their studies. They feel bad, frustrated and overloaded. Many feel alone and regret their decision to come to Germany. This appearance is often called "culture shock". This article covers the description of culture shock, the stages of culture shock, and the mitigation of culture shock among international students. At the end I want to summarize the most important knowledge and give a statement on how culture shock can be prevented. I am personally attached to the culture shock topic, because I am studying International Economics. In my studies there are international students, who could potentially be facing culture shock or who have already gone through culture shock. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay What is culture shock? Culture shock is a terminology that often appears in linguistic usage. Travelers who spend a long time in a foreign country talk about their special experience of "culture shock" and how they were triggered by cultural differences. Everyone has a specific imagination when it comes to culture shock. But what is culture shock, on a scientific basis? To answer this question, I would first like to briefly define culture. Geert Hofstede, one of the most famous experts in cultural studies, defines culture as follows: “Culture is the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes members of one category of people from another.” Furthermore, values, beliefs, traditions and language define our culture. Immersion in a foreign country means the extraction of familiar culture in a new, unfamiliar environment. “Culture shock can be defined as an emotional, psychological and physiological reaction to the loss of or inability to experience one's culture.” This means that our mind, as well as our body, suffers due to the foreignness of culture, such as a changed value system, a foreign language and peculiar traditions. This radical change in the cultural context leads to questioning values ​​and behaviors. Brockhaus, a German encyclopedia, describes this process as follows: “Dabei wird angenommen, dass der Mensch Situationen, in denen er sich einem kulturell codierten Koordinatensystem ausgesetzt sieht, für das seine bisherigen kulturellen Kompetenzen keine Geltung mehr haben, als eine Art Zusammenbruch seiner Wertmuster und Verhaltensmöglichkeiten sieht”. The degree of culture shock varies depending on how large the cultural differences are. Europeans may not be shocked by German culture, while Asians have more difficulty, because the cultures are too distant. An example is the case of an Italian who arrives thirty minutes late to a business meeting with a German. In terms of punctuality Germans and Italians have different interpretations, which leads to problems between Germans and Italians. While an Italian and a Frenchman could reach an agreement, because their cultures have a similar concept of punctuality. Furthermore, culture shock appears to be an important part of cultural adaptation. Internations releases the following statement: "However, it is an essential part of the transition process: the willingness to address it is the first step towards integration." In other words, this means that you need to know about cultural differences to enable cultural learning. Phases of a culture shock Iloccurrence of culture shock is mainly divided into four phases. These stages are segmented based on the general mood and attitude towards the foreign culture of the traveler experiencing culture shock. The four phases are: Honeymoon phase Culture shock/frustration phase Adaptation phase Acceptance phase.“The first phase of culture shock is often an overwhelmingly positive one, during which travelers become infatuated with the language, people and food of their new environment." This means that the first phase is characterized by euphoria and fascination. Everything seems to be interesting and causes a desire to explore all new things. The second phase is the real culture shock. The emotions in this phase are mainly: helplessness, uncertainty, frustration and anxiety due to the comparison with the main differences of the new culture, for example completely changed value systems. Many abandon their experience abroad at this stage due to the high emotional pressure. If you get past the culture shock/frustration phase, you finally “start to feel more familiar and comfortable with the cultures, people, food and languages ​​of new environments.” Often this refers to better language skills, learning gestures and a better understanding of social conventions. Your mindset changes to a more positive attitude. Eventually you accept the new culture and feel accepted too. “Acceptance does not mean that new cultures or environments are completely understood, rather it means realizing that complete understanding is not necessary to function and thrive in the new environment.” Your emotional state increases further and you may find things that awaken your attention again. When you leave your now incarnate country, you feel happy to have had such an experience and become happy to have endured the crisis. How can culture shock among students be alleviated? International students face several cross-cultural issues while studying abroad. The first looming problem is language. If your studies take place in a language that is neither your mother tongue nor the language of your host country, you do not encounter difficulties in class, but you suffer them in everyday life. Students are overwhelmed when it comes to public transportation, shopping, or any type of social event. “Culture shock is not a myth, but a predictable phenomenon.” The symptoms of culture shock can be prevented or at least alleviated if you prepare and start learning the language and culture of the host country in advance. Culture shock appears because a person leaves his familiar context and enters a new, unfamiliar environment. Students should try to familiarize themselves with the new environment before arriving in the host country. A strong form of culture shock is mostly the result of a lack of foreign culture skills. Language is the most important and useful skill, because it is the cornerstone for creating social relationships and expressing desires and needs. More important is an overall mindset that goes deeper than just learning the culture. As an international student you must be open-minded, patient, tolerant of frustration and passionate about experiencing the new. With these character traits, every student will be successful in studying abroad and defeating a possible impending culture shock. Another important point is choosing the right destination that's right for you. Being a restless young person, you should study in bigger cities and avoid rural areas that unbalance your pace of life. Anastajia Belostocka, a young Latvian student who came to Germany to study, describes her feelings in moving from,.