Just started your studies at Curtin? Or finding it challenging to settle into uni life? With a new study mindset, the culture shock of being at university and countless of opportunities available at your disposal, you’ll be experiencing a process called acculturation, which is a major part of adjusting to changes in your environment.
If you’re new to Perth, acculturation process will come with cultural differences as well. Some examples are how people greet each other here, their concept of personal or emotional space or what they wear. These are only some examples and being aware of the many cultural differences can feel overwhelming.
Some tips to help make your adjustment to university a little bit easier include:
- Ride the wave! Understand and recognise that this period of adjustment is normal and takes time.
- Try to make friends in uni, because chances are that other students will have similar experiences to yours.
- Connect to your support networks back home. Regularly talking to your family and old friends can help you feel more stabilised.
Find more helpful information about adjusting to uni in our short video
Lunchtime Life Skills webinars
Curtin’s Psychological and Counselling Services is also running the Lunchtime Life Skills webinar series throughout the semester, which supports you in developing the skills and strategies to manage some common challenges in life, tailored to fit university students from various backgrounds.
Learning these skills will provide you with the opportunity to improve your study life balance and aims to help enhance your quality of life as a Curtin student.
With topics covering procrastination, anxiety, sleep, adjustment to culture shock, exams and more, you can learn practical ways to combat your challenges.
You can also visit Curtin’s Counselling & Wellbeing webpage to learn more about Curtin’s free counselling services, other group programs and medical services for all students.
