The last thing a foreign student need is to start a fight or lose the respect of their peers through some apparently harmless action. While people tend to be at least a little tolerant of foreigners’ strange ways, abusing this privilege too often or after you’ve been told about local customs, is asking for trouble.

Under no circumstances, it is a good idea to expect the rest of the world to adapt to you and follow those sophisticated, civilized patterns that seem normal to your perspective. Different cultures aren’t inherently worse or better than one another, so the “when in Rome” principle applies.

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Source: outwardbound.org

One of the perks of studying abroad is the exposure you get to a foreign culture. By now, you’ve probably realized that there is a world of difference between the “city” culture you’re likely to encounter in the area around a university – cosmopolitan, relatively affluent, and more than a little westernized – and the more traditional way of life in the countryside and smaller cities. In many countries – Spain and Italy come to mind – cuisine can vary enormously from one region to the next, and the same dish is often prepared quite differently in neighboring towns. If you don’t take the time to explore this diversity now, you might never have the opportunity to do so again. Chances are, if you have a month or two free of classes, then you can easily spend this time traveling around the country for less than a round trip back home would cost.

Culture change may become as a shock and sometimes, homesickness kicks in, causing you to be vulnerable to look for diversions like alcohol and food addiction. When this happens, you can get self-help programs for addiction to get adjusted in your environment away from home.

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