Parents / Cultural Adjustment

All students studying abroad will experience some degree of cultural shock. It is important for parents to be aware of the unsettling nature of the first days after arrival overseas and then again during the initial period after return. It is during these potentially “crisis” times that your support is most likely needed. The key to diminishing the negative effects of culture shock is for your son or daughter to recognize the process, give themselves time to adapt, and seek support. At ICDS we are aware of these emotions and our Student Welfare Coordinator is a professional psychologist and counselor. She collaborates with the process of integration of students to ULatina's student life, as well as provides support during their adaptation to the new culture, the family, and the community through social and cultural activities particularly designed for this purpose. This provides international students with an additional opportunity for a more complete cultural immersion, which will in turn aid in their objective to improve Spanish language proficiency. For further support to minimize culture shock and maximize cultural immersion, ICDS’s Student Welfare Coordinator organizes periodic experience-sharing meetings and private counseling sessions, when requested by individual students.