Skip to main content
Log in

Hi-bye friends and the herd instinct: international and home students in the creative arts

  • Published:
Higher Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The crucial role of social integration for the academic success of home students is a common theme in pedagogical research, but for international students the emphasis has been much more on cultural factors and the challenges of transition. The findings of the International Students’ Experience Project at the University of the Arts, London suggest that this is far from the whole story. International students come to the UK precisely to make cosmopolitan friendships, but are held back—by language and communication, but also, less obviously, by differences in age, qualifications, experience and expectations, and by the need to adapt rapidly to an environment which is new in every sense. While home students surmount the challenges of social integration with relative ease, international students thus need more support. By coming to understand the needs of these students in all their complexity, institutions can play a key role in facilitating integration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. I propose to deal more fully with this issue in a future study on teaching and learning issues for international students.

  2. For a fuller discussion of the methodology see Sovic 2008b, pp. 6–7.

  3. Home students were asked ‘How easy it is for you to make friends?’.

  4. Compare Gill 2007. The issues are nicely encapsulated by Murphy-Lejeune (2002 pp. 233–234): ‘Travelling and living abroad for a period of time in this context implies crossing into a new time-space, discovering new horizons where old and new blend, going through tempest and calm, avoiding rocks and perils, unearthing strange customs through secretive language, pioneering new methods and strategies to negotiate the unexpected, exploring one’s resources, meditating over sameness and difference, trying out potential identities, and all the time learning’.

  5. This is echoed in other studies; see for instance Mullins et al. 1995 and Burns 1991.

  6. See also Sovic 2008a, pp. 150–151. Similar concerns have been detected in Australian and American universities with a high proportion of international students (Perrucci and Hu 1995; Volet and Ang 1998; Burns 1991; Samuelowicz 1987). The unconscious discrimination this imposes on non-native speakers has been described by Grimshaw as ‘native-speakerism’ (Grimshaw 2008).

  7. This is in line with other studies; see for instance Mullins et al. 1995.

  8. Similar findings were reported in UKCOSA 2004, p. 67.

  9. Of course international students do not have a monopoly of shyness. However, among home students it may be no more than an initial barrier. This home student’s remarks encapsulate the point:

    Personally I am quite shy when I meet new people but when I get over that it is quite easy to make friends and I get quite comfortable with people. For example at the beginning of this year everyone was quite quiet and shy and reserved, but now we are in the third term and everyone seems very comfortable with each other and we have groups of people who work well together.

    Home student.

  10. This stereotype has however been challenged by a number of studies, especially by Lee and Rice 2007; Littlewood 2001; Chalmers and Volet 1997.

References

  • Beasley, C. J., & Pearson, C. A. L. (1999). Facilitating the learning of transitional students: Strategies for success for all students. Higher Education Research & Development, 18(3), 303–321. doi:10.1080/0729436990180303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burns, R. D. (1991). Study and stress among first year overseas students in an Australian University. Higher Education Research & Development, 10, 61–77. doi:10.1080/0729436910100106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cassidy, T. (2004). Mapping variables related to social identity, distress and perceived health in an undergraduate student population. Social Psychology of Education, 7, 339–352. doi:10.1023/B:SPOE.0000037504.24380.b3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chalmers, D., & Volet, S. (1997). Common misconceptions about students from South-East Asia studying in Australia. Higher Education Research & Development, 16, 87–89. doi:10.1080/0729436970160107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furnham, A. (2004). Foreign students; education and culture shock. The Psychologist, 17(1), 16–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerdes, H., & Mallinckrodt, B. (1994). Emotional, social, and academic adjustment of college students: A longitudinal study of retention. Journal of Counseling and Development, 72, 281–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gill, S. (2007). Overseas students’ intercultural adaptation as intercultural learning; a transformative framework. Compare, 37(2), 167–183. doi:10.1080/03057920601165512.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimshaw, T. (2008). Negotiating an identity in English: The discursive construction and reconstruction of Chinese students. In R. Johnson (Ed.), University life uncovered: making sense of the student experience. SWAP Research Monographs, Higher Education Academy, 56–65.

  • Lee, J. J., & Rice, C. (2007). Welcome to America? International student perceptions of discrimination. Higher Education, 53, 381–409. doi:10.1007/s10734-005-4508-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Littlewood, W. (2000). Do Asian students really want to listen and obey? ELT Journal, 54(1), 31–36. doi:10.1093/elt/54.1.31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Littlewood, W. (2001). Students’ attitudes to classroom english learning: A cross-cultural study. Language Teaching Research, 5(1), 3–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKinlay, N. J., Pattison, H. M., & Gross, H. (1996). An exploratory investigation of the effects of a cultural orientation programme on the psychological well-being of international university students. Higher Education, 31, 379–395. doi:10.1007/BF00128438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mullins, G., Quintrell, N., & Hancock, L. (1995). The experience of international and local students at three Australian Universities. Higher Education Research & Development, 14(2), 201–231. doi:10.1080/0729436950140205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy-Lejeune, E. (2002). Student mobility and narrative in medieval Europe. The new strangers. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peat, M., Dalziel, J., & Grant, A. M. (2001). Enhancing the first year student experience by facilitating the development of peer networks through a one-day workshop. Higher Education Research & Development, 20(2), 199–215. doi:10.1080/07294360120064439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perrucci, R., & Hu, H. (1995). Satisfaction with social and educational experiences among international graduate students. Research in Higher Education, 36(4), 491–508. doi:10.1007/BF02207908.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pitkethly, A., & Prosser, M. (2001). The first year experience project: A model for University-wide change. Higher Education Research & Development, 20(2), 185–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard, R. M. O., & Skinner, B. (2002). Cross-cultural partnerships between home and international students. Journal of Studies in International Education, 6(4), 232–354. doi:10.1177/102831502237639.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quintrell, N., & Westwood, M. (1994). The influence of a peer-pairing program on international students’ first year experience and use of student services. Higher Education Research & Development, 13(1), 49–57. doi:10.1080/0729436940130105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramsay, S., Barker, M., & Jones, E. (1999). Academic adjustment and learning process: A comparison of international and local students in first-year University. Higher Education Research & Development, 18(1), 129–144. doi:10.1080/0729436990180110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramsay, S., Jones, E., & Barker, M. (2007). Relationship between adjustment and support types: Young and mature-aged local and international first year University students. Higher Education, 54, 247–265. doi:10.1007/s10734-006-9001-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, C., Le Riche, P., & Jacklin, A. (2007). Students’ views of support in higher education: A study of current practice and future directions. Higher Education Review, 40(1), 3–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuelowicz, K. (1987). Learning problems of overseas students. Two sides of a story. Higher Education Research & Development, 6, 121–133. doi:10.1080/0729436870060204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Searle, W., & Ward, C. (1990). The prediction of psychological and sociocultural adjustment during cross-cultural transitions. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 14, 449–464. doi:10.1016/0147-1767(90)90030-Z.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sovic, S. (2007). International students as ‘others’? The experience of first-year students in the creative arts. Paper presented at Reshaping Higher Education, The Annual Conference of the Society for Research into Higher Education, Brighton, 11–13 December 2007; http://www.arts.ac.uk/docs/International_Students_as_Others_International_Student_Paper.pdf (accessed 1 March 2009).

  • Sovic, S. (2008a). Coping with stress: The perspective of international students. Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education, 6(3), 145–148. doi:10.1386/adch.6.3.145_1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sovic, S. (2008b). Lost in transition? The International Students’ Experience Project (Creative Learning in Practice Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, University of the Arts, London); http://www.arts.ac.uk/clipcetl-internationalstudents.htm (accessed March 1, 2009).

  • Terenzini, P. T., Rendon, L. I., Upcraft, M. L., Millar, S. B., Allison, K. W., Gregg, P. L., et al. (1994). The transition to college: Diverse students, diverse stories. Research in Higher Education, 35(1), 57–73. doi:10.1007/BF02496662.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UKCOSA. (2004). Broadening our horizons: International students in UK Universities and colleges; http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/files/pdf/BOHreport.pdf; summary http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/files/pdf/BOHsummary.pdf (both accessed March 1, 2009).

  • Volet, S. E., & Ang, G. (1998). Culturally mixed groups on international campuses: An opportunity for inter-cultural learning. Higher Education Research & Development, 17(1), 5–23. doi:10.1080/0729436980170101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ward, C., Bochner, S., & Furnham, A. (2001). The psychology of culture shock (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westwood, M. J., & Barker, M. (1990). Academic achievement and social adaptation among international students: A comparison group study of a peer pairing program. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 14, 251–263. doi:10.1016/0147-1767(90)90008-K.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilcox, P., Winn, S., & Fyvie-Gaud, M. (2005). ‘It was nothing to do with the University, it was just the people’: The role of social support in the first-year experience of higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 30(6), 707–722. doi:10.1080/03075070500340036.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, C.-M., Kuh, G. D., & Carini, R. M. (2005). A comparison of international student and American student engagement in effective educational practices. The Journal of Higher Education, 76(2), 209–231. doi:10.1353/jhe.2005.0018.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, Y., Jindal-Snape, D., Topping, K., & Todman, J. (2008). Theoretical models of culture shock and adaptation in international students in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 33(1), 63–75. doi:10.1080/03075070701794833.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

I am most grateful to Dr Margo Blythman and Dr Alison Shreeve for their comments on a draft of this article. An early version was presented at ‘Using Formal and Informal Curricula to Improve Interactions between Home and International Students’, a conference at the Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development, Oxford Brookes University, 20 June 2008.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Silvia Sovic.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sovic, S. Hi-bye friends and the herd instinct: international and home students in the creative arts. High Educ 58, 747–761 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9223-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9223-z

Keywords

Navigation