Cultural Adjustment and Engagement

Like all institutions in the University of California system, UC San Diego values diversity and champions an environment that encourages academic success. Visit our Campus Climate website for updates on these ongoing efforts.

U.S. Culture and Adjustment

Adapting to a new culture isn't always easy! Find some general information about American culture, and learn how to navigate culture shock.

Culture Shock

Culture Shock is a term used to describe the anxiety that’s experienced by almost everyone who relocates to another culture for an extended period of time. Learning to cope with confusion with the language, frustration with different ways of doing things, isolation from your friends and family, and homesickness are a part of adapting to a new culture.

Common challenges include:

Learning to cope with confusion with the language
Frustration with different ways of doing things
Isolation from your friends and family
Sadness
Homesickness (missing home)

culture shock graph

Culture shock isn't always immediate. Phases in adapting to a new culture can manifest in different ways and at different times, and can include:

Excitement upon arrival, everything is new and wonderful.
Homesickness, frustration, fear and depression may occur.
Beginning to adjust, make friends, and participate in activities.
Difficulty returning to home country, reverse culture shock.

These are all normal feelings and are part of adapting to a new culture. Many international students and scholars coming to UC San Diego are feeling the same ups and downs that you are feeling.

Cultural Adjustment

The best way to overcome culture shock is to meet new friends and get involved in activities that you normally would do in your own country, or even try something new! A good place to start is to join the many activities that we have at ISEO, which are designed for international visitors and their families.

Other ways to diminsh feelings of culture shock are:

Plunge" into your host culture and wrestle with the differences.
Keep an open mind; it is natural to have preconceived ideas and beliefs that come into question while abroad.
Athletic activities like team sports or taking walks.
Get to know others at your host school or organization.
Do not isolate yourself.
Find a local person with whom you can discuss your frustrations and encounters.
Learn as much as you can about your host culture.
Maintain a support structure with others, particularly those going through the same experience. However, do not retreat into an American "clique" to avoid the discomfort of culture shock.
Keep a journal. Record your impressions of new experiences and the transformations that are occurring within you.

Understanding American Culture

Not all Americans are the same, but here are a few common American characteristics that you might find helpful to be aware of.

Greeting Others:
- Americans often will say, “How are you?” “What’s up?” “How’s it going?” as a means to simply say “Hello”, and “I’ll call you” “See you” or “Later” as a means to simply say, “Good-bye.” These statements are typically not taken literally.
- Americans are also very informal, and address each other by their first names from the time they meet, even with elders and people of authority.
Hygiene:
- Most Americans shower every morning, not in the evening like many other countries. Take this into account when scheduling bathroom arrangements with American roommates. Also, natural body odors are considered unpleasant and offensive, so deodorants, colognes and other toiletries are used often.
Typical Dining Schedule and Terms:
- Breakfast: 5 -10:30 am
- Lunch: 11-3 pm
- Happy Hour: 4-6 pm. Offered at many restaurants and typically consists of discounted prices for beverages and certain food items. Can also refer to a friendly social gathering with beverages and light snacks.
- Dinner: 5-10 pm
- Brunch: 10:30am -3 pm(usually only on weekends or days off). A combination of the words "breakfast" and "lunch."
- Potluck: Term used in the context of an afternoon or evening gathering with the implication that you will make an appetizer or dish that you can bring to share with the entire group.
Clothing:
- Dress is generally informal on campus. There is no one particular style adopted; however, it is important to keep in mind what is appropriate on campus and what is not.
Gift Exchange:
- As a rule, gifts are given to relatives and close friends. They are sometimes given to people with whom one has a casual but friendly relationship, such as a host or hostess, but it is not necessary or even common for gifts to be given to such people.
Communication Style:
- In a question of honesty versus politeness, honesty wins. For example if you are invited to an event and cannot/do not want to go, it is much better to refuse graciously and courteously than to accept an invitation and not go.
- Keep in mind that unspoken signals (body language) by others may not mean what you think. Various gestures are automatic and vary from culture to culture.
Timeliness:
- In the U.S., great value is attached to time. Punctuality is considered an important attribute. You should try to arrive at the exact time specified for dinner, lunch, and especially appointments with professors, doctors, and other professionals.
Offensive Behavior:
- Actions involving sexual intimidation, sexual abuse, sexual assault, engaging in obscene behavior, or other unwelcome, intimidating, hostile, abusive, or offensive conduct of a sexual nature are strictly prohibited by law and are considered very serious matters in the USA and in the UC San Diego community.

National Holidays and Events

Learn about the many national holidays and major events in the U.S. that play a significant part in U.S. culture. For instruction, exam, and holidays or breaks in the UC San Diego quarter system, take a look at the UC San Diego Academic and Administrative calendar. UC San Diego employees can find pay dates, holidays, and the number of working days/hours per month on the UC San Diego Payroll calendar.

National Holidays

The following legal holidays are days when many businesses, schools, and banks are closed. We hope in addition to these holidays, students and scholars will take the opportunity to learn about the holidays of other religions and cultures, and of course, teach others about their own!

New Year’s Day (January 01)
This celebration, marking the first day of the New Year, occurs at midnight on December 31st with parties, and special events. Typically San Diego hosts an array of events, especially in the downtown area. Many enjoy watching the Times Square Ball Drop on TV in New York City. The Rose Parade is also an iconic New Year’s Day tradition hosted in nearby in Pasadena, CA (near Los Angeles). The parade includes a competition of floral-decorated floats, music bands, and othr festivities.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Third Monday in January)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King's advanced civils rights through emphasis of power of words and acts of nonviolent resistance. We celebrate the birthday of this civil rights leader on the third Monday in January.

Presidents’ Day (Third Monday in February)
Presidents Day honors the birthdays of the first U.S. President George Washington (February 22) and the sixteenth U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (February 12), however it is also a day to honor/celebrate all Presidents.

Cesar Chavez Day (March 31)
A California state holiday to honor the labor activism of Cesar Chavez on behalf of farm workers. UC San Diego typically observes the holiday the last Friday of the month.

Memorial Day (Last Monday in May)
Commemorates U.S. soldiers who have died in wars. It is customary to decorate their graves with flowers or flags on this day.

Juneteenth (June 19)
Also known as “Freedom Day,” “Emancipation Day” or “Jubilee,” Juneteenth is one of our country’s oldest celebrations of the abolition of slavery. Though the Emancipation Proclamation became official on January 1, 1863, many were enslaved in states where slavery continued or where they did not know that they were free. On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger informed more than 250,000 slaves in Texas that they were legally freed. The now annual celebration of Juneteenth began a year later on June 19, 1866.

Independence Day / 'Fourth of July' (July 04)
A day of parades, picnics, and fireworks, celebrating the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776. San Diego is known for celebrating by hosting the Big Bay Boom, a firework show that lasts about 15 minutes and can be seen from various areas in San Diego.

Labor Day (First Monday in September)
This holiday honors the importance and contributions of the workforce and labor organizations in the U.S.

Veteran’s Day (November 11)
This holiday honors veterans of all wars. Many times celebrated with parades and family gatherings. Veteran's Day is also on Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which marks the treaty date ending World War I.

Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday of November)
This custom dates back to Pilgrims in 1621 that gave thanks for a bountiful harvest and the Native Americans who taught them agricultural cultivation. You can expect that families and friends are enjoying a huge traditional dinner consisting of a roasted stuffed turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, squash, and pumpkin pie.

Christmas (December 25)
A holiday of gift-giving, family reunions, Santa Claus, feasting, and decorated Christmas trees based on a Christian tradition. In San Diego many enjoy exploring Balboa Parks December Nights as the park is decorated with many decorated trees, food vendors and many activities. Many enjoy tracking Santa with North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). In the 1950s an advertisement misprinted a phone number to call Santa, instead accidentally listed the number to NORAD. A colonel answered the phone only to find a child on the other line inquiring about Santa. The NORAD team continued to answer the phone, and it became a tradition that the NORAD team tracks Santa.

Major Events

There are many major events in the U.S. that are not official holidays, but play a significant part in U.S. culture.

Super Bowl (First Sunday in February)
The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL). It is celebrated with food like chips, guacamole, chicken wings, pizza, dips, and much more. For many, the special commercials and halftime show are just as fun as the game. Don't be surprised if someone asks you for your favorite superbowl commercial! Learn about American Football here.

Valentine's Day (February 14)
People commonly exchange cards, candy, or flowers with their loved ones on this day.

St. Patrick's Day (March 17)
Many celebrate this day by wearing green, eating, and drinking out with friends at Irish themed venues. There is typically a parade in San Diego's Gaslamp District, and many local businesses sell green items such as green bagels, beer, or milk shakes.

Match Day (Third Friday of March)
Match Day refers to the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) mechanism for matching applicants looking for U.S. medical residency programs.

Mardi Gras (Tuesday before Ash Wednesday)
This Carnival celebration begins the day before Ash Wednesday, which is a day affiliated with the Christian tradition of Lent. Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday, which is reflected by eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual lent sacrifices and fasting of the Lent season. The city of New Orleans is known for their Mardi Gras events. However, San Diego's Gaslamp District also typically hosts a large festival each year.

Spring Break (Dates vary)
Spring break is a vacation period in early spring at schools and universities.

Mother's Day (Second Sunday of May)
A day to celebrate any maternal influences in one's life.

Father's Day (Third Sunday of June)
A day to celebrate any paternal influences in one's life.

Halloween (October 31)
A popular Halloween activity is 'trick-or-treating', where costumed children knock on neighbors' doors in residental areas asking for candy. You will see carved jack-o-lanterns, festive costume parties, scary decorations, and lots of candy. San Diego's Gaslamp District in Downtown San Diego hosts haunted houses and many more fun activities.

Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving)
Many stores offer high discounts on items and many times stores open at midnight. Some stores choose to even open on Thanksgiving day in the afternoon with the idea for customers to go shopping after their Thanksgiving meal.

Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving)
Many stores offer discounts for online shopping, typically on electronics.

Cultural Resources and Programs

UC San Diego hosts many departments and organizations that celebrate a wide variety of global cultures. Find more information about involvement in these programs and resources below.

International Services and Engagement Office (ISEO)

International Student Orientation and Welcome Programs: During orientation, ISEO partners with college coordinators for intentional programming in order to ease the acclimation process for incoming international students.
ISEO also hosts a variety of programs throughout the year to help international students connect with eachother and the wider community.
For more information about programs hosted by ISEO and our Global Education partners, visit iprograms.ucsd.edu

International House (I-House)

International House (I-House): I-House is a wonderfully vibrant on-campus community dedicated to the promotion of international awareness and intercultural understanding at UCSD and around the world! All UCSD students, faculty, staff and community friends are welcome to participate in their programs.
I-House Programs: Engaging and connecting people are what I-House is all about. Whether it’s through resident activities, campus-wide programs or community programs, there are a number of different ways you can get involved.
Student Organizations: I-House is home to several diverse and influential student organizations that collaborate to define and promote global citizenship.

Friends of the International Center (FIC)

The Friends of the International Center (FIC): is a nonprofit organization that supports international education, fosters friendship, understanding, and cooperation within the international community, and creates a meeting place on the UC San Diego campus for people who share these aims.

Center for Student Involvement (CSI)

Center for Student Involvement (CSI): Through engagement in student organizations, campus wide events, Greek Life, communication and leadership programs, and community service initiatives; CSI provides a place of belonging and personal growth while supporting students to become experienced citizens and leaders.
Student Organizations: Leadership development, volunteer opportunities, and student organizations. Students can get involved in many ways, through joining one of over 600 student organizations or starting one on something they are passionate about.

Cross-Cultural Center (CCC)

The Cross-Cultural Center: is committed to supporting the needs of UCSD’s campus communities by creating a welcoming and holistic learning environment for everyone. Our vision at the Cross-Cultural Center is to empower UCSD to recognize, challenge, and take proactive approaches to diversity for campus as a whole.

The Library

Library Events & Exhibits: The library hosts a variety of events and exhibits covering all disciplines, including public lectures, author talks, film screenings, and more! Everyone is welcome to attend.

Graduate Student Association (GSA)

The Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA): exists to advocate the rights and interests of our diverse community, to provide for the enjoyment of social, cultural, and service-oriented events, and for the betterment of academic and non-academic life of all graduate and professional students at UC San Diego.