A Qualitative Study of Overseas Chinese University Students’ Process of Successful Adaptation

[[abstract]]A Qualitative Study of Overseas Chinese University Students’ Process of Successful Adaptation Abstract The study intends to uncover the basic prerequisites overseas Chinese university students require to successfully adapt themselves to campus life and studies. It focuses on academic learning in various areas, cultural conflicts, life experiences, group activities, and the process of individual positive coping and recuperation undergone by overseas Chinese university students during their stay in Taiwan. A qualitative method is used to understand various adaptation-related problems these students encounter upon their arrival in Taiwan and their successful adaptation to studies and life etc. based on guidance in the outline of semi-structural interviews. The connotations of the psychosocial development of students who have successfully adapted are further investigated to understand the problems regarding these students’ adaptation, their influencing factors and to sum up their positive development and the process of successful adaptation. Finally, suggestions to counseling strategies concerning these students are made based on the findings and conclusions of the study. Qualitative interviews were used in the study targeting overseas Chinese students at public and private universities in northern Taiwan. First, the counseling office for overseas Chinese students of each university, in accordance with purposive sampling criteria, selected ten overseas Chinese students who generally fit the description of required cases, i.e., initial difficulties in adaptation and successful adaptation at present. The ten students were each given a psychosocial test for university students and a MBTI personality inventory. Six thereof were selected for further interviews. Major findings are described as follows: 1. Connotations of the psychosocial development of overseas Chinese university students who have successfully adapted: The following characteristics are concluded regarding the six dimensions of the psychosocial development of such students. (1) Learning skills improve as the grade level increases and students gradually develop various schooling abilities. (2) Students with an extroverted personality are willing to become part of a group, accept others and display a better ability to manage their emotions. (3) Students who receive less care at school show better independent development. (4) Students can establish a more mature interpersonal network for the purpose of adaptation to life and academic learning. (5) Students can distinctly identify with diverse cultures although differences in appearance affect their self-recognition. (6) Students whose studies meet their interest have clear goals while those whose studies differ from what their parents expect are more hesitant. 2. Adaptation to university life and its influential factors: Factors that influence overseas Chinese students’ adaptation are concluded as follows: (1) Students from families where parents have moderate expectations and provide appropriate financial support have less adaptation problems. (2) Students with less financial support from their families experience more pressure from life and studies. (3) Influential factors of adaptation problems resulting from academic learning are most common and diverse. (4) Language barriers not only lead to problems concerning academic learning, but also influence the establishment of an interpersonal network. (5) Most students only like to join clubs organized by overseas Chinese students and seek help mainly from fellow overseas Chinese students when they encounter difficulties. (6) Students seek to adapt themselves by means of an acceptance and assimilation in local cultures when they encounter problems regarding cultural adaptation. (7) Physiologically, students tend to have problems with Taiwanese cooking style and climatic particularities. (8) Factors that lead to psychological problems are first homesickness, followed by friendship and relationship. These different factors are interconnected and mutually affected. Different countries of residence and personalities have a profound effect on the manifestation of different problems. 3. Overseas Chinese university students’ process of successful adaptation: Students who have successfully adapted adopt a proactive and positive attitude in response to problems regarding adaptation to life. Common elements are evident in the process of pursuing successful adaptation. (1) Appropriate expectations and support from their families. (2) Adequate ability of financial management. (3) Effective academic learning strategies. (4) Diverse abilities of language learning and expression. (5) Enthusiasm in joining clubs and harmonious social relations. (6) Acceptance of and assimilation to diverse cultures. (7) Adjustment of living habits for physiological recovery. (8) The pursuit of psychological coping and consolation by various means. Sources of support are mainly senior schoolmates in overseas Chinese student unions or those from the same countries of residence and counseling offices for overseas Chinese students at universities. Their interpersonal interactions with local peers are through mutual respect, empathy, acceptance and tolerance. 4. Improved counseling strategies for helping overseas Chinese students successfully adapt: There are four strategies. (1) Provide competent counseling personnel and establish a sound system for overseas Chinese students. (2) Apply theories and principles of positive psychology to counseling for overseas Chinese students. (3) Enhance students’ ability of recovery for coping with the challenges of adversity. (4) Improve counseling strategies for overseas Chinese students to help overseas Chinese university students successfully develop and adapt. Key words: Overseas Chinese University Students, Psychosocial Development, Successful Adaptation