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By Abdelrahman Mitib Altakhaineh - Leaving my home country, Jordan, to study abroad is an exhilarating and intriguing experience. Mingling with people who have different cultures, traits and values has its advantages as it enriches our experience and exposesus to a whole new world ofenticing opportunities and cultural diversity. However, having certain expectations about life abroad may turn out to be counterproductive.

As I grow up, I get used to my culture and traditions as they affect my identity and the ways by whichI relate to the world around me. My personalities are shaped by my native culture.Thus, losing track of the common symbols and cues that define me, direct me and make my "daily and normal" life livable and easymay lead to what is commonly known as "cultural shock". It is a psychological discomfort that we feel when we leave our home land to live in a foreign environment. When people's facial expressions, gestures and words do not seem familiar to us, we find ourselves disoriented and lost. Hence, it is logical to encounter difficulties when trying to interpret people's meanings and implications.

There are certain phases pertaining to cultural shock that people usually experience when departing their home countries. Firstly, people feel excited and fascinated with the new things they come across. This fascination may clear the way for productive interaction with the others. Secondly, people start to get uncomfortable when they feel that they got plunged into a society in which they perceive themselves as outsiders. When people feel that they do not belong, they usually label the new environment as "strange" thus, they may reject it. Thirdly, learning to decode and decipher foreigners' conduct, culture and gestures to be able to deal with the new surroundings is basically a survival technique. Finally, after a period of time, people tend to accept the new culture and try to enjoy it to the best of their abilities.

As individuals, we attempt to keep an open mind, a positive attitude and a sense of adaptability about our new environment. We also endeavorto seize the friendship opportunities offered to us and to broaden our horizons. We know that we may face frustrating and hard experiences. However, we learn to take the good with the bad, in the end, we know that our experiences pave the way to positive self-change and success in the future. And most importantly, we should always give bright image about our home countries.

In addition to personal efforts exerted by individualsthat aim to lessen the effects of cultural shock, the host universities for incoming international students usually play a crucial role in clarifying what is expected of them and in easing their induction to the new cultural and academic environment. Newcastle University is one of these renowned universities that offer extended orientation programs that assist students' transition to the new community which in turn facilitates their interaction with their new classmates, roommates and neighbors.

The orientation includes various topics such as academic information and culture, multicultural interaction, financing, health and safety, accommodation, and custom.Moreover, the university organizes university-sponsored-multicultural-events that would benefit both international and domestic students. These events basically aim to help international students acclimate to the host country via providing the appropriate atmosphere for positive interaction between the students as well as meeting people within the same community of origin.