International student’s challenges and adjustment in Turkish universities, a case study based on Ankara

Abstract

International student’s enrolment in higher education in the Turkey has expanded considerably in the last decades with the help of Turkey Bursları Scholarship Program. The relevance of this work is determined by the real problems of foreign students’ adaptation to the educational environment of Turkish Universities. Every year more and more foreign students come to Turkey to get higher education, and every foreign student goes through an objective process of adaptation to University life. In this study, international students’ experiences were examined in academic and socio-cultural settings. Through qualitative interviews, the findings revealed that international students deal with academic challenges, social isolation, and cultural adjustment. Specifically, academic challenges included communication with professors, classmates, and staff. Consequently, they have to deal with social isolation when engaging in different group activities. Culturally, they need to confront the different ways of thinking and doing in the Turkey. In order to overcome these challenges, students have adopted some reasonable resources that mainly are derived from the universities and outside universities to overcome these challenges. Thus, as demonstrated in this study, having a better understanding of these students’ academic challenges, university faculty and staff can recognize students’ needs and effectively offer supportive campus resources and services. The university needs to be prepared to meet students not only academically but also socially and culturally. This study also suggests that some preparations need to be made by the university that will embrace international students upon their arrival.