Southeast Asian International Students Adjusting to Jordanian Universities: Views From the Field

Abstract

Using a qualitative research methodology, we interviewed 20 Southeast Asian undergraduate students from Malaysia and Indonesia attending universities in northern Jordan to identify any adjustment problems they may have been facing. These international students experienced pressure to succeed from their sponsoring agencies and families, a very common type of stress. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine this issue to learn more about this problem and discover possible solutions. These students experienced academic, personal, sociocultural, and/or language problems. We examined how the students defined their situations, as well as the strategies they developed to cope with their problems. The study revealed that Southeast Asian international students attending Jordanian universities experience stress and anxiety from studying abroad for several years, leaving behind family responsibilities, fearing whether they can meet academic goals, and losing all that is familiar (language, culture, friends, food) because of leaving their homeland.