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The Incidence of Study-Related Stress in International Students in the Initial Stage of the International Sojourn

Bournemouth University

This article explores the incidence of stress in international students in relation to the requirements of an international master's programme. The data presented here were taken from a doctoral ethnographic study of the adaptation of international postgraduate students to life in the United Kingdom, involving individual interviews with 13 students during the academic year 2003-2004 as well as participant observation of the entire cohort of 150 masters students. It is suggested that stress related to the academic task is caused by academic cultural differences, particularly in regard to critical evaluation and participation in discussion in class, and by language ability. This study shows that stress is intense at the beginning of the academic programme and declines gradually as a function of a reduction in the academic workload rather than as a function of time.

Key Words: stress • panic • anxiety • language ability • class discussion • critical thinking • academic culture

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