Abstract

Despite having purposefully chosen a stay abroad, international students still face significant intercultural conflicts when studying abroad. Current studies on student diversity do not adequately cater to international students, and their narratives are silent in diversity research. Campus climate and attitudes of peer students and staff are not always welcoming to international students, who report experiencing critical incidents when adapting to the new university, student, and learning culture. These complex cross-cultural adjustment processes are the topic of the present study, which addresses the most pressing areas of concern of international students. In total, n = 35 participants took part in the qualitative study in five large universities in Europe applying the “Critical Incident Methodology.” Participants were asked to share a Critical Incident, antecedent information, and the outcomes of the incident. Participants were involved in initial coding of the material, and the researchers continued with focused coding. The findings suggest six areas of concern international students and staff encounter: (1) differences in communication, (2) concerns of belonging and identity, (3) differences in hierarchy, (4) differences in culture and gender roles, (5) differences in time perception, and (6) effects of colonialism. The study reveals the narratives of international students and staff in these areas of concern, calls for more awareness and action, and shows implications for practice, especially for offering pre- and post-departure services for students in order to reflect and evaluate critical experiences for future learning.