Leaving your home country, family, and friends is difficult, and we realize that the first months here will be a dynamic mixture of happiness and home sickness, of excitement and anxiety, and of growing confidence and some lingering irritations and frustrations.  This is called “culture shock.”  It is normal, and something everyone experiences when entering a new and different culture.  The best news, though, is that it is also temporary.  Indeed, by the end of the first semester you will be amazed at how much you have learned and how comfortable you are becoming in your new home.

Through the orientation programs, we try hard to minimize culture shock, but we know that much of the information we provide comes too quickly and may be overwhelming.  For this reason we have prepared this handbook.  Please use it as a reference book that can answer frequently asked questions and provide you with a starting point for getting assistance. 

To use this handbook we suggest you start with the Table of Contents.

There may be items we have not covered or about which you need more information.  Please feel free to call International Student and Scholar Services at 330 - 672 - 7980.  We may not have all the answers, but we will do our best to assist you. 

Again, welcome to your university, and the staff in International Student and Scholar Services wish you success and hope you find a second “home” in Ohio.