Navigating Anxiety and Uncertainty: International Students’ Challenges and Strategies to Cultural Adjustment

Authors

  • Addison H. Carrasquillo East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
  • Sachiyo M. Shearman East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

Abstract

International students face unique challenges when transitioning from their home countries to another culture. Guided by Gudykunst’s (2005) Anxiety-Uncertainty Management (AUM) Theory, the current research highlights how international students in the U.S. manage their uncertainty, anxiety, and cultural distance in academic and social settings. This study draws on ten in-depth interviews with international students (five males and five females) at a large public university in the Southeastern United States. We examined how they navigate the cultural adjustment process in a higher education institution located in a rural area of the United States. Thematic analysis of the in-depth interview revealed that international students experienced a variety of challenges such as pre-arrival expectations, navigating American communication styles, adjusting to academic expectations and campus culture, barriers to building social connections, and economic/time constraints. Despite these challenges, the international students managed anxiety and uncertainty by building support systems, engaging in campus involvement, taking on leadership roles, and practicing mindfulness and other strategies to manage stress. The current study highlighted the resilience of international students and identified ways in which institutions can strengthen their support.

Author Biographies

Addison H. Carrasquillo, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

Addison H. Carrasquillo is a recent graduate of East Carolina University’s School of Communication, earning both a Master of Arts in Strategic Communication and a Bachelor of Science in Interpersonal & Organizational Communication. During her graduate program, she served as a Teaching Assistant and as the Undergraduate and Graduate Program Liaison, gaining experience in student engagement and academic support. Her thesis, Navigating Anxiety and Uncertainty: Cultural Adjustment of International Students at ECU, examined the challenges international students face and the strategies that support their adjustment. This interest grew from her own study abroad experience in ECU’s Tuscany study abroad program in 2021 and an internship with the ECU Office of Global Affairs in 2022. She presented this research at the 2025 Global Issues Conference. Addison now works as an Admissions Counselor at Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina, where she focuses on recruitment and inclusive student support.

Sachiyo M. Shearman, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA

Sachiyo M. Shearman is a professor in the School of Communication at East Carolina University. She has taught in both the undergraduate and graduate programs in the School of Communication as well as in the International Studies Master’s Program. She has taught courses such as Conflict and Communication, Intercultural Communication, and Research Methods in both traditional face-to-face classes and distance education formats. Her research interest lies in the analysis of culture, conflict, and communication, focusing on the examination of cultural impact, individual differences, and cognition during information processing. She has written an electronic textbook, “Communication Across Cultures,” and authored several book chapters. Her research studies have been published in Communication Teacher, Communication Quarterly, Human Communication Research, The International Journal of Human Resources Management, Journal of Family Communication, and the Howard Journal of Communication.

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Published

2026-02-24

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2026): Proceedings from the 9th Global Issues Conference

Section

Global Issues Conference Proceedings

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