Chinese International Students' Personal and Sociocultural Stressors in the United States

To date, no empirical research has focused solely upon understanding the personal and sociocultural stressors of Chinese international students in the United States. This qualitative inquiry examined what the most stressful aspects of their personal and social lives in the United States are, how they characterize their stress, and what conditions they believe tend to account for their stress. This study reveals that the life of Chinese students in the United States is not easy and that these students have to endure multifaceted life stresses. These results can be used to help Chinese international students adapt to the American educational environment and to improve the services and programs American universities deliver to their foreign students.