Each year, millions of people, residents of every country in the world, leave their homes to go abroad. Their purposes in sojourning to distant, unfamiliar places are varied. Some want to travel, some go on business, some wish to serve those in need through volunteer service, and still others hope to receive a high-quality education. Regardless of the motives behind travel, living in a foreign country, even for just a few days, affords new experiences and different, often uncomfortable, feelings about the surroundings.

Foreign students in particular have often been observed in order to assess their reactions to the new situations they encounter at their universities. Perhaps they have tended to be the focus of such study because they usually go abroad for a long period of time. Additionally, success in meeting their goals (i.e., an academic degree) is dependent on their adjustment. That is, difficulty in coping with aspects of the new environment often leads to academic trouble, and foreign students who are unable to concentrate on their required coursework may be obliged to return home without their degrees. Therefore, it appears that the exigencies of studying and other academic responsibilities make foreign students' processes of cultural adjustment and coping critical indeed.