The Perception of International Students of Universitas Negeri Semarang in The New Rural Environment (Intercultural Studies Perspective)

Abstract

This study investigates international student perception of rural environment at Universitas Negeri Semarang and how they overcome those as a part of their cultural adaptation. The way they perceive the new cultures which are truly different from their country will be discussed in this research and the difficulties in trying to adapt the new environment as well. This is since they consider that Semarang is more rural than their own countries. This study involves several international students who are studying at Universitas Negeri Semarang for at least 5 years. Interviews were used to collect data, and coding and interpretation were employed as tools to analyze data. Based on their experiences, the results show that those international students identify the different habits, norms and customs in rural environment, such as public transportation, food, social interactions, etc. In addition, the international students also show culture shock in their first year living in the new rural environment. Hence, the international students at Universitas Negeri Semarang may use their new experiences as their self-development process by coping these difficulties properly. Keywords— perception; international student; rural