FRESHMEN'S ACADEMIC CULTURE SHOCK IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING : CHALLENGES AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES

The transition from high school to university presents significant differences in the education system, which often leads to academic culture shock among freshmen. Culture shock refers to a state of confusion and discomfort experienced when encountering unfamiliar environments, potentially resulting in negative emotional responses. This study aimed to explore the academic culture shock experienced by first-year students majoring in English and to identify the strategies they use to adapt to these challenges. The participants in this study consisted of four freshmen, two males and two females, from the English Education Departments of Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Sunan Giri Bojonegoro. This research employed a narrative study approach to capture and present the students’ personal experiences in depth. The findings revealed two main aspects: first, five types of academic culture shock encountered by the participants, including the number of English-related courses, differences in teaching methods, types of learning resources, assignment load, and lack of self-confidence; and second, eight adaptation strategies they applied, such as developing individual learning approaches, maintaining confidence despite mistakes, seeking help from seniors, practicing self-disclosure, asking lecturers for clarification, understanding academic systems, avoiding comparisons with others, and building social connections. This study provides valuable insights for new students, helping them better prepare for the academic and social demands of learning English at the university level.