Stranger in Malta : a look into the perspectives of international students on adapting to University student life in Malta

Abstract

The overarching objective of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the way in which international students at the University of Malta handle the process of integration upon arrival in Malta and as their experience unfolds. It looks into their expectations of being a student in Malta, compared with the reality of their situation and seeks to explore what features of the Maltese lifestyle and the Maltese character act as a welcoming support in the eyes of the students, and those that act as obstacles to integration and adaptation to their new environment. A questionnaire was distributed to 150 students that was designed to measure attitudes towards being a student in Malta. Many of the respondents chose to study in Malta because it is an English speaking country, because of the warm climate and the relatively low university tuition fees. Most of the respondents had never been to Malta before, and the international students that most reported having experienced culture shock were non European. The large part of the students did not claim to have experienced a cultural shock during their time in Malta. The most highly rated aspects of student life in Malta were the social life and Maltese hospitality. While there were complaints about being excluded as a foreigner - often due to communication difficulties - and the disorganization at the University of Malta, the majority of the international students claimed that they would recommend study in Malta to other persons.