Experiences and Adjustment Challenges of Nigerian International Students in United Kingdom Higher Institutions

Abstract International mobility for study purposes has witnessed rapid increase in recent times; which demands that experiences and challenges faced by these group of students be explored continuously, to assist in their acculturation processes. This study sought to quantitatively examine the experiences and challenges of fifty-six Nigerian international students in United Kingdom universities. A 34-item International Students’ Questionnaire was designed to elicit data regarding challenges and experiences of international students which included some demographic data of participants. The purpose of this study was to investigate how international students would rate some challenges and experiences; verify if there is an association between participants’ demographic variables and perceived challenges and experiences; and find out if there is a positive correlation between challenging areas and students’ experiences. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, and Pearson correlation. Results revealed that social/external challenges are the most disturbing issues faced by most international students. Also, some association between demographic variables and challenges international students encounter, and some positive correlations between challenging areas and students’ experiences were found. Implications of these findings are discussed alongside suggestions and recommendations for further research. Recommendations are also made to students and institutions on how to facilitate international students’ integration into their academic lives and communities. Keywords: international students, challenges, experiences, adjustment process. DOI: 10.7176/IAGS/70-01 Publication date:March 31st 201