THE IMPLICATIONS OF CULTURE SHOCK Change of location or environment is bound to bring varying effects, depending on the subject at hand. Whether small or big, change will always be associated with a particular sense. To some it may be anxiety while to others a combination of the former and loneliness. It is experienced in a number of circumstances; this is dependent on the nature of person involved. This particular story identifies instances where culture shock is evident and draws valuable information for purposes of analysis. There are many instances where cultural shock has dominated and resulted to either positive or negative reaction. This has been interpreted differently, while there are some that have assimilated, some did not have the capacity to go through the assimilation process. This kind of individuals eventually gave up and held up to their familiar ways of life. We begin with a story comprising of two close friends, Hyewon and Jeehyun, who have had similar experiences in high school. At the beginning, the two friends separated, and one traveled to Korea. It is apparent that the two have been friends from their childhood days, and their friendship culminates in high school, at a stage where their lives are close together. The future is uncertain, and the two do not know what to expect when they relocate to a different environment. For Hyewon, she has a different experience in regards to her college life, which makes her get filled up with mixed reactions, as events unfold. However, she starts off nicely, gets new friends and finally begins to catch up with the new environment. For Jeehyun, college years have been tough, and most of the times she would often try to assimilate into the environment with not much progress. It is evident that the two friends are experiencing culture shock; a situation in which a person feels disoriented as a result of being exposed to a new way of life. There are many causes of this scenario. The notable and most
