culture shock

[Joe]

Dear friends, I am editing an article named "culture shock" for one of my friends. The following is part of it. I've tried my best to make it better, but I'm afraid that I can't suggest any more improvement. I figure something is not correct in it, but I have no idea as to how to improve. I understand it is quite long, but if you have a moment, please, take out one or two sentences and give me your suggestion. Whatever you offer, I'd appreciate it very much. Thanks very much.

...Day and day passed by quickly, I was still at a loss. I couldn’t bear the boring life and I decided to change my life, while I came across a friendly hometown fellow. He told me that self-discipline was very important for a college student especially a self-taught student. At the beginning, you must feel free and can’t find something to do, but you can preview the books and you shouldn’t necessarily only follow the teachers’ pace. And I know that he was a diligent student and was ready to take the post-graduate exam. He often got up at six, came to the library and stayed in it until ten o’clock in the evening. Through him, I suddenly saw the light and turned over a new leaf, so I decided to follow his example. I got up early and went to morning-reading, I listened to English Broadcasts. As the improvement of listening skill, I could understand the teacher during the classes and became interested in studying very much. At oral classes, I became more active and courageous. I spent most of the spare time staying in the library and enriched my life through studying. Though I didn’t have much new friends, I felt very happy because of the deep interest in English and the improvement of study.


Now I have adapted myself well to the university life. Through the effort, I have improved much my study and have caught up with the class during the past one year. More important point is that I have developed an ability of self-study and become a nearly independent student. I have lots of new friends whom help me much and treat me very well. I find I like the university life more than the middle school life because I can spend my spare time as I like through some meaningful ways.


This is the culture shock which I have experienced and the so-called four stages: honeymoon stage, crisis stage, recovery stage and adjustment stage.


Everyone would usually suffer from the culture shock throughout his life. Whether he can overcome it depends on his attitude towards the culture shock and his willpower. Crisis stage is dangerous. If he couldn’t stick with the experience and try to deal with it realistically, he would always stay in this stage or even want to give it up. But if he can overcome all sorts of difficulties and discomfort, he will easily adjust to the new environment and benefit from it much.