Adjustment and Loneliness Amongst International Students: a Study at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta Indonesia

The higher education at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta has undergone radical change since the year 2001, with the phenomenal increase in the intake of international students, particularly from Malaysia, Thailand, Somalia, East Timor, South Africa and Singapore. Students from these countries described their experiences in terms of the way they adjust to their environment and their loneliness conditions. In crossing national borders for their education, these students leave the comfort of their homes, family and social networks. Phenomenological analysis revealed the adjustment process and their loneliness condition. The international students find themselves in a relational deficit, if not social isolation, at the time when the need more than usual support. They face language barriers, study environment, or settings, finances, accommodation and day-to-day living problem and they must still negotiate with institutional rules. They often face issues of personal autonomy and recreation of identity in their environment. International students must establish themselves as foreigners staying for a time as neither inside nor outside.