INITIAL ADJUSTMENT OF TAIWANESE STUDENTS TO THE UNITED-STATES - THE IMPACT OF POSTARRIVAL VARIABLES

Few studies of international student adjustment to the United States a re longitudinal in nature. As part of a broader investigation of 172 T aiwanese students over time, the current report examines the adjustmen t of these students during their first months in the United States. A multidimensional model postulated adjustment to be mediated by demogra phics, personality, number and severity of problems experienced, exten t of decline in level of control from pre- to postarrival, adequacy of prearrival preparation, size of the Chinese community surrounding the student social support, language competence, and financial resources. This model accounted for 39% of the variance in adjustment. Implicati ons of the findings are discussed.