Culture shock is the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they

are facing or moving to some other places or to an unfamiliar culture.

The author was in a “pre-departure” phase. She arrived two weeks earlier and
enjoyed her time there by roaming around. She was very enthusiastic about the
new land. So, this shows and proves that she was having a “pre-departure” phase.

The author said that the dormitory was a nightmare to her. She couldn’t adjust with
the fact that she had to share the room and the toilets with other students. She
was unhappy and started disliking the Chinese people. She didn’t consider
themselves friendly anymore. She was always tired, slept all day long and she
spent most of the time in her room because she didn’t want to face the different
cultural people there. This shows that she was having “Crisis Phase”.

When she realized that she needs to change the situation, with the help of a
teacher she decided to rent an apartment and live by her own. And by living alone
she got back her privacy and self-confidence back. She could see her goals why she
came to China and want to know about their culture and language. She was
comfortable and she got her humor back. This shows that she has gone through the
“Adaptation Phase”.