I've never changed schools, not even once. For the past 18 years I have always lived in a densely populated town called Bandar Lampung, a city on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. I have always been surrounded by familiar faces every day and never thought I would leave for a land far from home. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University is my first cross-cultural experience I've ever had, and to say I'm grateful and impressed would be an understatement. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay During my first week in Beppu, I was on a few occasions confronted with cultural differences that are quite difficult to overcome; considering the fact that my home country, Indonesia, has its own culture shaped around hundreds of ethnic groups. But as the saying goes: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do. ” It refers to how essential it is to adapt to the customs of the people who find themselves in a certain place or situation and not just stick to one's own national culture. I knew that the old concepts I brought from home would interfere with adapting to a new circumstance. Luckily, as time went by I gradually got used to the new culture and what I finally realize is that all the hardships I went through are what made me who I am today. Nowadays, intercultural communication is currently taking place all over the world. . We currently live in a globalized world and are pushed to interact with people from different countries and cultures. The increasingly diverse workforce increases the need for us students to have intercultural communication skills. There are many ways to improve our intercultural competence. For starters, we must be able to look beyond our stereotypes, for only when individuals leave their differences behind and work together can they achieve success. Next, even with all the research you've done and all the experience you have, you'll still make mistakes here and there. Show your willingness to ask when you have something you're unsure about to avoid cultural missteps. Finally, take a deep breath and enjoy the entire journey. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Remember that the whole learning process is a lifelong lesson and will gradually improve the more time you spend communicating with people of different cultures. With a little work and effort to understand each other, it is entirely possible that our intercultural communication will increase dramatically. Works Cited Chua, R.Y.J., & Roth, Y. (2016). The impact of culture on creativity: Exploring the interactions between culture, creativity and innovation. In Handbook of research on innovation and creativity (pp. 253-271). Edward Elgar Publishing.Gudykunst, W.B., & Kim, Y.Y. (2003). Communicating with Strangers: An Approach to Intercultural Communication (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. Anchor Books.Hofstede, G. (2001). Consequences of culture: comparison of values, behaviors, institutions and organizations among nations. Sage Publications.Kim, Y.Y. (2016). Intercultural communication and adaptation: An integrative theory. Routledge.Nasr, M. (2016). Developing intercultural communication skills: An exploration of potential barriers to successful intercultural communication. Journal of International Education Research, 12(1), 25-36.Neuliep, J. W. (2017). Intercultural communication: A contextual approach (7th ed.). Sage Publications.Piller, I. (2016)..