Starting College can be exciting, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Contributed by Tina Quick
Third culture kids/global nomads have typically interacted with two or more cultures during their developmental years—those years that shape who they are as human beings. As they go about living their normal highly mobile, cross-cultural lives, they have no clue as to how they are being impacted. But one day they have an experience that wakes them up to the fact that they are different from others. This commonly takes place upon repatriation for college or university when they are surrounded mostly by those who have never ventured away from their home country or culture. What results is the feeling of cultural imbalance, not fitting in, inability to connect with their home-country peers. They feel like a “fish out of water” in their own country.
In 2009 Tina Quick wrote her groundbreaking book, The Global Nomad’s Guide to University Transition, to help these students understand what takes place in re-entry and/or transition and give them the tools and strategies they need to not only survive but to thrive in the adjustment. This was the first book written to and for students who have been living outside their “passport” countries but were either returning “home” or transitioning on to another host country for college/university. Highly popular with teens, parents, educators and counselors, it addressed the common issues students face when they are making the double transition of not only adjusting to a new life stage but to a cultural change as well.
Tina just announced her new and updated second edition of The Global Nomad’s Guide to University Transition has just been released and is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle versions.
The Four Pearls: Tina addresses in detail the four most common stumbling blocks TCKs) face in the transition to college/transition that can come as a huge surprise. She strongly believes if all students were aware of them, they would smoother transitions.
- The transition cycle—Involvement, Leaving, Transition, Entering, Re-involvement
- TCK identity development—the search for congruence in the sense of who they are as TCKs
- Unresolved grief—from multiple losses and separations
- Relationships—how global nomads relate differently from their domestic peers
New in the Second Edition:
- Articles by guest authors –
– Amanda Bates, M.B.A., M.Ed. on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and building a career;
– Lois Bushong, M.S. on mental health issues and finding a counselor;
– Lauren Wells on dismantling your grief tower and romantic relationships - Updates and new stories brought about by 10 years of cultural change and a pandemic.
- Expanded Parents’ chapter addressing the fallout of common parenting strategies as well as how parents can come alongside their students, prepare them for the journey, and support them throughout this major transition.
Praise for The Global Nomad’s Guide to University Transition, Second Edition
“This book has been written with TCK students and their parents in mind. However, it should also be required reading for senior school counselors, educators, transition-team members and all university personnel – admissions, counselors, academics, educators and carers. Filled with the perspectives of those actually making the university transition, namely TCK students, there are important insights, ‘truths’ and ‘pearls’ to inform optimal transitions-care programs and practices in schools and universities. The updates and inclusions in this second edition are timely and provide an authentic, empathetic and practical resource; a safe place for TCK students to probe, prompt, plan and prepare, and a place to gain perspective and agency to proactively pilot a healthy university transition.”
Jane Barron
Director of Training & Consulting
Safe Passage Across Networks (SPAN)
“Accessible and wide-ranging, this book is an excellent resource for international school students and Third Culture Kids (TCKs) as they prepare for their transition to higher education. Tina provides a comprehensive overview of the intersections between transnational youth, culture, identity and belonging, and provides practical tools that students can use to prepare for and undergo one of the greatest transitions they will ever experience. With real life stories embedded throughout each chapter, this book brings to life the challenges and opportunities faced by young people today. I know from my work that this book has already had a significant impact on TCKs and international students around the globe and I would highly recommend this second edition to students, parents, guidance counsellors, and international student services personnel.”
Katie Rigg
International Advisor for Student Well-being
Council of International Schools
Tina Quick has struck a marvelous balance between practical ‘how-to’ guidance and the reason(s) why it works. The book prepares TCK students and parents approaching the transition to university, but it is every bit as useful to folks who didn’t have the time, opportunity, or awareness to get ready for this type of change. Whether you devour this new edition cover-to-cover, or use parts of it for quick reference, it is a fantastic resource for TCK students, parents, educators, and counselors. I always have a couple copies in my office, and they get used… A lot.”
Brian D. White
Associate Dean of Students and
Director of International Students & Scholars, Lewis & Clark College
“Effective TCK care during the university years is critical for a healthy transition into adult life. Tina Quick has gathered a great deal of wisdom over her years of raising TCKs and helping others to make the jump to university, technical school, or other tertiary endeavors. The second edition of The Global Nomad’s Guide to University Transition is a timely release with extensive collaboration and should be on the ‘must-read’ list for third culture secondary grads!”
Michael V. Pollock
Co-author Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, 3rd ed.
DARAJA Director, TCK Author, Educator, and Specialist
Author: Tina Quick
Tina Quick is an author, cross-cultural trainer, and international speaker who has worked closely with international schools and universities around the world. She has also authored Survive and Thrive: The International Student’s Guide to Succeeding in the U.S. She is passionate about bringing to the forefront issues facing students in global transition and helping them understand how to confront the unique challenges a globally mobile lifestyle can bring.
