“Why do I feel out of place?”: a layered autoethnographic account of being a Chinese international student in the United Kingdom

In this paper, I employ a layered autoethnographic account that incorporates memory, reflection, and theoretical analysis to explore my academic journey and positionality as a Chinese international student transitioning from China to the United Kingdom (UK). This novel combination of research methods provides a nuanced account of how contrasting educational systems shaped my emotional wellbeing during my postgraduate studies in the UK. Based on my transitional experience, I draw on Bourdieu’s theory to critically analyse and discuss the concepts of linguistic capital, habitus, and field. These autoethnographic insights deepen understandings of international students’ emotional, cultural, and epistemological challenges, and underscore the importance of autoethnography in assessing emotional wellbeing and academic adaptation across cultural boundaries within Western contexts.