Beyond adaptation

International students’ successful adaptation to the host country is closely associated with subjective well-being; however, the mechanisms linking sociocultural adaptation to life satisfaction remain insufficiently understood. This study examined the mediating role of leisure experience dimensions in the relationship between sociocultural adaptation and life satisfaction among Azerbaijani international students in Türkiye. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed with 122 students. Data were collected using the Sociocultural Adaptation Scale, Leisure Experience Scale, and Life Satisfaction Scale. A parallel multiple mediation model was tested using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Findings indicated that sociocultural adaptation positively predicted life satisfaction, awareness, challenge, and boredom, whereas anxiety was not significant. Only awareness and challenge significantly predicted life satisfaction. Importantly, challenge emerged as the sole significant mediator. These findings highlight the developmental role of leisure.