Returning from Abroad
When you’re the one going through cross-cultural re-entry, it’s normal to experience the transition as both positive and negative. You may even feel like you are on a roller coaster—one minute excited to be home and proud to share all you’ve learned, and the next bored or frustrated and feeling out of sync with those people who have always been closest to you. Having ups and downs is common, and whether you see your glass as half-full or half-empty may depend on whether you are having a good day or a bad day. Research on study abroad has shown that we may gain several new skills and perspectives as a result of our experiences overseas, but when we are having a hard time readjusting to life back home, these can sometimes seem a liability. » Keep reading
Re-entry can be defined as the often unexpected and sometimes difficult experience of re-adjusting to life in one's home culture after living abroad. Some study abroad returnees do not find re-entry to be difficult; however, most returnees experience some degree of stress upon returning home. In fact, for many students the process of re-adapting to home after study abroad is even more difficult than adjusting to your host culture! Re-entry is different for everyone, just as your experience abroad was unique and special. However, there are some common re-adjustment issues that study abroad students report:
Personal Growth and Change—You may have experienced a challenge to your beliefs, convictions, values and world view while you were immersed in a different culture.
»Keep reading
As an attempt to recover from a serious bout of jetlag caused by a 30-hour flight from Colombo to Raleigh, I immediately tried to re-enter my day-to-day routine. My eyes, however, were still heavily lidded when I realized that the reverse culture shock I was about to experience from my recent trip to Sri Lanka was not going to be smooth.
I don’t remember the specific item that begrudgingly brought me to Walmart after I was unable to find it anywhere else in town, but I distinctly remember the moment I walked through those whirring automatic doors. »Keep reading
Get Involved
Put your global knowledge and intercultural skills to use. Many of the world's most effective social, environmental, peace, and political movements have started on college campuses. While at university you have rich educational resources and information at your fingertips and, most importantly, the passion of thousands of like-minded peers, creating a powerful combination for taking action in your local community and on behalf of some of the world's most pressing issues (especially those you learned about abroad). There is no better time than now for you to pursue your ideas and concerns—and there are many ways to do so! Click here for helpful resources, as well as for organizations that welcome student involvement and input.
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- Articles
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- Books & Films
Many of the resources in this section were contributed by James L. Citron, Vija G. Mendelson, and Stacey Woody Thebodo.
Websites
Articles
Students tell their stories through photographs collected in a new calendar.
Books
- The Art of Coming Home (Intercultural Press, 2001) by Craig Storti
Veteran trainer, consultant, and adventurer Craig Storti takes you step by step through the reentry experience and provides practical suggestions to the returnee for successful repatriation.
- Back in the USA (NAFSA, 1999) by Dawn Kepets
- Help students put their cross-cultural growth into perspective, compare differences in lifestyles and academic environments, and prepare for what may be the toughest part of studying abroad: the return home.
- Maximizing Study Abroad: A Student’s Guide to Strategies for Language and Culture Learning and Use. R. Michael Paige, Andrew D. Cohen, Barbara Kappler, Julie C. Chi and James P. Lassegard (Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota, 2002)
Cross-Cultural Re-Entry: A Book of Readings by Clyde Austin. Abilene, Texas: Abilene Christian University Press, 1986.
Culture Shock at Home: Understanding Your Own Change - The Experience of Return by Allison Bruce. Transitions Abroad. January/February, 1997.
Short-Term Study Abroad: Integration, Third Culture Formation, and Reentry by James Citron. NAFSA: Association of International Educators (www.nafsa.org).
Students Abroad: Strangers at Home by Norman L. Kauffman, Judith N. Martin, and Henry D. Weaver (Intercultural Press, 1992)
Back in the USA: Reflecting on Your Study Abroad Experience and Putting it to Work by Dawn Kepets. NAFSA: Association of International Educators, 1995 (www.nafsa.org).
Survival Kit for Overseas Living by Robert L. Kohls (Intercultural Press, 1996)
The Art of Coming Home by Craig Storti (Intercultural Press, 1997)
The Art of Crossing Cultures by Craig Storti (Intercultural Press, 1990)
Programming for Reentry: Issues and Solutions for Study Abroad Returnees by Stacey Woody Thebodo (Transitions Abroad, Mar/Apr 1998)
Films
- L’auberge Espagnole is a great movie about a French student’s experiences studying abroad in Barcelona, from his preparations to his conflicting feelings about returning home.
