Information for Returning Study Abroad Participants

Now that you have spent some time abroad, coming back and adjusting to your own country may be just as hard as when you arrived in the foreign country. There are countless ways to use the knowledge and skills that you gained while abroad. Be creative in applying what you have learned so that growth can continue.

Here are a few tips on how to use those tools that you have gained and to ease the transition back to the US:

• After spending an extended amount of time in a foreign country, you may have changed. Expect and acknowledge that you'll be different now.
• Talk about your experience!
• Meet with other students who have studied abroad and share your experiences.
• Write an article for the Battalion, the local newspaper, or your local home paper.
• Meet the international students and help them to integrate into the United States culture.
• Join international organizations and clubs.
• Become more involved in programs and activities in the Memorial Student Center.
• Develop a web site about your experience and program. Be sure to let Study Abroad know so that we may link up to your page.
• Become a Conversation Partner for international students at the English Language Institute ELI). The time commitment is minimal: 1 hour per week to meet and talk about literally anything the students desire - food, customs, music, movies, and so on - in a casual environment. If interested, please contact Ginny West. You can also reach her by phone at 979-845-7622 for more information.
• Organize a reunion of the group of students with whom you studied abroad.
• Volunteer for International Student Services. Gain experience interacting with international students from countries all over the world. Volunteer opportunities include the Check-in and Orientation Preparation, becoming an International Hostel Host/Hostess, Volunteer for Campus Tours, Recreation Center Tours, and Library Tours, and tallying evaluation forms following Orientation. Please contact ISS (ph 979-845-1824) if you are interested in volunteering or have further questions.
• Continue studying the language(s) you learned while abroad.
• Advise students who are considering a study abroad experience.
• Start thinking about when and how you'll return. Some students have applied to graduate schools in the country in which they studied, have found employment possibilities while they were on the program, have joined the U.S. Peace Corps, or have just returned to visit their host family and friends.
• Integrate the best of the two cultures. Don't feel you must give up one at the expense of another.

POST-TRAVEL HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS

There are a few health issues you need to consider when returning from travel abroad:

• If you become ill within 12 months after traveling, inform your physician of the countries you visited while abroad.
• If you have been taking anti-malarial medication, continue doing so for four weeks after you return home.
• Schedule an appointment with a health care provider for a sexually transmitted disease check if you were sexually active while abroad.

Some helpful links:

What is re-entry?

Take the Shock out of Culture Shock

Reverse Culture Shock

A Student's Perspective: The Challenges of Returning Home After Studying Overseas

Other Coping Strategies