When you return home, you may experience “reverse culture shock” in readjusting to American culture. Your time abroad may have changed you in some ways, and therefore, the place you return to may appear to have changed. If you have been away on long program, some things may have indeed changed while you have been gone, and you may feel that you no longer fit in. For some people, this re-entry adjustment can be just as traumatic as the adjustment to a new culture, although it is usually shorter.
One frustration may be that you will be dying to tell everyone about what you did, thought, and felt, but friends and family may get tired of hearing about your experiences simply because they are involved in their own lives and haven’t experienced the same things you have. Rather than simply reporting on your wonderful experiences, try sharing your feelings about your time abroad – it will sound less like bragging.
If you were gone for an extended period of time, your friends have adjusted to life without you, and you may feel a little out of the social scene. You may not get all the jokes and references to things that happened in your absence. Remember that you had irreplaceable experiences abroad and that you will soon develop new memories with your friends. Another difficulty returning students sometimes face is the feeling that they have changed and now have less in common with their friends than before. It can take time to renew friendships. Returning home may be a good opportunity to develop new friendships with international students or other K-Staters who have studied abroad. You can get involved with international student clubs and events as a start.
You may experience a sense of loss when you return to the U.S., as you left behind another culture and new friends, perhaps with no idea when you will go back to that location again. Fortunately, there are many ways of keeping in touch with the culture you left. You can e-mail and phone friends, browse local internet sites, and read books and magazines, for example. To diminish your sense of loss and keep your international experience alive, you may want to get involved with international student clubs, volunteer at an international organization, and to think about ways to apply your international experience to your career goals. You may want to consider international opportunities such as the Peace Corps for after you graduate.
The
Office of International Programs can help you with the transition
back to life in Kansas. We encourage you to think about
joining International Ambassadors. This club is for potential,
current, or past study abroad participants who want to become
involved with students who have international interests
or experiences.
Join an advocacy group or become a peer advisor. Click here to view a list of international student organizations at K-State.