1.
Talk with students who are interested in studying overseas.
After all, you know first-hand about how many pairs
of socks to bring, and where one can find the best cup
of cappuccino. Become a resource for future students
by joining the Former
Participants list.
2.
Use your creativity! Write a World
Scholar Story. Write an article for the Eastern
Echo or your local newspaper, Develop a website for
your program. Enter the World
Scholar Photo Contest. Talk to student groups.
3.
Volunteer! You can use the skills you learned abroad:
empathy, understanding of cultural issues and language
barriers. Work with International
Students on campus. Work with immigrant groups and
refugees in your community. Organize Outreach Sessions
in your Residence Hall.
4.
Stay in touch with friends you made while abroad. Join
the Academic Programs Abroad World
Scholars Alumni. After all, these are the people
who shared your experiences.
5.
Integrate your experience of another culture(s) with
your daily life. Learn to cook a foreign meal, and invite
your friends for a taste test. Listen to foreign music.
Continue or begin foreign language classes. Take courses
with an International focus. Continue to learn about
your host country/countries.
World
Scholars: Returning Home
Welcome
back! We know that your journey abroad offered you new
challenges and educational opportunities. Chances are,
it was the experience of a lifetime! You may actually
feel stronger and more competent, knowing that you faced
all the challenges and overcame them, and, in the process,
learned a lot about yourself.
It's
likely that you went through a period of adjustment
when you first arrived abroad. You were immersed in
a new culture, and had to learn how to deal with it.
You tried new foods, handled new currencies, dealt with
new customs and, hopefully, learned to make new friends.
Now that you are home, you may feel that you are a different
person from the one you were before you left. You may
look at things in a new light, comparing your experiences
abroad to life back home, and you may have difficulty
adjusting. Things that you took for granted before may
stimulate you to make a critical re-assessment of your
life here. Most people experience some sort of re-entry
shock. Getting back in the "swing of things"
can be difficult. You may also find that people are
much less interested in your experiences abroad than
you had hoped they would be. Your slides and photographs
and stories that you were so excited about sharing may
not be as compelling to your family and friends back
home. That's normal. too. You may feel they "don't
understand" or "don't really care" about
your experiences abroad. Just remember that they didn't
share your experience, and remember to take time to
readjust to life back home. If you think about the phenomenon
of "re-entry culture shock" as part of the
process of personal growth, you will overcome these
hurdles too, and gain immense personal insight and strength
in the process.
