Returning Home
Top Ten Tips for Re-Entry
What can you do to prepare to return home? Be aware of the re-entry process and consider some advice from those who have already returned.
- Mentally prepare for the adjustment process: Thinking about what's ahead, as well as considering how returning home is both similar to and different from going abroad, will help make the transition easier.
- Allow yourself time: Re-entry is a process that will take time, just as adjusting to a new foreign culture required a period of acculturation. Give yourself time to relax and reflect upon what is going on around you, how you are reacting to it, and what you might like to change.
- Understand that the familiar will seem different: You will have changed, home has changed, and you will be seeing familiar people, places, and behaviors from new perspectives. Some things will seem strange, perhaps even unsettling. Expect to have some new emotional and psychological responses to being home - it is completely normal.
- There will be some "cultural catching up" to do: Some political, entertainment and current event topics may be unfamiliar to you. New slang expressions, music, movies, fashion, recent events, and even major social changes may have emerged since you left. You may have some learning to do about your own culture. Approach this challenge in the same way you approached culture learning overseas, with a sense of humor and an open mind.
- Reserve judgment: Just as you had to keep an open mind when first encountering the culture of a new foreign country, try to resist the natural impulse to make snap decisions and judgments about people and behaviors once back home. Mood swings are common at first; it will take awhile before you can evaluate things in an unbiased way.
- Respond thoughtfully and slowly: Quick answers and impulsive reactions can be common when readjusting to life at home. Take some time to rehearse what you want to say and how you will respond to predictable questions and situations; prepare to greet those that are less predictable with a calm, thoughtful approach. If you find yourself being overly defensive or aggressive in responding to those around you, it is probably time to take a deep breath and relax. As always, thinking before answering is a good idea.
- Find out what your friends and family have been up to: Showing an interest in what others have been doing while you have been on your adventure overseas is a sure way to reestablish ties. Family and friends may think that you are anxious to tell your stories and experiences, but have no interest in what has happened to them at home. Being a good listener is a key ingredient in mutual sharing and you may need to practice those skills upon return.
- Beware of comparisons: Making comparisons between cultures is natural, particularly after living abroad. However, a person must be careful not to be seen as too critical of home or too excessive in praise of things foreign. A balance of good and bad features is probably more accurate and certainly less threatening to others.
- Remain flexible: After time spent abroad, it is occasionally challenging for some students to return home and immediately fall back into old patterns and social networks. Rather then being aloof, it would be best if you used the flexibility skills you developed to "fit in" to your study abroad experience, to re-establish the routines of being home again. This flexibility when balanced with new friends and interests, will serve to enrich your life at home with the experience you gained abroad.
- Share your stories as an Ayusa Study Abroad Reference: Do you remember what a big decision it was to study abroad? Many students considering a Study Abroad program are eager to talk with someone who has already had the experience. If you are interested in becoming an Ayusa reference, simply email us at studyabroadinfo@ayusa.org and tell us:
- Your name
- Where you studied abroad
- When you studied abroad
- Your telephone number
You also may want to seek out people with international living experience such as exchange students, so that you can share your stories and feel more supported through your transition. Returning home is a good opportunity to give life at home a different spin by trying new things and continuing activities that you have started while studying abroad.
Adapted from the University of the Pacific website.
