On this Page:

• Coming Back Home
• The Reentry Process
• Top Ten Immediate Reentry Challenges
• International Involvement at UMaine and Beyond
• Metro Boston Students Study Abroad Reentry Conference

Reentering American and UMaine culture after studying abroad can be challenging and sometime harder than when you first entered a foreign country.  We understand that the study abroad experience does not stop after returning home. We ask that you read this information carefully and consider the resources listed. There are many opportunities on and off campus where you can enhance and utilize your study abroad experience.

During reentry, you should be thinking about your readjustment to American culture and campus life.  Reflect upon your experience not only by yourself, but also with others.  Think about how you can incorporate your experiences with your academic, social, and professional life at UMaine and beyond.

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You’ve arrived back in the United States after spending a few months studying abroad, and things just don’t seem to be as you expected.  You have forgotten some of the customs you were once familiar with, your proficiency in the English language isn’t what it used to be, and you have a longing to re-visit the country you just came from.  Known as reverse culture shock, these feelings are very common in students who study abroad and return home.  Where do you go from here?

Stage 1:  Disengagement

In this first stage you are still abroad and preparing to return home.  You may be sad to leave your new friends and experiences behind you, but you are looking forward to going back home.

Stage 2:  Euphoria

Once you have arrived back home safe and sound, you are very excited to see your family and friends.  You can’t wait to share with them stories and photos from your time overseas.  They are very anxious to listen to you…to a certain degree.  You have acquired a wealth of knowledge and memories to last a lifetime.  Your friends and family may not be interested in hearing about all of your experiences.  Eventually they may become disinterested in what you have to say about your time abroad, and may even tire of hearing you talk about it at all.

Stage 3:  Alienation

That sudden sense of jubilation you felt when you stepped onto U.S. soil fades just as quickly as it appeared.  You may become frustrated and angry in your own home country, feeling like an outsider and irritated that you may not be able to do things as quickly or as well as you had hoped.  You may feel lonely and disoriented.

Stage 4:  Gradual Readjustment

The duration of this final stage varies among individuals.  You have changed, and you may notice that your friends and family have too.  You have a fresh outlook on the world we live in and the unique ability to see things from a new perspective.  You understand that there are many ways to approach a situation.  You have developed a cosmopolitan point of view, and with that comes an awesome responsibility to educate others in your chosen profession.

Source:  University at Buffalo, The State University of New York.  Study Abroad Programs.  Reverse Culture Shock.  30 January 2003. http://wings.buffalo.edu/studyabroad/rculture.html

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There are many reasons to look forward to going home, but there are also a number of psychological, social, and cultural aspects which can prove difficult— often because they are unanticipated.  The following list was generated by interviewing students who have been through the experience and have survived nicely.  However, they say you should take the process seriously by realistically thinking about the process and your possible reactions to it.  They offer for your consideration the following thoughts about reentry, hoping to make your return both more enjoyable and more productive.

1.  Boredom

After all the newness and stimulation of your time abroad, a return to family, friends, and old routines (however nice and comforting) can seem very dull.  It is natural to miss the excitement and challenges which characterize study in a foreign country, but it is up to you to find ways to overcome such negative reactions:  remember, a bored person is also boring.

2.  “No One Wants To Hear”

One thing you can count on upon your return:  no one will be as interested in hearing about your adventures and triumphs as you will be in sharing those experiences. This is not a rejection of you or your achievements, but simply the fact that once they have heard the highlights and seen a plethora of photos and mementos, any further interest is unlikely and diminishing.  Be realistic in your expectations of how fascinating your journey is going to be for everyone else.  Be brief!

3.  You Can’t Explain

Even when given a chance to explain all the sights you saw and feelings you had while studying abroad, it is likely to be at least a bit frustrating to relay them coherently. It is very difficult to convey this kind of experience to people who do not have similar frames of reference or travel backgrounds, no matter how sympathetic they are as listeners.  You can tell people about your trip, but you may fail to make them understand exactly how or why you felt a particular way.  This is okay!

4.  “Reverse Homesickness”

Just as you probably missed home for a time after arriving overseas, it is just as natural to experience some reverse homesickness for the people, places, and things that you grew accustomed to as a student overseas.  To an extent emailing, phoning and generally keeping in contact can reduce it, but feelings of loss are an integral part of international sojourns and must be anticipated and accepted as a natural result of having studied abroad.

5.  Relationships Have Changed

It is inevitable that when you return you will notice that some relationships with friends and family have changed.  Just as you have altered some of your ideas and attitudes while abroad, the people at home are likely to have experienced some changes. These changes may seem positive or negative to you, but expecting that no change has occurred is unrealistic.  The best preparation is flexibility, openness, minimal preconceptions, and tempered optimism.

6.  People See “Wrong” Changes

Sometimes people may concentrate on small alterations in your behavior or ideas and seem threatened or upset by them.  Others may ascribe “bad” traits to the influence of your time abroad.  These incidents may be motivated by jealousy, fear, or feelings of superiority or inferiority.  To avoid or minimize them it is necessary to monitor yourself and be aware of the reactions of those around you, especially in the first few weeks following your return.  This phase normally passes quickly if you do nothing to confirm their stereotypes.

7.  People Misunderstand

A few people will misinterpret your words or actions in such a way that communication is difficult.  For example, what you may have come to think of as humor (particularly sarcasm, banter, etc.) and ways to show affection or establish conversation may not be seen as wit, but as aggression or “showing off.”  Conversely, silence that was seen as simply polite overseas might be interpreted at home incorrectly, as signaling agreement or opposition.  New clothing styles or mannerisms may be viewed as provocative, inappropriate, or as an affectation. Continually using references to foreign places or sprinkling foreign language expressions or words into an English conversation is often considered boasting. Be aware of how you may look to others and how your behavior is likely to be interpreted.

8.  Feelings of Alienation

Sometimes the reality of being back “home” is not as natural or enjoyable as the place you had constructed as your mental image.  When real daily life is less enjoyable or more demanding than you remembered, it is natural to feel some alienation.  Many returnees develop “critical eyes,” or a tendency to see faults they never noticed before.  Some even become quite critical of everyone and everything for a time.  This is no different than when you first left home.  Mental comparisons are fine, but keep them to yourself until you regain both your cultural balance and a balanced perspective.

9.  Inability to Apply New Knowledge and Skills

Many returnees are frustrated by the lack of opportunity to apply newly gained social, technical, linguistic, and practical coping skills that appear to be unnecessary or irrelevant at home.  There are ways to avoid ongoing annoyance:  adjust to reality as necessary, change what is possible, be creative, be patient, and above all use the cross-cultural adjustment skills you acquired abroad to assist your own reentry.

10.  Losing/Compartmentalizing the Experience (“Shoeboxing”)

Being home, coupled with pressures of school, job, family and friends, often makes returnees worried that somehow they will “lose” their overseas experience.  Many fear that it will somehow become compartmentalized like souvenirs or photo albums kept in a box and only occasionally taken out and enjoyed.  You don’t have to let that happen:  maintain your contacts abroad; seek out and talk to people who have had experiences similar to yours; practice your cross-cultural skills; continue language learning. Remember and honor both your hard work and the fun you had while abroad.

Source:  Dr. Bruce La Brack, Metro Boston Study Abroad Re-Entry Conference, Suffolk University, November 8, 2003.

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• Attend the UMaine Study Abroad Returnee Reception at the start of your return semester.  The purpose of this event is to welcome all recent study abroad returnees back to UMaine.  This is a perfect opportunity for you to share and discuss your study abroad experience. Date and time for the reception are announced at the beginning of each semester.

• Compete the Study Abroad Evaluation Form.  Your thoughts and comments about your experiences abroad are important to prospective study abroad students.  The evaluation questionnaire will be emailed to all study abroad returnees prior to the Study Abroad Returnee Reception.

• Work with the Office of International Programs as a study abroad peer advisor or volunteer.  Activities include class presentations, general information meetings, study abroad fairs, predeparture orientation, and serving as a contact person for a particular country or program.

• Volunteer to talk about your study abroad experience at local elementary schools and UMaine classes. Contact the Global Links Coordinator at 581-3440 for more information.

• Become involved with international students.  Attend the International Coffee Hour every Friday from 4:00 until 5:00 PM in the North Pod of the Marketplace.

• Participate/volunteer with Culturefest (fall) and the International Dance Festival (spring).  Assist with international student orientation (August and January).  Contact the International Student Advisor at 581-2905 for more information.

• Participate in international activities and organizations on campus.  Contact the Multicultural Center (581-1425) for information about opportunities within multicultural organizations on and off campus.

• Become a conversation partner through IEI (Intensive English Institute).  You can also enroll through IEI in the TESOL certificate program, which enables you to teach English abroad.  Visit the IEI website for more information.

• Look for opportunities to volunteer or work abroad.  Contact the Study Abroad Advisor at 581-1509 for more information.  Some resources pertaining to volunteering and working abroad are available in the Study Abroad Resource Room.

• Keep the Study Abroad Program folder on your FirstClass desktop to make it easy to watch for notices of potential interest.

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Every fall, the Office of International Programs sponsors recent UMaine study abroad returnees to attend the Metro Boston Student Study Abroad Returnee Conference. This annual conference offer sessions in adjusting to re-entry, becoming an advocate for study abroad, marketing your international experience, exploring careers in international fields and finding opportunities to go abroad again. Details about each conference are announced via email to all recent UMaine study abroad returnees.

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