Continue Having International Experiences at Home
Returning to life at home can be an unexpectedly bumpy transition. A good way to cope with this is to keep your international experiences alive and make them an active part of your daily life back on campus.
There are many opportunities to have global experiences at home. You can attend international events at Kent State, give a presentation to a student club, find restaurants where you can try food from different countries, or volunteer with local community organizations that have an international focus.
Reverse Culture Shock
Are you finding it a bit difficult or strange to be back at home? If so, those feelings are completely normal, so don’t let it get you down!
You may have experienced a bit of culture shock when you left the U.S. and had to adjust to a new lifestyle abroad, and much like that feeling, you may also notice some trouble adjusting to life back home.
This phenomenon is known as reverse culture shock, and it can catch you off guard if you didn’t expect to have difficulty adjusting to life back home. Plus, the longer you’ve been away, the harder it might be to adapt upon your return. You may experience boredom, restlessness, or “reverse homesickness” where you wish you were back overseas.
To help cope with reverse culture shock, we recommend you:
- Watch this helpful video on Reverse Culture Shock.
- Keep in contact with people you studied abroad with and people you met in your host country.
- Stay connected with the Education Abroad Office by participating in events, meeting international students who are enrolled with Kent State, or helping future study abroad students.
- Make a photo album or video about your time abroad.
- Write a blog or journal about your experience.
- Find ways to continue having international experiences locally.
- Keep traveling (tip: see the Go Abroad Again section below!)
Did you have any tough times when abroad? All those challenges have made you a stronger person! Put those newfound resilience skills into action and remember that you can get through anything, even reverse culture shock.