After spending two semesters of college in northern Thailand, Sarah Johnsma returned to the rural Nevada town where she grew up, surrounded by everything she knew, yet feeling strangely out of place.
“It caught me off guard,” she said. “I had no idea what was going on.”
It wasn’t until she was preparing to study abroad in France for another semester after a summer of study in India that she realized what she was feeling: reverse culture shock.
The 22-year-old’s experience shows that Study abroad It can be difficult in unexpected ways. Experts say that’s why students need to study safety measures as well as safety measures. cultural differencesIt also includes the emotional changes associated with leaving and returning home.
Experts say that by planning for potential frustrations and disappointments, students can focus on making the most of an exciting, challenging, and life-changing trip.
“The value and purpose of studying abroad is not only learning about yourself, but also learning about other parts of the world. In fact, the combination of testing your assumptions and gaining a deeper understanding of yourself is what you gain from studying abroad,” said Bill Bull, vice president of risk management at the Council for International Educational Exchange, which promotes study abroad programs for high schools, colleges, and teachers.
Here are some tips that experts and students recommend for those headed their way. study abroad:
before traveling
In addition to having a current passport and visa, if required by the host country, students should note the following: potential risks Cultural expectations based on ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion.
Many countries do not recognize same-sex marriage, so experts suggest being cautious about openly interacting with same-sex partners. women may face They may feel cultural expectations regarding clothing or hair, or find it difficult to obtain contraceptive or feminine hygiene products they never thought to bring.
“Have a plan for what you will do when things go wrong, because things can and will go wrong,” says Bull, who recommends connecting with students who have studied abroad. their parentsabout the advice they wish they had given. “That doesn’t mean your experience has to be over. It just means you have to be ready to manage it.”
Some study abroad programs offer basic health insurance, but students should consider medical evacuation insurance and check whether regularly prescribed medications are illegal overseas. The U.S. Department of State also recommends enrolling in the Smart Traveler Registration Program, a free safety and security alert service for U.S. citizens.
Preliminary research is also important for students considering applying to study abroad programs.
Phoebe Stairs-McAuley, program advisor for Germany and Spain at the University Studies Abroad Consortium, which offers study abroad programs for university students, said: “Financial planning and academic planning are equally important as they are one of the biggest barriers for students wanting to study abroad.”
“Meet with your academic advisor, discuss which classes you will be taking and how to transfer their tuition fees, and meet with the financial aid office,” she said.
While making a lot of preparations, and precautions When it comes to realistic needs, experts and students say it’s just as important as setting realistic expectations.
When Jongsma left for Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2023, it was her first trip abroad and away from her parents.
“When you’re preparing for retirement, you really focus on your own personal goals and how to achieve them,” she said. “I don’t think you realize that when you get there, you miss your community so much.”
Homesickness can be even more intense around holidays like Thanksgiving, especially for students who have never spent time away from their families before. Johnsma suggests carrying around small things that remind you of home and keeping a diary. She also stocked up on a small portable printer during her summer vacation in Bangalore, India, in case she wanted to print photos of her family and friends.
while abroad
Once students reach their destination, experts recommend slowing down and observing their surroundings. Steers-McAuley said a common regret he hears from returning students, particularly those who studied abroad in Europe, is that they spent every weekend traveling and didn’t get to know the city they were staying in better.
Bull advises students to think about why they are studying abroad in the first place and what they hope to get out of the experience. Choosing to be present in the moment instead of constantly taking pictures will make your time more meaningful and give you cultural cues to help you fit in, he said.
“Anyone can be a tourist,” Bull said. “I want to pay attention to what’s going on around me. I want to see what people are wearing or not wearing. I want to see whether people stop at red lights or cross.”
Programs can last anywhere from a few weeks to more than a year, and students can face mental health issues such as loneliness, depression, and language-related anxiety. Many programs offer on-site support, but experts say students need to plan ahead before these symptoms occur.
For Dominic Motter, who spent a semester in London in 2023, a familiar routine helped him when he felt homesick. Like Johnsma, Motter was surprised when traveling overseas was his first time away from family and friends for an extended period of time and was faced with feelings of homesickness.
“I’ve never known that feeling before,” he said.
An avid runner, Motter would jog in the park whenever he felt discouraged. This was a simple habit back home that helped me feel more grounded. He also found comfort in decorating his room with both items from home and new souvenirs from his travels. At the end of the day, he said, it felt like “coming home.”
“Instead of feeling like a temporary dorm room or hotel room, this is my new home,” he said.
Upon returning to Japan
Experts say many returning students are going through a transition period and may be suffering from reverse culture shock without realizing it.
“You’ve had this transformative experience. You’ve changed a lot, you’ve grown, and then you come back to where you were, but everything is different because you’re so different,” Starrs-McAuley said. She suggests joining a local international club or the alumni association of the foreign school you attended to find support.
Students can also prepare by answering the following questions, Bull said. “How do you contextualize your experience?” What aspects are most important to share? Which details are appropriate for a short conversation, and should they be saved for deeper conversations with people who want to understand what made the experience meaningful?
For Johnsma, she said it helped create a new experience in a familiar place. Even something as simple as checking out a new museum was like that. Motter, who said he spent the first few weeks wanting to return to London, said talking to the friends he had made there helped because they actually understood how he was feeling.
he said: “Eventually it will feel like home again.”
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Mumphrey reported from Flagstaff, Arizona. Yamat reported from Las Vegas.
