Reverse Cultural Adjustment
Returning home can be just as challenging as going abroad. Reverse cultural shock, or re-entry shock, is a common reaction to returning home from studying abroad. It can be difficult to return to old settings, routines, and relationships. Time has passed and everyone will have grown in different ways, it can sometimes be difficult for friends and family to understand how you’ve changed. Just as it took time to adjust to a different culture when you arrived abroad, it may take some time to re-adjust to being back at home.
Common Symptoms of Reverse Culture Shock:
- Feelings of boredom, restlessness, depression, or general uncertainty
- Feeling isolated from friends and family, and like nobody wants to hear about your experience.
- Longing for the people, places, and routines you established in your host country
- Feelings of frustration towards U.S. behaviors, attitudes, or common social practices
Tips for Successful Re-Entry
-
Be reflective
Keep your experience alive! Share your international knowledge with future travelers, talk to other people who have been abroad.
-
Be patient
Be patient with yourself and others. You just experienced a new way of life; it will take time to integrate back into routines. This is completely normal!
-
Get Involved
Talk with other students who studied abroad or international students studying here at UMass. Stay connected with those you studied abroad with but find new ways to reconnect with those at home.
Follow @umassabroad to stay connected to other UMass students traveling abroad!