Returning from Study Abroad
Studying abroad can be a transformative experience for students. If your student is considering studying abroad, you can read up on some of our planning tips. If your student has been fortunate enough to study abroad and is getting back into the swing of things at their home university, we have some suggestions on ways to continue to reap the benefits of the experience and apply lessons learned to the future.
Cultural Awareness and Learning: Students often return from a study abroad experience with an affinity and respect for the culture they discovered and experienced. They can seek out ways to stay connected to that culture through on campus clubs - either by joining clubs or attending events sponsored by those clubs. Students can also follow accounts that help keep them connected - local newspapers, museums, and sports teams from the country they visited, just to name a few options.
World Language Skills: Similarly, many students learn or improve existing world language skills when they study abroad. Even if they didn’t formally study a language while abroad, they likely learned enough to navigate the basics of daily life. There are so many ways to continue that learning upon returning to the US - either by enrolling in a university course, using an online learning app or program, regularly attending meetings of a conversational club, or watching television shows or movies in another language. Not keeping up with world language skills is a common regret of adults . . . so encourage your student not to fall into that trap!
Journaling / Recording Experiences: Upon your student’s return, encourage them to record details about their trip including where they stayed, contact information for their instructors and professors, contact information for new friends made, and information about travel experiences and memories.
Keep In Touch: Encourage your student to keep in touch with professors, host families, and new friends. LinkedIn and other social media platforms are very helpful with this, but students should also establish email communication with an address OTHER THAN their university email (which they won’t have access to forever). In these situations, many young adults underestimate the effort that goes into keeping in touch and lose touch more quickly than they expect.
Studying abroad has many benefits, from increased self-confidence, enhanced cultural awareness, greater curiosity, tangible skills such as language, new-found friendships, and an expanded view of career possibilities. Preserving and growing the experience of one semester can lead to a lifetime of growth and opportunity.