Alumni

If you're having trouble adjusting to life back in the U.S., then have no fear, this is very common and is called “re-entry shock” or “reverse culture shock”.

This may have been the first time you lived outside of the U.S. for any extended period of time and had to adjust to a whole new lifestyle. What you had always thought was the “right” way to do things now leaves you wondering if, in fact, it wasn’t actually the wrong way. It can be very confusing and leave you feeling like you are now a stranger in the U.S. Again, this is a very normal feeling and one that most everyone goes through, even frequent international travelers experience similar thoughts. Don’t believe us? Go onto Google and type in “reverse culture shock”. You’ll be amazed at the number of pages that come up.

The best thing to do is to speak with a study abroad advisor at your school and see if there is a group of students who have just returned from abroad who get together. Talking out loud about what you’re feeling will help you, as will hearing from others who are going through the same thing. You should also get in touch with other students from your program so you can compare notes on how well you’re all adjusting. See above on how you can also join other ASA alumni on Facebook.