There are lots of reasons to look forward to going home, but there are also a number of psychological, social and cultural aspects which can be difficult – often because they are unanticipated. The following list was generated by interviewing students like you who have been through the experience and survived nicely. However, they say you should take the process seriously by being realistic and thinking about it and your possible reactions. They offer the following thoughts on reentry for your consideration in the hope they will make your return both more enjoyable and more productive.

1. BOREDOM: After all the newness and stimulation of your time abroad, a return to family, friends, and old routines (however nice and comforting) can seem very dull. It is natural to miss the excitement and challenges which characterize study in a foreign country, but it is up to you to find ways to overcome such negative reactions – remember, a bored person is also boring. 

2. "NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR": One thing you can count on upon your return: no one will be as interested in hearing about your adventures and triumphs as you will be in sharing those experiences. This is not a rejection of you or your achievements, but simply the fact that once they have heard the highlights, any further interest on your audiences’ part is probably unlikely. Be realistic in your expectations of how fascinating your journey is going to be for everyone else. Be brief. 

3. YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN: Even when given a chance to explain all the sights you saw and feelings you had while studying abroad, it is likely to be at least a bit frustrating to relay them coherently. It is very difficult to convey this kind of experience to people who do not have similar frames of reference or travel backgrounds, no matter how sympathetic they are as listeners. You can tell people about your trip, but you may fail to make them understand exactly how or why you felt a particular way. It’s okay.

4. REVERSE "HOMESICKNESS": Just as you probably missed home for a time after arriving overseas, it is just as natural to experience some reverse homesickness for the people, places, and things that you grew accustomed to as a student overseas. To an extent it can be reduced by writing letters, telephoning, and generally keeping in contact, but feelings of loss are an integral part of international sojourns and must be anticipated and accepted as a natural result of study abroad.

5. RELATIONSHIPS HAVE CHANGED: It is inevitable that when you return you will notice that some relationships with friends and family will have changed. Just as you have altered some of your ideas and attitudes while abroad, the people at home are likely to have experienced some changes. These changes may be positive or negative, but expecting that no change will have occurred is unrealistic. The best preparation is flexibility, openness, minimal preconceptions, and tempered optimism.

6. PEOPLE SEE “WRONG” CHANGES: Sometimes people may concentrate on small alterations in your behavior or ideas and seem threatened or upset by them. Others may ascribe “bad” traits to the influence of your time abroad. These incidents may be motivated by jealousy, fear, or feelings of superiority or inferiority. To avoid or minimize them it is necessary to monitor yourself and be aware of the reactions of those around you, especially in the first few weeks following your return. This phase normally passes quickly if you do nothing to confirm their stereotypes.

7. PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND: A few people will misinterpret your words or actions in such a way that communication is difficult. For example, what you may have come to think of as humor (particularly sarcasm, banter, etc.) and ways to show affection or establish conversation may not be seen as wit, but aggression or “showing off.” Conversely, a silence that was seen as simply polite overseas might be interpreted at home, incorrectly, as signaling agreement or opposition. New clothing styles or mannerisms may be viewed as provocative, inappropriate, or as an affectation. Continually using references to foreign places or sprinkling foreign language expressions or words into an English conversation is often considered boasting. Be aware of how you may look to others and how your behavior is likely to be interpreted.

8. FEELINGS OF ALIENATION: Sometimes the reality of being back “home” is not as natural or enjoyable as the place you had constructed as your mental image. When real daily life is less enjoyable or more demanding than you remembered, it is natural to feel some alienation. Many returnees develop “critical eyes”, a tendency to see faults in the society you never noticed before. Some even become quite critical of everyone and everything for a time. This is no different than when you first left home. Mental comparisons are fine, but keep them to yourself until you regain both your cultural balance and a balanced perspective.

9. INABILITY TO APPLY NEW KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS: Many returnees are frustrated by the lack of opportunity to apply newly gained social, technical, linguistic, and practical coping skills that appear to be unnecessary or irrelevant at home. To avoid ongoing annoyance: adjust to reality as necessary, change what is possible, be creative, be patient, and above all use the cross-cultural adjustment skills you acquired abroad to assist your own reentry.

10. LOSS/COMPARTMENTALIZATION OF EXPERIENCE (SHOEBOXING): Being home, coupled with the pressure of jobs, family, and friends, often combine to make returnees worried that somehow they will “lose” the experience. Many fear that it will somehow become compartmentalized like souvenirs or photo albums kept in a box and only occasionally taken out and looked at. You do not have to let that happen: maintain your contacts abroad; seek out and talk to people who have had experiences similar to yours; practice your cross-cultural skills; continue language learning. Remember and honor both your hard work and the fun you had while abroad.

• Talk with others who have come back from abroad and share your experiences, frustration, and joys. These are the people who can help you though it. Almost everyone agrees.

• Exercise. Endorphins kill reentry sadness.

• Stay spontaneous.

• Talk with family and friends about your semester.

• Take some time to relax and decompress.

• Maintain the relationships you built while away.

• Focus on how you are now better off from the experiences you have had.

• Rekindle the spirit of adventure you had abroad. Explore home.

• Go out of your way to make new friends, just as you did abroad.

• Find local physical supports. Go to the World Market and get German chocolate if you miss Germany, Japanese tea if you miss Japan. Everything is available on the Internet.

• Continue language learning if that was a part of your study away experience.

• Speak with a counselor if your readjustment to home is challenging.

• Be a mentor to an International Student now that you know what its like to be a foreigner. Contact the Office of International Students & Scholars at Trinity or your home campus for more information.

• The Registrar's Office will contact you about online registration. You will register for courses as normal.

• You will need to email your academic advisor to remove your advising hold and discuss courses for your returning semester.

Keep in mind that your registration time is in Hartford time (Eastern Standard Time). 

Students who are studying away in the fall do not participate in the fall housing selection process.  Students who are abroad during the fall will receive an email from the Bantam Network Residential Learning Community Office in October asking for housing preferences.  We will do our best to assign you to the housing that you prefer.  Please be advised we cannot guarantee you will receive the housing you prefer.  Assignments will be made based on availability and assignments will be made in lottery number order.  The assignment process will begin in late October and continue into January.   You will receive your housing assignment via email prior to re-opening in January.

If you loved your Trinity College Study Away experience and want to share your expertise with other students and help prepare them to study away, consider applying to the Global Ambassador program. 

As students who have recently returned from studying away, Global Ambassadors are peer advisors and recruitment specialists for their program, serving as a point of contact for prospective students interested in a Trinity College Study Away program. 

Qualifications

• Must have studied away on a Trinity program during the Fall 2022 semester.

• Strong cultural involvement onsite. (Ex: internships, volunteer, homestay, etc.)

• Have leadership experience or an interest in developing these skills.

• Be reliable, responsible and able to adapt to new initiatives and priorities. 

• Possess strong public speaking skills and be self-directed, responsible, organized, approachable and outgoing.

• Be dedicated, committed and creative - think of new and innovative ways to promote your program.

• Must be able to commit 2hrs per week in the Office of Study Away between the hours of 10:00am – 3:00pm. There will also be additional hours for events outside of office hours that will be required throughout the semester. 

Responsibilities 

• Organize and attend marketing events

• Assist with social media for your program. Students are required to post once a week. 

• Act as a point of contact for inquiries and prospective students

• Update the Travel Guide & Tips of the program website

• Create a Digital Story-This is your opportunity to reflect and share an experience or story from your time abroad. 

• Outreach and marketing to visiting students if applicable.

• Assist the program Advisor with tasks as needed. 

The program Advisor in the OSA will email you with more information when applications are being accepted.

• Every year the Office of Study Away hosts a study away photo contest for returning study away students.

• All submitted photos are printed and put on display in Mather Hall during the fall semester after your return.

• The winners and honorable mentions receive prizes.

• Emails will be sent out to you with the contest details and submission deadline.

• Make sure to take plenty of photos!

The Career & Life Design Center is a great resource to help you learn how to discuss your study away experience in a professional setting (job interviews, resume, etc.)