It’s over. Arguably the most exciting three months of my entire college career. Studying abroad in the city and country of your choosing (for me, this was London) and living in a different culture has come to an end. I feel forever envious of the students studying abroad this spring, because I’d give anything to be out traveling again.
If you are anything like me, you’re still in a post-holiday slump, made worse by the fact that you’re transitioning from the new lifestyle you made abroad to the old routine back at your home university. If this rings true to you, and you’re suffering from what some call "reverse culture shock," here are some emotions you may be experiencing (like I am).
1. You feel... out of place.
The moment I landed back home, I felt relieved that I was finally back with my family, and even more that finals were over. Yet something was missing. Whether it was noticing the cars on the other side of the road, different portion sizes and foods when eating meals, and just the overall atmosphere of your home feeling off. Family and friends didn’t really understand how I felt once I came home, and stopped the conversation about my experience after asking how it was. “It was great!” I’d say, but what does that really mean?
When I got home, I stayed in touch with my flatmates and friends through social media and group chats, which helped a lot. I also wrote in a journal all the things I couldn’t describe aloud to my family, because I felt that they couldn’t understand what really happened, and how different my home was after three months in a foreign country. I saved everything I wrote for when I returned on-campus with people who had shared experiences.
2. You feel... bored/restless.
The three months in London went by so quickly; I could hardly believe it was over. After a few days sitting at home, I was ready to start it all again. The pace of life in East London became my new normal, and the time at home became too tiresome and slow.
Don’t let yourself get bogged down in this feeling. In my experience, it’s anxiety-provoking and terrible to sit around and think about what you’re missing back where you just were. If you feel yourself becoming restless and anxious, don’t fret. Call up a friend, write or talk it out, because if not, it’ll be stuck in your brain instead of out in the open to deal with. Instead of sitting on these feelings, take the new perspectives you have from studying abroad, and discover more about your hometown. Incorporate new habits or hobbies that you learned abroad so you will always have a piece of your new home with you. For me, I started making a LOT more tea, and taking more walks around the town, like I did around the canals in London.
3. You feel... elated.
You’re on campus, and you haven’t even been there for an hour yet. But already you’re excited by all the new changes while seeing all the familiar faces and places. Look at the new dorm being built! There’s the dining hall you missed for so long! Your mood has taken a complete 180-degree turn, probably bouncing off the walls getting ready for classes and unpacking your stuff, dreaming about how wonderful your spring semester will be. Slow down. I was excited, too, and I still am. I put all my energy into unpacking and getting myself organized, because this was the big time -- go big or go home, right? I had to remember my grades really mattered again, and that the vacation is over. Remember to breathe, and enjoy the things, old and new, that you’ll have at least this semester to enjoy.
4. You feel... nostalgic.
Here it comes. You start comparing your new classes to ones abroad, and you feel as if you’re missing something major in your life. You can feel this at any point in the semester, but I felt this the day after I stepped back onto my home campus. Suddenly, it’s all too overwhelming and you imagine what it would be like to be back in your foreign country. This is OK, and it’s normal, I found. This is one of the main symptoms of ‘reverse culture shock’ that many students experience when coming back from a semester abroad. Regardless of the country visited or the length of stay, any student that comes home from study abroad may or may not feel the sensation of something missing from their routine, or that they just aren’t able to talk about it with other people. My specific program offered online information and advice on how to cope with it, as well as opportunities to talk out loud to people who understand what it’s like. Taking an hour or so to explain your travels to a third party will help summarize in your head what the most important things were about your experience, and will help to cope with the feelings of nostalgia and longing you may have.
The biggest tip I can give to students coming back from study abroad is to appreciate the experience, both good and bad. Every day I think about how amazing my three months in London were, how much I learned and grew into my own independent person. Instead of being upset that it’s over, I appreciate that it happened and I now try to incorporate my new friends and experiences into my current life.
For more information on the effects of reverse culture shock and tips to cope, visit this page, suggested to students by the Scripps College Study Abroad and Global Engagement office (SAGE).
