Returnees
What is re-entry?
Re-entry is the period of time after a student returns from studying or working abroad. Instead of abruptly ending your study abroad experience, think of re-entry as a time to reflect, learn, and grow. Below is more information about re-entry, including adjusting to daily life, articulating what you have learned, and how to go abroad again. If you have questions or just want to talk about your study abroad and re-entry experience, please reach out to us!
Celebrate Your Adventure with the Annual Student Photo Contest!
A great way to reflect on your experience is through the photos you took while abroad. Taking some time to organize your photos can be a meaningful way to reflect as well as prepare a few “top 5” moments to share with family and friends. Pick your top 2 favorite photos to share in the Annual Student Photo Contest! Advisors share information about the contest in early Fall Term. Advisors in the Education Abroad Office are happy to hear about your adventures as well. Feel free to stop by our office in Terrell Hall 116 at the Cascade Campus, or consider an Instagram takeover to share your photos.
Re-entry adjustment
One of the biggest challenges for students who participate in study abroad can be re–adapting to the realities of life back in the United States. Typically, students who even studied abroad for a short period of time, can go through and experience changes which can lead to re–examining their priorities, values, and what they think about themselves and the United States.
For some, re-entry adjustment can be more challenging than the “culture shock” or cultural adjustment they experienced while living outside of the United States. Additional information about re-entry challenges can be found in the Center for Global Education Study Abroad Student Handbook.
Additional resources:
- “What’s Up With Culture?“: An online cultural training resource that includes a reentry module with reflection exercises and anecdotes.
- Top Ten Immediate Reentry Challenges: A list of challenges you may face upon returning to the U.S.
- Small Planet Studio: A website dedicated to re-entry, repatriation, and reverse culture shock after living, working, and studying abroad.
How do I articulate the skills I learned?
Chances are you learned something about yourself, the world, and your area of study while you were abroad. Sometimes it can be difficult to put what you learned into words. Taking the time to reflect and think about what you learned can help you articulate skills, supported by specific examples, that will help you personally, academically, and professionally in the future.
- Telling the Story – Mapping Study Abroad Outcomes to Careers: A worksheet for students to connect experiences, skills, and their careers.
- Re-Entry and Career Development Resource Packet: Information about identifying career strengths, writing resumes, and drafting cover letters from the Gilman Scholarship (much of this information is relevant to all returnees – not just scholarship recipients).
- PCC Panther Works: Career and Job Resources at PCC.
How can I go abroad again?
If you’ve caught the travel bug and can’t wait to go abroad again, take a look at the following programs and resources:
- Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program: A fully funded summer overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students.
- Fulbright US Student Program: Fellowships for U.S. graduating college seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to study, conduct research, and/or teach English abroad.
- Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program: Places recent college graduates and young professionals as English teaching assistants in primary and secondary schools or universities overseas.
- Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program: Work in schools, boards of education, and government offices throughout Japan.
- Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF): Work in France for 7 months, teaching English to French students of all ages.
- Peace Corps: Work in a community abroad alongside local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.