| | | Culture shock and welcoming your student home
Culture shock is a natural set of emotions most travelers experience when abroad. Re-entry shock, or reverse culture shock, is also common among students returning from study abroad programs. Specific information on culture shock and what your student can expect can be found in the Student Handbook, but a brief description is included here.
There are several stages of culture shock:
• Surprise and excitement when students first arrive
• Unfamiliarity after several weeks spent in the host country
• Severe discomfort and unhappiness when students feel they will never relate to the host culture
• Sense of familiarity, comfort, and satisfaction as students adapt to and accept the differences that surround them
During the more negative stages, you may receive panicked, unhappy emails or phone calls from your student. At this point your student needs reassurance and support from you. As difficult as it may be to hear such complaints, don’t worry, this is a temporary phase. During the more positive stages, especially near the end of their stay, you may receive little communication from them at all; they have probably made so many friends and have forgotten to email all week. All of these reactions are completely normal, and often parents are frustrated when they receive distressing phone calls followed by no information at all. The Office of Education Abroad can help you if too much time passes without any information.
Re-entry shock, or readjustment when returning home, can also be trying for parents and friends. Students come back excited about their experience and having grown in many different ways. They may have adapted ways of dressing or mannerisms that are strange to those at home. They often feel bored and frustrated by life in the US and are often so excited to share their experiences that they rarely listen to what happened while they were gone. This is again a time for patience and support. The emotions they feel are normal. While you may not be able to understand the experiences they had, they will appreciate you taking the time just to listen. For more information on Re-entry Shock, visit our information for Returned Students and read the Student Handbook.
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