Home At Last
Study abroad can be a change-your-life experience! And it doesn’t end when you get on the plane to come back.
Returning home can be both comforting and challenging. You’ll see contrasts between your experiences in another culture and your life in the U.S. Coming home is the beginning of the next step along your journey.
You may feel overwhelmed by the American lifestyle. You may question the connections between what you've experienced abroad and how you live here in the United States. It may be difficult to find connections to your coursework here on campus.
Talk About It
One of the best ways to process your time abroad is to share it with others who have had similar experiences. There are plenty of resources at PLU to help you do that.
Every fall and spring semester the Wang Center offers a Returner Reflection Group. A faculty or administrative leader guides students recently back from study away through a process of deeply considering many aspects of their experiences. This opportunity to thoughtfully contemplate and share with others is offered on a space-available basis to students able to commit to attending all scheduled gatherings. For information contact Kristin Labs at labskm@plu.edu.
The Wang Center has Sojourner Advocates on staff who provide peer support to study away students – before, during, and after an off-campus study experience! The Sojourner Advocates are PLU students who have spent at least a semester studying abroad, so they know what it’s like to try to settle back in. Contact them at sojourn@plu.edu or leave a message at 253-539-5360 or 253-539-5361.
You also may want to talk with a Study Away Advisor. Kristin Labs has lived and traveled overseas. She’ll listen to your issues and can refer you to helpful resources. Feel free to set up an appointment with Kristin in the Wang Center.
Intl Post-grad Opportunities
Your study abroad experience may have raised questions for you about your purpose in life. At PLU, the Wild Hope project asks this question: "What will you do with your one wild and precious life?" On the Wild Hope web site, you'll find a list of other big questions to ask yourself and links to student activities.
Consider getting active in the Diversity Center events and language clubs. At Hong International Hall you can visit with international as well as U.S. students and join them for foreign film night.
Check Your Class Schedule
The rich learning and cultural experiences of study abroad can influence what you want to study when you’re back at PLU. Sometimes students decide to fine-tune their academic programs. Do you want to start studying a language? Maybe you want to add a major? Perhaps you want to change your major or add a minor?
Remember to talk with your advisor about how your study away experience fits into your overall academic goals.
Put Your Experience to Work
What can you do about this mucky, transitional state of having just returned? One option is to apply what you have learned abroad to a volunteer, work or internship experience in the Tacoma community.
Did you study Chinese music while abroad? Perhaps you could volunteer to teach Chinese folk music to local middle school students, Did you study Trinidadian culture and society? Maybe you’d like an internship working to help find employment for Caribbean citizens here in Tacoma. Did you study tourism and development in Costa Rica? Promoting fair trade coffee from Central America may be just the thing for you!
In addition to putting your experience to work here in Tacoma, you may want to consider other international opportunities to further your learning. The Wang Center can help you with J-term courses, semester abroad programs, and international internships.
Whatever you decide to do, remember the professionals in Career Development can help you create an up-to-date resume that reflects all the experience you’ve gained!