Returning to life at home can be an unexpectedly bumpy transition. A good way to cope with this is to keep your international experience alive and an active part of your daily life back home. You can use some of the resources below to help ease your transition.
Want to know how to distinguish yourself from other job seekers or graduate school applicants?
We've developed a robust Guide to Education Abroad & Career Development to help you learn how to promote your experience on your résumé and in interviews to maximize its potential for career development.
You can also watch this helpful video on Communicating Study Abroad Experiences on a Career-Ready Résumé.
We also suggest that you meet with Career Exploration and Development so you’re familiar with all the resources Kent State offers and you receive some individualized support on how to promote yourself after studying abroad.
There are many opportunities to have international experiences at home. You can attend international events at Kent State, find restaurants where you can try food from different countries, or become a member of or volunteer with local community organizations with an international focus.
If you are eager to go abroad again and are looking for additional international experiences, you can also watch this helpful video on Rethinking Study Abroad.
In order to successfully transfer your study abroad credits to Kent State, you need to have completed the TCP Form (Transfer Course Planning Form) for each term you were abroad. For students participating in an academic year abroad, one TCP Form must be submitted for fall semester and a second TCP Form must be submitted for spring semester. It is critical that you correctly filled out your TCP Form; failure to have a properly completed form will cause delays and issues with the credit transfer process.
If you enrolled in classes that were not listed on your approved TCP Form, you will need to fill out and submit an additional TCP Form with the correct courses. Please note that while it is possible to get courses approved upon return by filling out another TCP Form, there is no guarantee that those courses will be approved to transfer back.
Ultimately, it is up to you, the student, to make sure the transfer process was completed, and all paperwork was filled out properly.
Upon receipt of your international transcript(s), the Office of Global Education will process your transcript(s) and your TCP Form. These documents are sent to your academic department for final review. From there they are sent to the Registrar to get posted to your Kent State record. The credit transfer process can take 2-4 months, so please be patient during this process.
Now that you’re back, you might be wondering how you can go abroad again. There are opportunities that you can take advantage of as a current student, as well as options for after graduation.
It is possible to study abroad multiple times. You can search for more programs on our program database.
The prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers grants to study, do research abroad, or teach English Abroad to current undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent graduates/young professionals. You can contact Kent State University's Fulbright Program Advisor Frank Congin at fcongin@kent.edu with any questions.
Consider applying and enrolling directly to a graduate program abroad. Keep in mind the cost of tuition varies greatly by school and country and that you cannot use federal financial aid. You should also be sure to contact the institution you are applying to with any admissions or visa questions.
English teachers are in high demand all around the world; and you often don’t need a teaching degree to be eligible. Many governments are looking to hire native English speakers, so check the governmental website of any country you’re interested in. Below are some programs to check out:
Many major companies have offices around the world, so if you have a company you’re interested in, be sure to check out their global offices.
Returning to life at home can be an unexpectedly bumpy transition. A good way to cope with this is to keep your international experiences alive and make them an active part of your daily life back on campus.
There are many opportunities to have global experiences at home. You can attend international events at Kent State, give a presentation to a student club, find restaurants where you can try food from different countries, or volunteer with local community organizations that have an international focus.
Are you finding it a bit difficult or strange to be back at home? If so, those feelings are completely normal, so don’t let it get you down!
You may have experienced a bit of culture shock when you left the U.S. and had to adjust to a new lifestyle abroad, and much like that feeling, you may also notice some trouble adjusting to life back home.
This phenomenon is known as reverse culture shock, and it can catch you off guard if you didn’t expect to have difficulty adjusting to life back home. Plus, the longer you’ve been away, the harder it might be to adapt upon your return. You may experience boredom, restlessness, or “reverse homesickness” where you wish you were back overseas.
To help cope with reverse culture shock, we recommend you:
Did you have any tough times when abroad? All those challenges have made you a stronger person! Put those newfound resilience skills into action and remember that you can get through anything, even reverse culture shock.
There are so many ways that you can share your international experiences with the Kent State community. For example:
You can also email edabroad@kent.edu for more information on how you can get involved.
Now that you’ve gone abroad, this is a great chance to share your adventures with others! Enter our Education Abroad Photo and Video Contest when you return home and keep a lookout for the winning results, which are announced each year in February.
Want to submit a blog or be interviewed about your education abroad experience for a written article? Email edabroad@kent.edu to get started.
