I am relatively new to the field of international student advising, having worked in programming at a large university for a little under a year. I was recently tasked with creating a program for our international students who are returning home after their tenure here and I was surprised by seeming lack of resources available. The vast majority of reserve culture shock and re-entry programming done at American universities seems geared towards study abroad students, who have often spent only a semester or year at most abroad. But what about our international students who return home after having spent 4+ years living in a foreign country? Aren't they likely to have an even more challenging re-entry? And isn't it our duty as advisors to prepare them for these challenges?
I had a tough time crafting my re-entry orientation, and wish I had come across this website earlier! Having re-entry resources compiled all in one place is a great idea, and it would have been helpful for me to see what others in the field were doing.
However, I did manage to cobble together a program that has been very well received by students. My advice- collaborate with a variety of diverse departments and campus community members. I got some great resources from the career center on finding a job overseas, which they had developed for international affairs majors, but could be easily adapted to suit the needs of international students. The counseling center and study abroad office helped inform my discussion of reverse culture shock. Finally, involving our international faculty members and visiting scholars to discuss their re-entry experiences or the workplace culture in their home countries compared to the US offered students some insight into the types of differences they can expect when they return home- and from reliable sources!
Cheers, and good luck with your own re-entry programs!
Caitlin Johnson, International Student Advisor
I had a tough time crafting my re-entry orientation, and wish I had come across this website earlier! Having re-entry resources compiled all in one place is a great idea, and it would have been helpful for me to see what others in the field were doing.
However, I did manage to cobble together a program that has been very well received by students. My advice- collaborate with a variety of diverse departments and campus community members. I got some great resources from the career center on finding a job overseas, which they had developed for international affairs majors, but could be easily adapted to suit the needs of international students. The counseling center and study abroad office helped inform my discussion of reverse culture shock. Finally, involving our international faculty members and visiting scholars to discuss their re-entry experiences or the workplace culture in their home countries compared to the US offered students some insight into the types of differences they can expect when they return home- and from reliable sources!
Cheers, and good luck with your own re-entry programs!
Caitlin Johnson, International Student Advisor