Honestly, I was not prepared for how I would feel after coming home. At first, I was delighted to be home and ate all my favorite meals and snacks that I had missed nonstop! But after those first few days at home I was surprised by how I started to feel and react to my friends and family. I felt like my friends didn't care about listening to my stories and everyone just wanted me and everything else to be back to the way it was before. I couldn't understand why I didn't feel like I belonged or as if something was "wrong" with me. This was my home, my city, my culture and most importantly my family and friends, who I had missed dearly. I couldn't see how I had changed. I became very moody and started to feel as if every day that passed I was losing more and more of what I learned and who I was during my time studying abroad.
I was so upset I started looking on the internet hoping to find other international students that felt the way I did. I found this website and I couldn't believe the moment I began reading the page on re-entry challenges that I started nodding at the computer. That was how I felt! I was relieved to learn this was a topic that has been researched and to see there are schools that help international students with this issue. I finally realized why I felt confused and frustrated only a few days after coming home and why it was taking me a while to readjust.
It was so nice to know, it wasn't just me! The resources on this website not only helped me better understand what was happening and gave me some coping strategies, but my parents and my friends started to understand what I was going through too. I think this is very important information and all universities should make sure their international students know this before they go home. It's a lot easier to transition back home if you already know what your experience might be like.
Thank you for this information!
Lina Adomaitis
Kaunas, Lithuania
I was so upset I started looking on the internet hoping to find other international students that felt the way I did. I found this website and I couldn't believe the moment I began reading the page on re-entry challenges that I started nodding at the computer. That was how I felt! I was relieved to learn this was a topic that has been researched and to see there are schools that help international students with this issue. I finally realized why I felt confused and frustrated only a few days after coming home and why it was taking me a while to readjust.
It was so nice to know, it wasn't just me! The resources on this website not only helped me better understand what was happening and gave me some coping strategies, but my parents and my friends started to understand what I was going through too. I think this is very important information and all universities should make sure their international students know this before they go home. It's a lot easier to transition back home if you already know what your experience might be like.
Thank you for this information!
Lina Adomaitis
Kaunas, Lithuania