This past Thursday, the International Programs Office (IPO) held a session for students returning from study abroad programs. During this one hour program, I heard stories from students who studied abroad in Belgium, Costa Rica, and Budapest (just like me!)
Before our study abroad trips last year, we had several meetings in order to prepare for our experience. We had lessons on culture differences, discussed our expectations, reviewed how to adapt to the host country, and talked about fears of studying abroad. While these meetings were extremely helpful, usually students forget that returning from study abroad is just as challenging as the preparation.
In this meeting, we talked about strategies on how to combat study abroad “homesickness” and how to continue exploring at McDaniel in Westminster. We completed an activity where we drafted “3 second, 3 minute, and 30 minute” responses to the question “How was your study abroad experience?” In another helpful activity, we reviewed different questions about what we learned or how we changed while abroad. Then, we considered how we can write these skills on a resume.
While I think about France and Hungary almost every day, this meeting was especially exciting, because I could connect with other study abroad returnees who share similar feelings about returning to the United States. I learned that it is common for returning students to feel a bit lost because we missed one semester at McDaniel and most of our friends do not relate with our experiences abroad.
The IPO director expertly addressed our concerns and it was nice to listen to other students’ concerns, worries, and fears that resonate with my own thoughts. It is comforting to know that McDaniel does provide support throughout the entire study abroad process and I am thankful for these resources at my school.
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