Transitioning back from abroad can be really tough! You go from experiencing a totally different culture and atmosphere to trying to fit back in at Wake. The problem is that going abroad changes you, no matter how cliché that sounds. Whether you’ve gained independence from being alone for the first time or a widened worldview from leaving the US for the first time, you’ve had all of these experiences that not a whole lot of people can relate to because they weren’t there. I know someone who went to the same city I did, but she went a different semester and with a different program. Although we definitely reminisce about London together, our experiences were vastly different. This can make it hard to adjust to life in the Wake bubble again.
*Photo from magazine.wfu.edu.
It’s really hard to not talk about all of the wonderful things you did last semester all of the time. To ensure your friends here don’t want to kill you, schedule skype dates with your friends from abroad! This will help you keep up with them, as well as fulfill your need to talk about all of the insane things you experienced abroad.
I really struggled with getting back into the groove at Wake. While I went abroad in the fall, a few of my closest friends had chosen to go abroad in the spring, so I felt a little lost without my usual support network. What I did, and my best advice, is get involved. That can seem hard since we are in the middle of the school year, but there are lots of opportunities available. Most clubs are happy to have new members, no matter when they join. I took advantage of my major department’s listserv and chased down the listings that were interesting to me. I applied to be a part of an organization that I had had no previous experience with and attended more meetings of organizations in which I had half-heartedly been participating in.
*Photo from designschools.com.
If you’re still struggling, consider taking INS 152 to help you re-enter. This course is a half semester, and designed to assist you in processing your experiences, as well as re-adjusting to life as a university student in the US.