Multifaceted Support for Returning Education Abroad Students, Essay Example

The article, Bringing it Home: Multifaceted Support for Returning Education Abroad Students focuses on the challenges that students face when the return home from studying abroad by addressing the best ways to cope with these issues. This topic is researched very little because many people believe that once students have left the United States to study abroad, they will be over joyed when they return. Four years ago, a study abroad advisor group decided to complete a full day conference for students returning from studying abroad. The purpose of this reentry group was to help students recognize the value of studying abroad, integrate the knowledge they learned abroad into the academic career, provide them with emotional support, and prepare them for careers and professional choices that may have been influenced by their studying abroad experience. The conference was very successful in helping students reintegrate into their academic studies and has been used Philadelphia annually since.

The objective of the program was to allow the returning students to tell their story about their trip abroad, enabling personal assessment, encouraging critical thinking, and focusing on future plans. So many students are discouraged when they realize that people don’t really want to hear about their experience due to the lack knowledge and understanding. The program seeks to give them an outlet where than can discuss their experiences with people who are equally excited and understanding about the experience. Also, they want the students to be able to personally assess their experience. The students must ask themselves what I have learned from this experience and how can I use this experience for the betterment of my education and future career. When studying abroad the students are going to be faced with conflicting beliefs and customs, but must be able to decide what the best option for me is. Finally, they want their future plans to be influenced somehow by their experiences abroad.

They found that students offer suffer from reverse homesickness. Once they live the United States, they are homesick, but they quickly adapt to the environment in their new culture. Depending upon the extent of their stay in the abroad country, the students may suffer from reverse homesickness when they return to the United States. The conference gives them a chance to discuss this and help each other adapt.

Their findings suggest that no one program will work for all students, but with the difficulty that students are having some type of program must be in play to help the students. A number of factors can determine whether the program will work for certain students, such as budget, financial constraints, student, and institutional culture. In their findings, they suggest that these programs work best when professors, students, and communities work together. One suggestion that they gave was to have the community get involved. This would make the transition easier for the returning student. Students want to share their experiences with people who are interested in learning about the culture they have experience. This would be a good activity for returning students.