Re-Entry Tips
Returning to St. Olaf after a study abroad/away program requires an adjustment – academic as well as a personal. Part of the transition back to campus involves finding ways to continue your study abroad experience now that you are back on campus, such as sharing what you learned abroad/away with peers and the St. Olaf community. Here are some ideas to help you transition back to the Hill!
- Counseling: St. Olaf Counseling Center, TimelyCare
- General Activities: St. Olaf Wellness Center, St. Olaf Student Activities (Virtual Programming)
- Mindfulness Apps: Calm (free trial), Headspace (free trial)
- Exercise Classes: St. Olaf Recreation Resources (Home Fitness ideas) and St. Olaf Recreation’s Zoom Fitness Classes, Daily Burn (60 days free), FitOne (free app)
- Articles: Managing Anxiety & Stress (CDC), That Discomfort You’re Feeling is Grief (The Atlantic)
Meet with the Smith Center staff, your academic advisors, or other faculty, staff, and students about your experience. Share your experiences – the good, the bad, and the ugly. This will help you process your experience, share your excitement, and process any concerns. Your peers want to hear about your time abroad/away!
If you are experiencing a lot of stress, anxiety and/or concerns as you re-enter the United States/St. Olaf, we highly recommend that you talk with someone. There are a lot of individuals on campus – including Smith Center Staff, Wellness Center Staff, Counseling Center Staff, Title IX Staff, College Ministry, and the Dean’s Office – and abroad/away – including primary medical providers, family, and friends – who can assist you in transitioning back home and/or to campus.
All students are welcome to attend the language conversation tables. Engaging in these programs will continue to enhance your language skills, allow you to use your language skill, and can help you connect to new people once you have returned to campus! Conversations range from culture, to politics, to the very food that rests in front of you.
- Watch a Netflix movie from or related to the host country as a group
- Go on a virtual tour in the host country together
- Learn a mindfulness exercise or yoga together via Zoom
- Take a free class together that relates to your host country
- Meet in Zoom for weekly breakfast or other special occasion
- Create a playlist that reminds you of your host country (or group)
- Create a playlist that is calming or empowering
- Share/cook host country recipes
- Read a book from the host country and discuss it on Zoom
- Celebrate a host country holiday together
- Stay at home scavenger hunt (twitter thread – make this host country related!)
By thoughtfully choosing classes that enhance ideas, topics, cultures, and issues you encountered while abroad/away, you can continue the cross-cultural learning you started while abroad/away in your host community/at your host university. Additionally, share the experiences, perspectives, and knowledge you gained abroad/away in your on-campus courses! This is a great way to share learning and gained perspectives with students who studied on other programs or students who have not been able to study abroad/away.
- Virtual Tours/Performances: The Show Must Go On by Robert Myles, Global, Spain, France, Musical Performances, US National Parks
- Learn More: GeoGuesser, DuoLingo, Future Learn, Open Culture
The Piper Center and other organizations hold forums and service/career fairs that can assist returned students in connecting their abroad/away experience with their vocation or calling. Additional tips on Marketing Study Abroad can be found here!
The Piper Center has great resources to guide students considering a career abroad after graduation. This Piper Center web page includes information about preparing for a career abroad, international career search engines, and general international jobs and internship links! This is a great place to start for anyone considering a career abroad after graduation!
During your time abroad, you no doubt encountered cultures new to you. Why not continue? Involvement with multicultural students, international students, and scholars is a great way to return the hospitality you experienced while you were abroad. You can also get involved with International Night (a one-night cross-cultural entertainment event) or become an international student roommate.
One important dimension of study abroad/away is getting to try different types of food. Now that you are back on campus, there are still many ways to participate in trying new foods or learning about various cultures. The Best of the Twin Cities website can be a helpful website in finding new places to explore locally and within the Twin Cities area! You can also find cultural clubs, usually run by multicultural and international students, but that are available for everyone to join – Multicultural Organizations and Clubs at St. Olaf
There are MANY resources online and in the Smith Center that can assist in your re-entry process. A Google search or email smith.center@stolaf.edu may help as you process your experience and transition back to the Hill!
What’s Up With Culture is also be a great resource for students returning from a study abroad program. It was “developed to support and enhance a student’s ability to make successful cultural adjustments both before going overseas and upon returning home from studying abroad”. What’s Up With Culture will give you an opportunity to explore, consider, and reflect on your experience abroad.
Participate in the opportunities and programs offered by the Smith Center Office. Get involved with our events and programming! Interested students can contact the Smith Center (TOH 380) at (507) 786-3069.
Continue your learning, share your stories, and engage with local communities through volunteer work or service. The St. Olaf Volunteer Network is a great way to introduce you to local organizations. Volunteering or working with service organizations is a great way to continue your global engagement and get connected to your local community!
Reflection Questions:
Here are some questions for you to think about as you begin process and reflect on your study abroad/away experience.
1. How has re-entry been? What have been the most challenging aspects of coming back into your home-based life?
2. When you look back at the travel, what did you learn about yourself?
3. What new insights do you have about your own place in today’s global community?
4. What is the most interesting thing you learned about yourself, your studies, and your world?
5. What are the lessons I have learned that I never want to forget?
6. What do you foresee actively doing based on your new insights? Learn more about the site? Participate in additional activities related to the culture and site you visited?
7. What activities were most valuable to you and why?
8. If you were to do it all over again, what would you change?
9. In what ways might my friends or family have changed?
10. How would I like my family and friends to treat me as I have come back?
11. What did you look forward to the most when coming back? Have you been able to do this? Why or why not?
12. What are some skills I have learned? How are these skills going to help me in the future?
13. Many say that the experience of re-entry is more challenging than your initial move to another place. What are some things I might do to make the transition progressively easier?
14. What have been the important things about this experience that I want to share with my family and friends?
15. What do I want to do with the experiences I’ve had (e.g., stay in touch with people I’ve met, continue with a new interest)?