Molly Ivey
Guest Writer
Transitioning back to life on campus after a study away experience isn’t always the easiest. Just as facing culture shock in a new country is a challenge, so is the reverse.Â
Having studied away in both Oslo, Norway and Oaxaca, Mexico I know how easy it can be to come back to campus expecting things to be exactly the same as they were before. It is hard to readjust to American culture and lifestyle, something that was once so easy to understand.Â
Shifted relationships and missing your host country can feel overwhelming, not to mention even beginning to process all that you’ve learned and discovered. However, you are certainly not alone and the PLU Wang Center offers some incredible resources to help you as you readjust.Â
One of the most useful resources I’ve utilized in my returning from study away experiences has been the Returner Reflection Series. Each time I’ve participated in this series I’ve done so with other members of my cohort.Â
Leading us through workshops that ask us to deeply reflect and think about our experiences abroad, this series has allowed me to better process my time away from home. Getting together with my cohort, and enjoying foods from our host-countries, is very meaningful.Â
As a group we are able to empathize with one another about both the good and the bad. We can share the challenges of returning, but also laugh and reminisce on stories from our time away.Â
Each session allows me to truly see how my time in Mexico and Norway helped me grow and change as a person. Without the support of the Wang Center I think reflecting on all of this would have been a lot more challenging.Â
The value that PLU places on global education extends just as much to sending students abroad as to helping them bring these experiences back home. I am so grateful for the work that the Wang Center does to support its students both at home and away.
