Dealing with Reverse Culture Shock for Students Returning from Study Abroad Programs

Abstract

When students return from their study abroad programs, they can often feel distress, anxiety, and cultural identity confusion. Many university campuses within the developed world are providing resources to help students deal with these feelings. However, this is not always the case with the universities of developing world. An increasing number of students from developing countries are going abroad for their studies and many of them are part of study exchange programs. It is important for universities in the students' home countries to become abreast of these difficulties and prepare students to deal with them on the university campus. This study uses a large public university in Sindh, Pakistan to determine what kinds of resources are available to study abroad students and the role these resources play in helping students with feelings of reentry shock. The study also provides suggestions to assist in culturally ambiguous situations experienced once students return home.