Returnees

Returning to the U.S. can be bittersweet. It's great to see family and friends again, but sometimes it's hard to fit back into your old roles. Face it: you've changed a lot while you were abroad.

We like to say, "You've been gone twice as long as you've been away." While you are overseas you are changing, growing, adapting, learning. And time doesn't stand still at home, either. Your friends and family are different after that passage of time. It's like being away twice as long as you really were.

It can be challenging to re-establish relationships when you return. It can be frustrating to try to share your experiences and enthusiasm with others. Some students report that re-adjusting to life in the U.S. is much harder than the cultural adjustment they expected to go through in their host countries.

This section of our web site is intended to help you think through the process of returning so it's easier on you and your friends and family. We give you some ideas about how to keep your international experience alive, and ways you can get involved in global activities here in eastern Iowa.

The Re-Entry Handbook is a great resource for when you return. It includes information on credit transfer and employment, reverse culture shock, tips on applying your experiences abroad to life here, and more.

Registration

If you neglected to maintain your registration in the appropriate course number at the UI while abroad, you will need to register retroactively for 165:500 STUDY ABROAD and pay the registration fee before your credit can be transferred. You may also need to complete an "Application for Re-Entry" at the Undergraduate Admissions Office, 107 Calvin Hall, which carries an additional $20 fee.