Tips for Readjusting Back

By Alex Minard, Foster Undergraduate who participated in an exchange with the University of Economics in Prague, Czech Republic

One of the hardest parts of going on exchange is readjusting to being back home. Once you get adjusted to your exchange city it truly becomes to feel like home. The friends you make begin to feel like family and the whole experience feels like it will never end. It really only begins to feel like it is coming to an end when people begin to part ways and head home. Coming home is an odd experience because you come back with all new experiences and perspectives and it feels like nothing at home has changed. So here are some tips to readjusting to life at home in the weeks following your return home from exchange:

1. Get back on a schedule: Being on exchange will give you a lot more free-time than you are accustomed to. Getting back on a schedule when you get home will make you busier during the transition period.
2. See everyone you missed during your time away: Make sure to reconnect with all of your close friends as soon as possible. They are most likely missing you as much as you are missing them.
3. Go do the things that you didn’t get to do while abroad: There are going to be some things that you can’t do while you are gone that you take advantage of a lot while you are home. Whether it be hiking or a baseball game, make sure to go do these things early and often once you get home.
4. Stay in connection with your exchange friends: The people that you went on exchange with are the people who are going to be able to relate the most with your experiences. If you ever need someone to talk to about your time abroad or just to reminisce about your experience, it will be the best to get to do it with them.
5. Explore more: You will have a new found sense of wanting to explore and travel when you get home. Make sure to take advantage of this and plan some new travels around your city and if possible around other places in the area.