Welcome back! We hope you had a transformative experience and made memories to last a lifetime! Your study abroad journey may be finished, but your story is just waiting to be told. Below, you’ll find tips for readjusting back to life in the US, as well as information on grades/transcripts and alumni opportunities. Learn how your story and experience can enhance your career opportunities, and even inspire other students to take flight with GEO!
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Readjusting to Life Back Home
It's very normal for students to return from studying abroad and struggle with readjusting back to life in the US. Know that you are not alone in experiencing these complex emotions, and there are many healthy and effective ways to process them.
Learn more about reverse culture shock.
| Scenario | Tip | Campus resource |
|---|---|---|
| Your family and friends don’t seem that interested in your experiences abroad. You want to share, but they just don’t get it! |
Seek out other study abroad alumni and share your stories! Talk to student who may be interested in doing the same program you did. They will want your advice! Get creative! Make a scrapbook, blog, or TikTok about your experiences. |
Study Abroad Club is a great way to meet other returnees Reach out to your coordinator for ways to help future students. |
| You aren’t as happy with your American life as you once were. Some things were so much easier while you were abroad. | It’s totally normal to gain a new perspective on everyday life after living abroad. Journal about it, talk to someone, or see what you can do to make a positive change in your home country! | Go abroad again! |
| You miss the excitement, the language, the people, and the culture in your host country. Everything here seems boring in comparison! |
Keep in contact with your host culture Take courses about the host culture Continue learning the language. Work with international students. Explore your own country |
Mills/AEI Conversation Partners ISSS Outdoor Program? |
| You feel like a different person than you were before. You don’t know how the new you fits into your old life. |
It’s hard to explain these changes to people who haven’t experienced them. Keep a journal to write your thoughts in. Make a scrapbook. |
UO Counseling Services Visit the Craft Center |
Grades & Transcripts
UO students
The timeline for processing your grades depends on the program type in which you participated.
- GEO Center or faculty-led: Grades will be processed within 2-4 weeks after the program end date.
- Third party programs (such as DIS, CIEE, SIT, IE3): Grades will be sent to the UO, and they will processed within 6-8 weeks approximately, assuming there is no outstanding balance owed to the provider.
- Exchanges and Direct Enroll programs: Please confirm with your host university if you need to request that your grades be sent to UO, as not all international universities automatically send transcripts. Note it typically also takes 8-12 weeks for international transcripts to arrive for processing from exchange partners. Please contact your host institution for more information.
Non-UO students
If you are a student from a partner university, in most cases, GEO will send grade reports to your home institution. If you are not from a partner university, you will enroll as a non-degree seeking student and have access to a UO official transcript for your courses completed on a GEO program (official UO transcripts are requested via Parchment).
Processing timeline:
- GEO Center and faculty-led: Grades will be delivered within 2-4 weeks after the program end date.
- Direct enrollment at a foreign university: Grades may take longer to deliver (approximately 6-8 weeks).
Alumni Opportunities
How to Market Your Study Abroad Experience
Employers are looking for candidates who excel in both technical and human skills, as defined by the NACE Career Competencies. By studying abroad, you have toolsets that help you land your ideal career. We recommend you meet with the UO Career Center to learn how to market your study abroad experience on your resume, cover letter and in job interviews.
Additonal Career Resources:
- 9 Career Benefits of Studying Abroad
- How Study Abroad Will Help Your Career
- Study Abroad Career Advice
- How to Add Your Study Abroad Experience to Your Resume, Cover Letter, or LinkedIn
- 3 Steps to Add Study Abroad to Your Resume
Share Your Story
Did your study abroad journey change your life? Were there moments that left you in awe or challenged you in unexpected ways? By sharing your experiences, you inspire others to embark on their own global odyssey and foster a deeper understanding of the world. Your story has the power to ignite wanderlust, break down cultural barriers, and motivate future adventurers. Whether it's through words, photos, or videos, your narrative can be the inspiration other Ducks need to leave the pond.
Send us your photos, videos, and testimonials! You may be featured on GEO social media, email campaigns, Around the O, and more.
Submit Your Content from Abroad
Go Abroad Again
There is still so much to learn and experience! Start the cycle over again by looking into GEO programs.
Order a Graduation Sash
Study abroad returnees can purchase graduates sashes to represent their country at graduation. Graduate sashes are available for purchase during the spring.
Explore Additional Opportunities
- Study Abroad Club: Relive your global adventures, connect with fellow explorers, and inspire the next generation of adventurers. Join the Study Abroad Club and be a part of an incredible community that keeps the spirit of exploration alive. Your experiences matter – share the magic! Go to the Study Abroad Club schedule.
- Conversation Partners: Many universities try to connect international students with other students on campus who have strong cross-cultural communication skills. Students who study abroad not only have this skill, they often also have the interest in engaging with international cultures. At the UO, students can serve as conversation partners or tutors with the American English Institute (AEI).
- Language Circles: The Mills International Center at the UO (located in the EMU) is a great place to engage with students, staff, and faculty interested in international cultures and languages. Not only does the Mills Center have a robust library of international magazines and travel books, they also host weekly language circles where people with varying levels of proficiency gather to practice speaking a foreign language. Typically there are language circles for Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, and German.
- Peace Corps: The University of Oregon ranks in the top 20 of Peace Corps volunteer-producing institutions, with over 1,000 graduates serving since 1961. The Career Center is home to an embedded Peace Corps recruiting office to help students navigate the volunteer application process.