Colleges may try to do a lot to prepare students for study abroad – telling about culture shock, warning about homesickness, recommending books about the country. But when it comes to adjusting to campus life when they return, schools haven't done as much, even though the transition is sometimes almost as difficult.
"They can feel disoriented and depressed. They find things are not exactly the way they were when they left," said Antonio Jimenez, director of the Center for International Affairs at California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, California, US. "They find that people don't care much about their experiences."
Some colleges are now rethinking their approach to study abroad, recognizing that students might need almost as much help adjusting to life back home as they did getting ready to leave: students experience a sort of reverse culture shock when they return to the US.
They might be troubled by the wealth and waste they see back home or they might feel homesick for their new country and its customs. And when they try to talk about their experiences, people quickly lose interest, especially if they haven't lived abroad themselves.
Down the road, they also might find it difficult to translate their time abroad into experience that an employer finds attractive.
Some California universities have organized conferences to help students make the most of their time abroad. During a one-day event, students learn how to adjust after living abroad, talk about their experiences and incorporate them into their lives and future careers.
Blythe Cherney, 22, a senior who has studied in Thailand and Britain, found the workshops helpful.
"Any experience abroad does have an effect on you," Cherney said. "When you come back, it's important to talk about it, especially with people who know what you've been through."
Yet most universities focus more on preparation than reorientation. When students return, they might have a welcome home reception. But for the most part, universities figure students can fend for themselves.
小题1:Which of the following is NOT the trouble that students face when they return from studying overseas?
A．Culture shock
B．Homesick for their new country
C．Losing interest in their homeland
D．Difficult transition小题2:The wrier is _________ the help colleges offer for the students when they return from studying overseas?
A．pleased with
B．dissatisfied with
C．indifferent with
D．proud of小题3:The underlined word “workshops” refers to _________.
A．conferences where people share their experiences
B．buildings where machines are made
C．shops where books are bought
D．labs where experiments are conduct小题4:After the students come back_________.
A．They will easily find a good job.
B．People are very interested in their experiences.
C．They have to waste time and money.
D．They are confused and disappointed.小题5:What is the passage mainly about?
A．Overseas students experience culture shock in foreign countries.
B．Some universities offer to help students in need.
C．Returned students find it difficult to translate their time abroad into experience.
D．Returning from studying overseas, students face more trouble than they expected.
