After You Return

Welcome back! We hope you enjoyed your study abroad program and that it was a life-changing experience. Now that you're back home, it's time to continue your learning by reflecting on your journey.

What new values, interests and skills did you bring home with you? How will you apply them to the next few years of your life? Now is the time to make the most of your experience, and that’s where the Study Abroad Office can help! The following resources will help you readjust to life at NIU and apply what you learned from study abroad.

• 1

  Stay in Touch With Friends From Your Program

  They have been through the same process as you, and touching base with them will help you readjust, as well as provide you with a way to reflect on the experiences you've had, both abroad and at NIU.

• 2

  Enter the Study Abroad Office Photo Contest

  The Study Abroad Office photo contest takes place during the annual Study Abroad Fair.

• 3

  Contact the Study Abroad Office or Counseling and Consultation Services

  Both the Study Abroad Office and Counseling and Consultation Services can help you with reentry shock or feelings of depression or alienation.

• 4

  Make an Appointment With Career Services

  Career Services can show you how to apply what you learned in your international experience to resume writing and interviewing. They can also provide assistance with finding a job overseas.

Lessons From Abroad Conference

The Lessons From Abroad (LFA) organization holds a returnee conference in Chicago every spring. LFA seeks to help you make sense of your study abroad experience after you have returned home. LFA offers programming, resources and research to establish a community of learners who successfully integrate their international experience in their academic, personal and professional lives.

If you attend the LFA returnee conference, you'll be expected to:

• Explore various perspectives on the meaning of your study abroad experience
• Reflect on and learn how to convey your international skills in a job interview
• Discover how you can teach, work, volunteer, travel or study abroad after graduation
• Stay connected to and share your study abroad experience in a purposeful manner