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.

Strategies to Readjust to Life at NIU

  • 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

    Become a Study Abroad Peer Advisor or Student Worker

    Students who are considering study abroad would love to hear stories about your program. By becoming a peer advisor, you'll have another way to reflect on and process your experience.

    Become a Study Abroad Peer Advisor

  • 3

    Enter the Study Abroad Office Photo Contest

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

  • 4

    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.

  • 5

    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

Contact Us

Study Abroad Office
Williston Hall 417
815-753-0700
niuabroad@niu.edu