Reverse Culture Shock of International Students

    Little is known about the “reverse culture shock” experienced by international students when returning home from studying abroad. Unlike the regular cultural shock that most people experience when first arriving in another country, reverse culture shock is often overlooked. It occurs when you return home after immersing yourself in a different culture overseas. Reverse culture shock is the “process of readjusting and reassimilating into one's own home culture after living in a different culture for a significant period of time” (Gaw).  Reverse cultural shock can also be described as “an emotional and psychological stage of re-adjustment, similar to most people’s initial adjustment to living abroad” (“What is Reverse Culture Shock”). Symptoms can range from feeling like no one understands you to feeling anxious that you will lose part of your identity if you don’t have an outlet to pursue new interests that were sparked abroad (“What is Reverse Culture Shock”). 

    I can attest to the experience of a reverse cultural shock. I remember there was this one summer before my senior year of high school when I returned home after spending an entire year in the United States. I had a sudden realization that home feels a little different, not necessarily in a good or bad way, it just felt dissimilar. I felt like an alien in my city and things looked different than the last time I was here. The streets look new, new restaurants are opened and new buildings are built. While I spend the summer back home, I can see that friends and family have also grown and changed, very much like myself who have grown in the past year I’ve spent abroad. But throughout all this, I can’t help but feel lost in the place I spent the majority of my life. Though the feeling is hard to describe, It is a very similar feeling compared to what I felt when I first arrived in the U.S. for school - disoriented and out of place. 

    Reverse cultural shock is usually talked about in association with domestic students who got to experience an exchange year above. However, this specific type of cultural shock should also be recognized as something that international students constantly have to go through while they go back and forth from overseas and their home country. In the same way, students start their journey in a new environment, returning to their home country can also mean re-encounter the culture, values, and habits of people at home. The difficulty of getting used to the home culture is a real struggle. But just like culture shock, After you are used to your life at home, the effects of reverse culture shock will eventually disappear as well!

Works Cited:

Gaw, Kevin F. “Reverse Culture Shock in Students Returning from Overseas.” International Journal of Intercultural Relations, vol. 24, no. 1, 2000, pp. 83–104., https://doi.org/10.1016/s0147-1767(99)00024-3. 

“Reverse Culture Shock.” Marquette University, https://www.marquette.edu/study-abroad/reverse-culture-shock.php#:~:text=What%20is%20Reverse%20Culture%20Shock,initial%20adjustment%20to%20living%20abroad.