Reverse Culture Shock and YOU.

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• Reverse Culture Shock and YOU.

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Re-entry ????!

• What is it?
• Culture shock is the expected confrontation with
  the unfamiliar re-entry shock is the unexpected
  confrontation with the familiar.
• R. Michael Paige, Maximizing Study Abroad
• Will it get me?
• 2010 JET Survey says 65.7 of JETs experienced
  reverse culture shock/re-entry shock

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Reverse Culture Shock Time-line
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Top 10 Challenges(in no particular order)

• Boredom After all the newness and stimulation of
  your time abroad, a return to family, friends and
  old routines can seem dull. Try to find ways to
  overcome it by trying new things, travelling
  domestically or continuing cultural studies.
• No one wants to hear One thing you can count on
  up your return no one will be as interested in
  hearing about your adventures and triumphs as you
  will be in sharing those experiences. Be
  realistic in your expectations of how fascinating
  your journey will be for others to listen to. Be
  brief.
• You can't explain Even when given a chance to
  explain all the sights you saw and feeling you
  had while studying abroad, it's likely to be a
  bit frustrating to relay them adequately. It can
  be hard for others to understand who haven't had
  such an experience. It's ok to fail to make them
  understand.
• Reverse "homesickness" Just as you probably
  missed home for a time after arriving overseas,
  it's as natural to experience the same for the
  people, places, and things that you grew
  accustomed to while abroad. While writing,
  calling and keeping contact can help, but this is
  a natural part of study abroad.
• Relationships have changed It is inevitable that
  when you return you will notice that some
  relationships with friends and family will have
  changed. Just like you have changed while abroad,
  so have things at home. Openness, flexibility,
  and minimal preconceptions can help prepare you.
• People see the "wrong" changes Sometimes people
  may concentrate on small alterations in your
  behavior or ideas and seem threatened or upset by
  them. These reactions can be caused by any number
  of things, but be aware of people's reactions and
  monitor yourself, and it will likely pass.
• People misunderstand A few people will
  misinterpret your words or actions in such a way
  that communication becomes difficult. Things that
  may have been normal or acceptable abroad, are
  seen as offensive or odd at home. Keep conscious
  of how you look and behave to others and it is
  interpreted.
• Feeling alienated/seeing with "critical eyes"
  Sometimes the reality of being back home is not
  as enjoyable as how you imagined it. Some develop
  a tendency to see faults at home that you didn't
  notice before. Mental comparisons are alright
  just keep them to yourself until you regain a
  balanced perspective.
• Inability to apply new knowledge and skills Many
  returnees are frustrated by the lack of
  opportunity to apply newly gained social,
  linguistic, and practical coping skills that
  appear to be unnecessary or irrelevant at home.
  However, you can use all the cross cultural
  adjustment skills to assist your own re-entry.
• Loss/compartmentalization of experience Being
  home, combined with the pressures of job, school,
  family, and friends often conspires to make
  returnees worried that they might somehow "lose"
  their experience. By maintaining contacts abroad,
  practicing cross-cultural skills, sharing with
  others you can remember and honor your time
  abroad.

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• 1 Boredom
• After all the newness and stimulation of your
  time abroad, a return to family, friends and old
  routines can seem dull. Try to find ways to
  overcome it by trying new things, travelling
  domestically or continuing cultural studies.

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• 2 No one wants to hear
• One thing you may experience about your return
  no one will be as interested in hearing about
  your adventures and triumphs as you will be in
  sharing those experiences. Be realistic in your
  expectations of how fascinating your journey will
  be for others to listen to. Be brief.

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• 3 You can't explain
• Even when given a chance to explain all the
  sights you saw and feeling you had while living
  abroad, it's likely to be a bit frustrating to
  relay them adequately. It can be hard for others
  to understand who haven't had such an experience.
  It's ok to fail to make them understand.

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• 4 Reverse "homesickness"
• Just as you probably missed home for a time after
  arriving overseas, its as natural to experience
  the same for the people, places, and things that
  you grew accustomed to while abroad. While
  writing, calling and keeping contact can help,
  but this is a natural part of living abroad.

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• 5 Relationships have changed
• It is inevitable that when you return you will
  notice that some relationships with friends and
  family will have changed. Just like you have
  changed while abroad, so have things at home.
  Openness, flexibility, and minimal preconceptions
  can help prepare you.

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• 6 People see the "wrong" changes Sometimes
  people may concentrate on small alterations in
  your behavior or ideas and seem threatened or
  upset by them. These reactions can be caused by
  any number of things, but be aware of people's
  reactions and monitor yourself, and it will
  likely pass.

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• 7 People misunderstand
• A few people will misinterpret your words or
  actions in such a way that communication becomes
  difficult. Things that may have been normal or
  acceptable abroad, are seen as offensive or odd
  at home. Keep conscious of how you look and
  behave to others and it is interpreted.

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• 8 Feeling alienated/seeing with "critical eyes"
  
• Sometimes the reality of being back home is not
  as enjoyable as how you imagined it. Some develop
  a tendency to see faults at home that you didn't
  notice before. Mental comparisons are alright
  just keep them to yourself until you regain a
  balanced perspective.

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• 9 Inability to apply new knowledge and skills
• Many returnees are frustrated by the lack of
  opportunity to apply newly gained social,
  linguistic, and practical coping skills that
  appear to be unnecessary or irrelevant at home.
  However, you can use all the cross cultural
  adjustment skills to assist your own re-entry.

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• 10 Loss/compartmentalization of experience
• Being home, combined with the pressures of job,
  school, family, and friends often conspires to
  make returnees worried that they might somehow
  "lose" their experience. By maintaining contacts
  abroad, practicing cross-cultural skills, sharing
  with others you can remember and honor your time
  abroad.

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Life after JET is NOT game over!

• Understand that it is common
• Cut yourself some slack
• Continue learning
• JET ALUMNI
• Use your experience points
• Level up!