Returned Students
Photo by Caitlin McElligott
After Studying Abroad
Readjustment
You may have had trouble adjusting to your host country's culture when you first arrived. Along the same lines, you may have some trouble with readjustment into your native culture. Tips for easing the readjustment and "reverse culture shock" are available here:
Paperwork
If your study abroad program provided you with a copy of your study abroad transcript, put this somewhere safe for later. Although the classes are listed, your grades from your study abroad experience will not appear on your Miami transcript. If you apply for a job or graduate school where they request full transcripts, you will need to be able to provide a copy. If your study abroad program did not provide you with a copy of your transcript, ask them if they can send one now. It is better to have a copy on hand than to have to ask for it later and hope that it has been kept on file.
If you have classes that were not pre-approved before you studied abroad, you should fill out a Transfer Credit Approval Form with your advisor after you return. This is only necessary if you want the course to apply for a specific requirement. If you only took the class for credit hours and not to fulfill a specific graduation requirement, the Approval Form is not needed. Your credits will be applied to your transcript/DARS after your study abroad transcript has been processed by the Office of the Registrar.
Evaluating Your Study Abroad Experience
Your study abroad provider or host university may have their own evaluation forms to fill out. Please do so - this is your opportunity to communicate with the program about what you liked or didn't like, what you would change, or what you would like to see more of. Please help future study abroad students have great experiences overseas.
Miami also has its own evaluations, which we keep in our Resource Center for prospective study abroad students to browse. You can share information about how your study abroad experience fits into your curriculum, whether the program works well for Miami students, and much more. We mail evaluation forms to students after the end of each semester, but if you did not receive a form or have lost it, you can download it here(pdf).
You can also start to evaluate your experience on an individual basis. If you completed the Anticipation and Expectation Exercise before you left, now is the time to take it out and see how your attitudes or skills have changed, or how your actual study abroad experience corresponded to your expectations.
Getting Involved at Miami
Photo Contest
Every year, the Office of International Education sponsors a Study Abroad Photography Contest. Students who have studied abroad are invited to submit photographs. See the Study Abroad Photography Contest page for details.
Study Abroad Contact List
If you would like to serve as a contact person for your study abroad location or program, you can join the Study Abroad Contact List. This will be made available in our office so that students who are interested in your study abroad program or location can contact you for more information or for questions related to student life, credit transfer, classroom experiences, travel opportunities or any other questions they may have. Please contact Sarah McNitt if you would like to volunteer.
Serve as an Ambassador
Many study abroad providers now have Ambassador programs (they may be known under a different name) where you can volunteer (or in some cases be paid) to promote your study abroad provider. Find out if your provider does this, and please let us know if you are an Ambassador for your program.
Serve as a Study Abroad Representative
There are many opportunities during the year for you to talk about your study abroad experiences to prospective students and/or their parents. These include: Parents' Weekend, study abroad orientation sessions, Study Abroad Fair, Exploring Majors Fair.
Sharing Your Experiences
If you're looking for an opportunity to share what you've learned, it can be useful to you and to others to publish writing or photography related to your study abroad experience. The Office of International Education can help you find an outlet for your writing, including many study abroad-related publications. Here are some suggestions:
Study Abroad and Your Future
Now that you have returned from your study abroad experience, think about how it has affected you. Has it changed the way you look at your academic or professional future? Have you acquired skills that you can put to use in your everyday life? Are you interested in a job or career overseas, or a job or career with an international organization? The Office of International Education and The Office of Career Services can advise you in your job search and to help you evaluate your experience, the skills and life lessons you've learned, and how this learning can affect your future. We host a joint Study Abroad and Your Future workshop each spring for returned students. Look for an invitation in your e-mail!
Going Abroad Again
As long as you can fit it into your academic plan, you are welcome to study abroad again. Please know, however, that there may be restrictions on using your Miami scholarships on more than one study abroad program. Talk to a study abroad adviser for more information.
If you are thinking of pursuing post-graduate study or research abroad, you might want to think about National Scholarships and Fellowships such as the Fulbright, Gates-Cambridge, Marshall or Rhodes scholarships.
For information about non-credit options for working and volunteering overseas after graduation, see our Work, Internships and Volunteering Abroad page.
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