On Campus
Workshop Preps International Students for Return Home
Between culture shock and adjusting to a foreign language, studying abroad can be as tough as it is rewarding. According to Senem Bakar, returning home can sometimes be even tougher. With that in mind and with a population of more than 1,000 international students on campus, Bakar is working to help ease that transition for students.
鈥淟ike orientation, [we think] how can we orient them to? I think we need to orient them from,鈥 she explained.
That鈥檚 why International Student & Scholar Services recently held its Re-Entry Workshop for international students soon returning home. Developed and organized by Bakar 鈥 ISSS鈥檚 associate director for exchange visitors and student services 鈥 the afternoon-long workshop featured everything from speakers and alumni perspectives to group activities, all aimed at prepping students for any obstacles they might face when rejoining their home cultures.
Bakar is particularly proud of this year鈥檚 iteration of the evolving event.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been piloting it for a couple semesters. We finally figured out the content that could address the re-entry issue from several important perspectives,鈥 she explained. 鈥淲e are very fortunate that we have all these resources to tap into and bring to our students.鈥
The resources Bakar mentioned include Career Center advisor David Fletcher, the Counseling Center鈥檚 Dr. Keum Hyeong Choi, School of International Affairs professor Kyoung-Ah Nam and international alumni who themselves had the experience of returning home.
Paola Daza is finishing her last year as an SIS master鈥檚 student in international development. Looking to turn her degree into a successful career back home, the Bogot谩, Colombia, native found Fletcher鈥檚 advice on leveraging her AU education particularly helpful.
鈥淛ust being abroad and studying abroad in a country with a different language, it鈥檚 giving you all the value in the world. How to play that card to make yourself marketable, it鈥檚 really important to learn,鈥 she said.
Drs. Hyeong Choi and Nam spoke on how to cope with the common anxieties of returning home as well as how to recognize the strengths of a global hybrid identity. Having already dealt with re-entry issues after previous US studies, SIS master鈥檚 student Eduardo Ulloa shared his perspective as well.
鈥淗aving faced so many, if not most, of the re-entry challenges presented in the workshop without real preparation, I felt a sense of responsibility to graduating students to share my experiences,鈥 Ulloa said. 鈥淚n going through a re-entry shock, it is good to understand that while everyone's circumstances may be different, we most likely share common experiences and can support one another.鈥
Most surprising to graduating SIS master鈥檚 student Neda Nazmi were those similar experiences and feelings Ulloa referred to. While the group of 22 students in attendance had diverse backgrounds ranging from Scandinavia and Latin America to South Asia and the Middle East, they shared many concerns.
For Nazmi, that was a critical thing for everyone to realize 鈥 they鈥檙e not alone.
鈥淭he most important thing in this kind of workshop is that you see other people have the same concerns as you,鈥 she said. 鈥淚n the first months [at AU], everyone is focused on 鈥楧id you have culture shock?鈥 and all those expectations, but no one talks about how difficult it can be when you鈥檙e going home.鈥
As the evolving Re-Entry Workshop hits its stride in supporting students, Bakar notes that the event highlights AU鈥檚 attention to its place in international education.
鈥淎U is very globally aware,鈥 she explained. 鈥淥ur students in the classrooms are prepared for a global education. The administration and services are also leaning that direction. [The workshop] says a lot about AU鈥檚 commitment to an international education.鈥
Beyond that, AU is simply an institution committed to an unsurpassed education for its students. So, while a transition home may be difficult, Bakar will continue to strive for a better 鈥渙rientation from鈥 that the entire AU community can be proud of.
鈥淎U is a place where people are very committed to helping students in any way. Everybody takes pride in it. You could see how happy everybody was to be a part of this program,鈥 she said. 鈥淭his is one more thing we can do to make the student experience better.鈥