Congratulations to those students who are graduating this semester!

Your determination, persistence and hard work have paid off and you now have the coveted US degree in your hands. Your family and friends are very proud of you and your accomplishments. The euphoria and sense of personal satisfaction will linger on for a while. You should savor and enjoy this moment.  It is now time to reflect on what you have accomplished as you prepare for your departure back home.

Imagine a couple of years ago, you had a dream of studying and getting a degree in the United States and now you have accomplished this!   As you reflect on your life in United States, you can probably recall all the events that shaped you, both the positive and negative experiences. In the end, you are able to smile, knowing that you were able to “weather all the storms” that you faced.  The friendships you made, the trips you took, the conferences and the events you attended are all nicely tucked away in your mind. But now is the time to prepare for the inevitable journey back home.  It does not seem possible that this U.S. experience will only be a memory.   Where did the time go? 

As you prepare for your departure, there are a few things that you need to take care of before you leave. You need to “take care of business” with all those people and agencies that you were involved with. 

Here is a partial list of things to do prior to your departure;

1. Make travel arrangements for yourself and for sending all the possessions that you have accumulated over the years. You need to decide what you will take back home (books, clothes, computers, etc) and what will you sell or give away. You will need to find a shipping agent if you plan to send a lot stuff back home. This should be done at least 8 weeks before you leave.
2. You need to notify the following individuals or companies about your departure:   landlord, doctors, dentist, bank, electric company, Cable Company, Telephone Company, Gas Company and any other companies in which you received services. This notification should be done in writing either by email or mail, so that you will have a record of the request for discontinuation of services, otherwise, you may receive an unexpected bill. Make sure you settle all your debts before leaving the country.  In addition, please remember to collect your security deposit from the apartment complex.

Many international students have indicated to us that upon returning home they encountered some unexpected challenges from family, friends and colleagues. The general thought back home is that you received your U.S. education and that is very nice but you are now home, so you should follow “our” ways. Somehow that never works. The problem is that everyone has changed and the expectations are not the same. What most people do not realize is that we are all constantly changing and this is only natural.

A conflict now arises, reverse cultural shock, where you need to sort out what you learned overseas and how will you apply this experience to your current situation.  As one student put it, “I know who and what I am, but my family and friends do not see me as the same person that left here five years ago”.  Although you may have developed new ideas while you have been away, your family and friends may expect you to be exactly the same as when you left.   During your stay in the US, you adjusted to your new environment in order to survive and you have adopted some of those changes.

Here are some other things to keep in mind after returning home after a long stay in the United States. You may not be aware of the subtle things you do that will “have heads turn” such as wearing a colorful stylist dress or preparing and serving food in a certain way or unconscientiously  making remarks in a conversation with an older person .  You may also start being more assertive in expressing opinions and paying more attention to time whereas before those feelings were suppressed, so as not to affect the group. Coupled with this might be the fact that there have been changes in the economic and political conditions in your home country that impact on your ability to get a job.

Your success will depend on your ability to use what you learned in the United States and applying it, knowing full well that you will need to modify your knowledge and experience to fit your new environment.

Good luck to all of you!

Bob Chudy