Five transition phases
Going home after studying abroad can be very different from what is expected but some fairly predictable things occur. Five phases have been identified in the process of adjustment when returning home. Understanding the phases may help you to handle the transition more effectively.
| Five transition phases |
| 1. High hopes and expectations |
Students have often been away from home for some time. They generally look forward to their return and feel very good about it. Some of their rosy expectations may reflect nostalgia or be based on outdated information. |
| 2. Doubt and uncertainty |
This phase may take place a few days before boarding the plane, when final assessments have been completed and the preparation for going home begins. The student wonders what the old (or the new) job will be like. Doubt and uncertainty begin to set in. (Sometimes this phase does not occur until weeks after arriving home). The student starts to question, “Was the study worthwhile?” “What if I had stayed home?” “Can I use what I have learned?” At this point, one may have a tendency to become withdrawn. It is a time when contact with others is helpful. Here are some suggestions for how to get through this period.
- Contact friends and colleagues who may have had similar experiences
- Write letters, make calls, and attend alumni or professional association meetings
- Take time to list the good things that are occurring as a result of your study
- Remember friends and contacts made while studying.
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| 3. Hope |
Returnees begin to recognise in this phase that their study was helpful. These positive feelings help them to move ahead on projects that they have delayed. The returnee’s hope now is more realistic than it was in the first phase because it is based on more current and accurate information. |
| 4. Confidence |
Now the returnee adds self-confidence to the hope of the previous phase. The returnee not only sees how the study was helpful but also recognises other benefits, such as letters or calls from friends, or opportunities that arose as a result of the study experience. |
| 5. Satisfaction |
This last phase may happen quickly or over a long period. Good or bad, the entire experience is accepted. The returnee recognises that the benefits of the study may be different from originally anticipated. |
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Possible transitional issues
| Possible transitional issues |
| Cultural Adjustment |
Expectation that home environment would not have changed much. Recognition of change in self. Insecurity. Different daily work routine. Family and community pressures to conform. Adjustment from individualism in Australian life to family orientation and group demands at home. Dissatisfaction with some ritualised patterns of behaviour. Frustration from conflicting attitudes. |
| Social Adjustment |
Erroneous or unrealistic expectations. Adjustment to different lifestyle. New, broadened and unshared interests. Tendency of relatives and friends to focus more exclusively on local concerns. Feeling of being perceived as feeling superior because of international experience and travel. Envy and distrust in interpersonal relations. Lack of amenities found in Australia. Social alienation |
| Linguistic Barriers |
Adoption of verbal and non-verbal codes unfamiliar to compatriots. Adoption of speech mannerisms and styles of speech that are sometimes misinterpreted by compatriots. Absence of colleagues who speak the same professional language. |
| National and political |
Changes in political conditions and views and/or in national priorities and policies. Political climate not conducive to professional activity or advancement. Politicisation of office or colleagues. Changes in bureaucratic leadership. |
| Educational |
Relevance of education received to some situations. Fulfilment of objectives in going abroad and changes in objectives while abroad. Lack of facilities and resources for research. Absence of programs, means, and channels to keep up in one’s field. |
| Professional |
Inability to work in chosen speciality. Placement inappropriate to training or field. Entering a glutted job market. Need to use technical terminology not readily translatable into local language. Problems communicating what has been learned. Co-worker and client resistance to change. Non recognition of foreign degree. Jealousy by, and perception of being a threat to, colleagues. Lack of stimulus of interaction with trained professionals in one’s field. |
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