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Reverse Culture Shock: Readjusting to Life After a Semester Abroad

Started by WanderlustEmma · 4 septembre 2025 · 9 replies · 📖 Read as Guide
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WanderlustEmma
Junior, returned from Erasmus semester in Amsterdam
Joined: Feb 2017 Posts: 195
4 septembre 2025 #1
I have been back from Amsterdam for three weeks and honestly feel more lost than I did when I first arrived in the Netherlands. Nobody warned me that coming HOME would be the hard part. Anyone else dealing with this? Sharing what has helped me so far and looking for advice from people who have been through it.

Pour aller plus loin, découvrez destinations dog-friendly en France.

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CamilleDuval
Member
Joined: Jan 2019Posts: 128
September 08, 2025#2
This is the most accurate description of what I went through after my year in Seoul. The disconnection phase lasted almost two months for me. What helped most was finding other returned students on campus -- we met weekly for coffee and it was the only space where I felt understood.
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MikeFromMichigan
Member
Joined: Oct 2022Posts: 33
September 12, 2025#3
The point about preparing a 30-second answer is underrated. I got so tired of people asking how was Europe and then checking their phone while I answered. Having a short version ready saved me a lot of frustration.
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BackpackerJake
Member
Joined: Jul 2019Posts: 22
September 16, 2025#4
Came back from a gap year in Southeast Asia and genuinely could not handle how wasteful everything felt at home. The portion sizes, the packaging, the driving three blocks to get coffee. It took months to stop being angry about it and just accept that my perspective had shifted.
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OliviaOxford
Member
Joined: Jun 2024Posts: 161
September 21, 2025#5
As a British student who studied at a US university for a year, the reverse culture shock of returning to the UK was surprisingly strong. I missed the openness and enthusiasm of American social culture. The grass really is always greener.
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SarahStudiesAbroad
Member
Joined: Oct 2022Posts: 169
September 26, 2025#6
I maintained my habit of cooking from scratch every day after coming back from Florence and it genuinely anchored me. Such a small thing but it kept that part of my abroad identity alive. Highly recommend the daily habit strategy.
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NatalieVancouver
Member
Joined: Apr 2022Posts: 111
October 02, 2025#7
The counseling center tip is important. I thought I was just having a rough adjustment but it turned into actual depression that lasted four months. Getting professional help was the turning point. Do not tough it out if it does not improve.
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AidanDublin
Member
Joined: Oct 2022Posts: 201
October 10, 2025#8
Reverse culture shock after studying in California was wild for me as an Irish student. Going from sunshine and optimism back to Dublin rain and sarcasm was a genuine adjustment. But Ireland grew back on me and now I appreciate both.
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RyanToronto
Member
Joined: May 2023Posts: 160
October 18, 2025#9
The Proust quote at the end really landed. I did not understand it before going abroad. Now after a semester in Japan I get it completely. You do not just see new places, you learn to see your own place differently.
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JessicaBoston
Member
Joined: Feb 2020Posts: 73
October 25, 2025#10
Agreed that it hits harder than the initial culture shock. I spent three weeks adjusting to life in Copenhagen and three months adjusting to life back in Boston. Nobody tells you this ratio is normal. Thank you for normalizing it.
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