Welcome back!

After completing an enriching global engagement, most students are excited to return home and share their experiences with friends and family. Though returning to a familiar environment, some students have issues re-acclimating and may experience reverse culture shock.

About Re-entry

How long and how strongly a student experiences reverse culture shock can depend on multiple factors, such as length of time away, previous travel, and frequency of communication with people back home while away. Students and parents alike should be prepared to for a re-acclimation period and should be patient with one another. Reverse culture shock has three phases:

  • Honeymoon – During this phase you are excited to be at home and other people are happy to have you back.  Your friends and family are interested to hear about your time away and see your photos.
  • Alienation – In this stage, you’ll feel that people would rather talk about what happened to them while you were away than listen to your stories. You may start to feel bored because your familiar environment does not seem as exciting as your study abroad program was. You may feel like a foreigner in your own home. Your perspectives and interests have broadened and may be different than they used to be, and your lifestyle may have changed to accommodate those new perspectives.
  • Gradual Readjustment – Gradually, you will readjust to being at home. The shock of returning does dissipate with time and patience.

The best way to approach re-entry is to expect that there will be differences. People, home or away, will have changed with time. Part of the re-entry process will include finding a new lifestyle to combine the best of your old lifestyle and your new lifestyle.

Opportunities to Engage Back at Elon

You’re back from a fantastic learning experience!  What’s next? Here are some exciting opportunities for you to continue your experience on Elon’s campus.

Transcripts and Posting Grades from Abroad

Students on Elon programs (Centers, affiliates, and exchanges) will receive Elon grades and credits for all approved courses taken while abroad. Grading systems vary around the world. If your program utilizes an American-style, A-F grade scale, Elon will post those grades. If your host institution utilizes a different grading system, your grades will be calculated according to an approved grade conversion scale before being posted to your Elon record.

If you have, or anticipate having, any issues with grades earned abroad, you must address them with the faculty and program administrators abroad prior to returning home. Elon is obligated to honor the courses and grades as reported by the partner institution or study abroad program. Elon cannot change or omit any courses and grades reported by the host institution or program.

Semester Programs
Affiliate/Exchange Programs

Students will receive grades and credits for all approved courses taken abroad. Study abroad courses may not be taken on an audit or pass/fail basis. Grades will be calculated into the student’s Elon GPA. Transcripts may take several months to arrive. Once a transcript is received, the courses and grades will be entered into the student’s Elon transcript. Some programs require students to go through a process to request a transcript be sent to Elon.

Center Programs

Students will receive grades and credits for all courses taken on an Elon Center semester study abroad program.  Study abroad courses may not be taken on an audit or pass/fail basis. Grades will be calculated into the student’s Elon GPA.

Summer Programs
Affiliate/Exchange Programs

Students will receive grades and credits for all approved courses taken abroad. Study abroad courses may not be taken on an audit or pass/fail basis. Grades will be calculated into the student’s Elon GPA. Transcripts may take several months to arrive. Once a transcript is received, the courses and grades will be entered into the student’s Elon transcript. Some programs require students to go through a process to request a transcript be sent to Elon.

Faculty-Led Programs

Students will receive grades and credits for all courses taken abroad. Study abroad courses may not be taken on an audit or pass/fail basis. Grades will be calculated into the student’s Elon GPA. Grades will be posted no later than August 1.

Winter Term Programs

Students will receive grades and credits for Winter Term study abroad courses. Students will receive separate grades for the fall pre-departure course and the Winter Term course. Study abroad courses may not be taken on an audit or pass/fail basis. Grades will be calculated into the student’s Elon GPA. Grades will be posted for the Fall pre-departure course in mid-December and for the Winter Term course no later than March 1.

For more information on course planning, visit the Course Planning for Global Study page.Course Planning for Global Study

 

Elon Housing upon Return

Students should plan for their housing back at Elon upon their return BEFORE departing for their program. Whether a student is living on campus or off campus, he or she should consult the following page:

Residence Life: Study Away