This section will provide the definition of Reverse Culture Shock, which is often underestimated. When coming back from a study abroad experience, you have to adapt to a new concept of home.

After completing this section you will be able to cope with Reverse Culture Shock by being patient, keeping connected and communicating your feelings. You will learn the power of self-reflection as well.

This section includes the following resources:

A video episode where Erasmus students cope with real problems
Theoretical resources
A self-reflective Questionnaire

It will take you about 20 minutes to complete this section.

Watch the following video episode, where four students discuss planning for the future.

While culture shock is well known (and covered in the predeparture section of this platform), reverse culture shock is not as recognized and understood.

What is Reverse Culture Shock?

You were only away for a short period of time, so you probably expected your home to be just the same as it was when you left. However, while being abroad, some things might have changed. For example,

your favourite grocery store went out of business and was replaced by a different shop
when walking in your ‘old’ neighbourhood you discover that they built a new building
when you are welcomed home you are told that one of your flatmates moved out
your ‘old’ group of friends included a couple of new people or that your best friend is in a new relationship.

These natural changes can be shocking and disorienting upon return.

Looking back on the study abroad experience, you now know that: "home" is much more than just the "location" you lived in; home involves all the familiar feelings, relationships, routines and predicable patterns of interaction. While being abroad the unfamiliar became familiar and you evolved as an individual and adopted the cultural practices of your new environment. Your perception of home changed.

Living abroad can be a life-changing experience and may affect the home you left behind. In a way, any place that you adapt to, becomes "home." As you adjusted to your host country, you brought home with you. As you assimilated into a new culture, you incorporated new traditions into your daily life. You became familiar with the new routines and customs of your new culture, you immersed yourself in this culture, and in doing so, "back home" became more unfamiliar.

As you return home, you will have to relearn routines and patterns that you have forgotten. The more comfortable you felt during your study abroad experience, the harder it will be for you to transition back. You simply have to adjust to a new routine.

"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change" - Stephen Hawking

What does reverse culture shock look like?

The reverse culture shock W-curve was developed by John and Jeanne Gullahorn to demonstrate the phases that students experience as they readjust to their home setting.

A graph with Psychological Adjustment on the Y-axis and Time on the X-axis. The X-axis starts the moment of entry to the host culture and ends after entry to the home culture. The graph shows a W-curve, going from a honemoon-phase, down to conflict/culture shock then up again past Recovery and adjustment. These phases come back upon entry to the home culture.
Image by Jonli So (University of Amsterdam)

Honeymoon at home: upon arriving ‘home’, the student experiences a ‘honeymoon’ phase where being home only seems exciting and grand. Visits with friends and family are refreshing, and you may notice some exciting changes.
Conflict/Culture Shock at home: the honeymoon period doesn't last long, though, as cultural differences and the stress of re-entry continue to build up. If you are not expecting this stress, being back home will prove to be very challenging, plunging students into the depth of reverse culture shock.
Recovery at home: as students learn to cope with the cultural differences of their ‘home’, they slowly climb up the slope of readaptation.
Adjustment at home: and regain psychological stability. As with initial culture shock, the duration of this phenomenon varies from person to person.

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