Reverse culture shock

• you might feel your friends and family don’t understand the importance of your overseas experience
• you might experience restlessness, uncertainty and confusion and want to be left alone
• negativity towards your home country might creep in to your thoughts and conversations, and you might experience homesickness for Australia

Research has shown that reverse culture shock is part of your international experience. It may be due to the different attitudes, values and perceptions you developed while studying in Adelaide. It is normal to experience these four stages of reverse culture shock.

Stage 1: Disengagement

• while you are still in Australia, you start thinking about going home and moving away from your Australian experience and friends

Stage 2: Euphoria

• you are very excited to be home and your friends and relatives are equally delighted to have you home
• however, after the initial pleasure of seeing you, they may not be particularly interested in talking about your time in Australia

Stage 3: Alienation

• you experience feelings of alienation, frustration and anger. You may even feel like an outsider—a foreigner in your own country
• home might be different from your memories, especially if you have been away for some years
• you might feel irritated with others and impatient with your own inability to do things as efficiently or as quickly as you hoped
• you might experience resentment, loneliness, disorientation or even a sense of helplessness

Stage 4: Gradual Readjustment

• the fourth stage of re-entry includes a gradual readjustment to life at home
• you no longer comment about differences between your home country and Australia’s culture

• there may be frustrations in adjusting to life at home. These are normal and an ongoing part of your entire cross-cultural experience
• one way to ease back into life in your home country is to spend some time with people who have also had experiences overseas
• if friends or family members are troubled by your behaviour explain to them a little about reverse culture shock and what you are going through.

• you may encounter all or none of the feelings in the four stages of reverse culture shock
• update yourself on the changes that took place in the local and national scene while you were abroad
• your experiences in Australia have changed your values and beliefs so you might need to incorporate this new way of thinking in your life
• explore new places and people with whom you can share your international experiences
• volunteer to help recruit students to study in Australia by contacting Study Abroad programs or International Offices or IDP offices
• try to link with members of your local Flinders Alumni chapter and be involved with an International Association related to Australia
• stay in touch with your friends in Australia and tune into foreign news broadcasts