Keeping Sane

When you enrolled in The Scholar Ship program, you signed up for more than just a voyage around the world. Your experience throughout the voyage proved this in many ways. Now that you’ve returned home, we not only want to ensure your wellbeing, we want to help you reach new heights with your newly learned intercultural skills.

Returning home after an experience like a semester aboard The Scholar Ship can be an unexpected challenge. Having spent so much time with new friends from around the world, and in such an intense environment, it’s no surprise you may be feeling overwhelmed, lost, or perhaps depressed. Don’t worry, these feelings are completely normal. And since we’re all in this together, know that The Bridge is here to support you any way possible.

For starters, we recommend that you learn about reverse culture shock, an unanticipated state of mind that causes you to feel like a foreigner in your own home environment as a result of cultural adjustments you made while abroad. We have dedicated a section as a resource for you to learn about this phenomenon.

Understanding reverse culture shock is important, but using tools to address it will ensure your wellbeing. To that end, we have developed an interactive re-entry program, which you learned about at the end of your voyage. It is an effective program that you should take the time to complete sooner than later. Along with numerous other community aspects of The Bridge, our re-entry program will help you navigate beyond the horizon!