At home you may find it difficult to get back into the routine of doing things the way your parents and friends do them. There may be a great deal of pressure on you to conform to community standards. You may feel conflicted by your simultaneous resistance to this pressure and your desire to please your family and friends.

You may encounter envy and distrust from old friends and colleagues. Some people may resent the fact that you have had an opportunity they have not had, but most people simply will have minimal interest in the details of your experience abroad. This is natural. It is not because they do not care about you. If they have not had a similar experience themselves they are less likely to relate to what you tell them.

You may miss some of the material conveniences of a consumer society. It may be difficult to suppress your individualism in favor of the needs and expectations of family. You may find yourself somewhat alienated from those whose attitudes now conflict with yours. Often students find that they have picked up the American tendency to be quite direct and assertive of their own points of view, modes of communication frowned upon in their home country.

The political situation at home will look different now that you have had the experience of viewing it from afar. There may have been shifts in national priorities; policies may have changed. Your political views may have changed. If the political climate does not support your professional goals, you may be dissatisfied and frustrated.

You may not find the educational and research infrastructure to which you became accustomed in the United States. The training you received may not be relevant to the needs of your home country. You may feel there are barriers to improving your skills at home, and you may not readily find education programs that enable you to keep up with developments in your field. You may face intense competition in the job market. Scientific terminology that has become part of your everyday vocabulary may not lend itself to adequate translation into your native language. You may find it extremely difficult to communicate what you learned to your colleagues, who may be resistant to change and may resent what they perceive to be your sense of superiority as a result of your education and training in the United States.

These feelings are not so different from what you experienced when you first arrived in the United States and found that people did not understand you, that you had to learn new ways of doing things, and you were uncertain of your ability to succeed in a new environment. Once you were oriented and adjusted, your confidence and comfort level rose. Similarly, if you prepare for the return, you will be better equipped to handle your re-entry. There are many practical matters to which you must attend before you leave and after your arrive and there are many less obvious things you can do to ease your transition.

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