Month: July 2021

Once the semester ends you will be thinking of getting back to your friends and family, settling back into your old routine, and even how to deal with reverse culture shock. But it is also very important for you to reflect and reap the benefits of your time abroad as it will continue to impact your life for years to come.

1) Update your resume. 
Once home, it is time to start thinking about internships and job prospects. It is well-known that study abroad impacts personal, professional, and academic development so use that to your advantage and highlight study abroad on your resume. Feature your community engagement activities and any service-learning and/or research projects you may have completed. Reflect on the goals you set and met and prepare to talk about them in an interview. 

Use tools learned during our end-of-semester Unpacking Your International Experience Workshop or contact us for resume tips. 

2) Ask for letters of recommendation. 
If you followed our previous advice, you likely developed a relationship with Umbra faculty or staff that could be the basis for a solid letter of recommendation. If so, don’t be shy and ask away. Many Umbra alumni have used these letters to get into grad school, law school, or their dream job. Some alumni have even continued academic discussions with faculty that have lead to ongoing career advice. 

3) Keep in touch. 
Umbra’s small size allows us to get to know students who study with us to the point where those students are remembered many years later. Feel free to reach out just to say hello or to update us on your life and career. Our team loves to hear from you!

We also love to receive guest blogs from our alumni. Alumni often use blog posts to provide study abroad tips, but some use them to build their Google CV (online portfolio) by offering career advice to students considering the same field. Contact [email protected] if you’d like to make such a contribution. 

4) Get involved in an international community. 
Students often report quickly bonding with their peers while studying abroad. This is because you all experience a similar whirlpool of events and emotions and share similar interests and ‘firsts’ (travel, adventure, culture, language, etc.). It might sound silly, but you may miss talking about how odd Italian supermarkets are or how brutal customs can be when you return home and find that some of your friends and family disengage from such discussions because they haven’t had those same experiences.

To help you readjust to life back home while continuing to reflect on your time abroad, we recommend you find an international community near you. This can also encourage you to continue to develop cultural competencies. Getting involved is easiest on a university campus (through your study abroad office, campus clubs, etc.) but many cities across the U.S. host country/culture-specific events and groups, English-language tutoring, and other international activities in which you can become involved.  

5) Become an Umbra study abroad ambassador
In your experience has impacted you in such a positive way that you want to share your enthusiasm for study abroad and encourage others to do the same, then you should consider becoming a study abroad ambassador. As an Umbra alumnus you are uniquely qualified to provide valuable advice and share first-hand experiences with other students on campus. Contact our Alumni Relations Coordinator, Ashley Webb at [email protected] if you’d like to become a champion of study abroad.

View other blogs in this series: 
Setting yourself up for a Successful Study Abroad Experience
How to Succeed While Studying Abroad in Italy

 

1) Set goals and make waves.
If you don’t do so during pre-departure, set goals for yourself during the first week or two in Perugia. Umbra recommends that you establish at least one goal related to your career readiness and one related to your personal development, or how you relate to yourself and those around you.

Then, don’t just float, make waves! Seek experiences that might disrupt your “normal” – travel to a country you never thought you’d visit, go hiking, sit in the front of the classroom, try new foods and habits. Find ways to meet and exceed your goals and expectations and don’t hesitate to reach out to Student Services Staff if you need safe and rewarding ideas!  

2) Engage with Umbra staff and professors. 
Umbra is a relatively small institution, so it is easy to interact daily with Umbra’s staff and professors. 

Interested in Opera, local traditions or the Italian feminist movement? Talk to Dr. Valoroso. 
Have you ever wondered how sunscreen impacts the environment? Speak with Dr. Porter. 
Want to know the origin of the word ciao? Check with Francesco, or Marta. 
Want to know some of the best hikes near Assisi? Chat with Laura in Student Services. 
Considering a career in the food industry? Speak with Dr. Ascione

The list can go on and on but what you need to know is that: everyone on our team wants to see you reach your goals and come to love Perugia as much as we do!

3) Plan travel around studying, not the reverse. 
Study abroad is not a vacation; it is an academic and personal growth experience. While we want you to travel to flex your independence and problem-solving skills, explore history and experience culture; it is important for you to still attend and engage with your classes. Each class is taught within the context of Italy and learning from it will enhance your experience exploring the rest of the country. 

4) Don’t fear culture shock or homesickness. 
At one point or another, all of us miss home and the familiar comforts of our own culture. While this can make us feel distracted, sad, or even sick, it is a completely normal and in many ways a necessary part of the growth experience. These feelings can last an afternoon, or they can last a week or more at a time; everyone goes through it differently. Umbra hosts an on-site study abroad coach and counselor specifically for this reason. Our advice is to chat with her anytime you feel that way, so those feelings can work to your advantage during your time abroad. 

View other blogs in this series: 
Setting yourself up for a Successful Study Abroad Experience
Returning Home: Demonstrating your Successes

Planning for study abroad isn’t always easy, but there are things you can do to help make the process a stress-free experience. Below are a few tips we have for ensuring you are properly prepared prior to your departure. 

1) Start speaking with your advisors right away. 
They are familiar both with the study abroad experience and with the process students from your school need to follow to ensure course transfer, etc. If you don’t know who your advisor is, contact the Umbra Institute and we will be happy to introduce you to them to get the process started.

2) Review your course options early. 
Your degree is likely to have specific course requirements which often cannot be completed off-campus. It is important to plan study abroad into your degree plan by reviewing course options with your advisor to ensure that time abroad doesn’t set you behind.

3) Plan Your Course Transfer in Advance.
Make sure to get a number of alternate courses pre-approved because you may want or need to adjust your curriculum once abroad. Know the approval and transfer process before going abroad to avoid stressful, last-minute email exchanges with your advisor or university’s Registrar. 

4) Get your study visa early.
If you plan ahead, the visa process can actually be easy. The trick is to schedule your visa appointment as soon as you can (for a date within 90 days of your departure and once you apply to the program). You can always cancel your visa appointment if you ultimately don’t go to Italy but trying to schedule your appointment when your departure is only 2-3 months away can sometimes be stressful. That said, your Umbra advisor and your advisor at your home institution will help you as much as they can so you will be well-supported throughout the visa process.

Our next blogs will highlight succeeding while abroad and what to do once you return home.