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International Programs Alumni

Welcome Back. What’s next?

Readjusting to life back in New Jersey and at Ramapo College can be a difficult process for those students returning from international experiences. Students have a variety of experiences with the re-entry process. It is one of the crucial objectives of the Roukema Center for International Education to meet the Academic, Professional, Emotional, and Cultural needs of RCNJ students through various on-campus events, workshops, programs, and additional resources. We want you to achieve a successful re-entry experience. Now that you have participated in an international program and experienced some transformation, let’s maximize the benefits and minimize the challenges of returning to U.S. culture.

 

Academics

Ramapo College – Graduate School & Fellows Office

Graduate School Opportunities

Helpful website to guide you on paying for graduate school: http://www.gograd.org/paying-for-your-masters-degree/

Arcadia University

– Master of Arts in International Peace and Conflict Resolution

– Master of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy

George Washington University

– Master of Arts in Asian Studies

– Master of Arts in European and Eurasian Studies

– Master of Arts in Latin American and Hemispheric Studies

– Master of Arts in Middle East Studies

New York University

– Master of Arts in Africana Studies

– Master of Arts in East Asian Studies

– Master of Arts in European and Mediterranean Studies

– Master of Arts in French Studies

– Master of Arts in Irish Studies

– Master of Arts in Italian Studies

– Master of Arts in Latin American and Caribbean Studies

– Master of Arts in Near Eastern Studies

– Master of Arts in Russian and Slavic Studies

School for International Training

– Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation

– Master of Arts in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management, Self-Designed

– Master of Arts in International Education (On Campus & Low Residency)

Re-Adjustment/Reverse Culture Shock

What is Re-Entry Adjustment?

(Taken from University of Minnesota’s Learning Abroad Center: Re-Entry Adjustment; and adapted from (p. 145) in Maximizing Study Abroad: A Students’ Guide to Strategies for Language and Culture Learning and Use.)

The unsettled feeling that can accompany your return from abroad is what some refer to as “re-entry adjustment.” It’s a very common reaction for students coming home from studying abroad. Your reactions to readjusting to life in the U.S. may vary among the ways other study abroad students react. These reactions can include one or more of the following:

  • Restlessness
  • Rootlessness
  • Boredom
  • Depression
  • Uncertainty, Confusion about the future
  • Isolation, Wanting to be alone
  • Reverse homesickness: missing the people, places, attitudes or lifestyles of your host country
  • Changes in life goals and priorities
  • Negativity or intolerance towards the U.S., including U.S. American behavior, attitudes, customs and common social practices.

Eighty-five percent of people returning home have some kind of difficulty with re-entry , and of those, 15% have more serious d adjusting. How you experience re-entry adjustments can depend on:

  • The length of time you were abroad
  • Where you studied abroad (Western cultures vs. non-Western cultures)
  • Your personality
  • If you had studied or lived abroad before

If you’re having difficulty with your return, think back to the adjustments you made to succeed while you were abroad. These same skills can help you in coming home. Remember the “W”curve of cultural adjustment – the initial euphoria, followed by criticism, followed by general acceptance and understanding of the new culture? The same pattern applies to re-entry. The coping skills and strategies that were successful in helping you adjust to your overseas culture will be just as helpful in making the return home:

  • Get involved with activities that you enjoy.
  • Identify/Join/Look for a support group with other study abroad students.
  • Suspend judgment of others.
  • Keep a journal of your observations and don’t forget to keep a sense of humor.
  • If you are experiencing major difficulty of re-entry, seek out professional help on your home campus.
  • Give yourself time (and permission) to reflect on how this experience has changed you.

Remember that after experiencing a different environment, it’s natural to have a different view of the U.S. This is the primary goal of the study abroad program.

It’s important to understand that each culture and country has its own systems of functioning. You may appreciate certain aspects of your host culture but dislike others. The same is likely true of your perspective of the U.S. now that you’ve returned.

Re-entry is different for everyone. However, there are some common re-adjustment issues that study abroad students report:

  • Personal Growth and Change -You may have experienced a challenge to your beliefs, convictions, values, and world view while you were immersed in a different culture. You may also have experienced more academic freedom and personal independence. You may feel that you have matured and become more self-confident. One of the greatest challenges of re-entry is having to adjust your new self to old home.
  • New Knowledge and Skills – You have probably developed new skills that helped you survive in your everyday life overseas, such as learning to find your way around a new city, to act in a culturally appropriate manner, and to converse about your new subjects, and of course, your foreign language skills.

Relationships with Family and Friends – It can be difficult to deal with family and friends once you return home. It’s important to realize that other people did not stay the same while you were gone. Perhaps the most difficult and common issue is telling others about your experience abroad, beyond the polite inquiries and questions. Friends and family may not seem all that interested in hearing about your experience.

Go Abroad.Again!

Now that you have gotten your feet wet in the world of international travel, let the Roukema Center for International Education help guide you towards additional overseas study, intern, work or volunteer opportunities.

Professional Development

Incorporate Your International Experiences into Your Job Search

Do you need to create, edit or improve your resume? Are your interviewing skills a little rusty? Are you unsure as to how to incorporate your study abroad experience into an interview? Then, make an appointment with a Cahill Center Advisor and be on the lookout for resume building and interview skills workshops this semester. It is never too early to think about that next step towards achieving your career goals.

Translate your Resume to a Curriculum Vitae (CV)

In many countries around the world, it is more appropriate to submit a curriculum vitae instead of a resume. Use this website to learn how to translate your resume into a CV.

https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/home

Work Abroad

Italian career database

List of non-profit organizations in Mexico

A comprehensive source of international careers for professionals

Database listing of job opportunities worldwide,

Intern Abroad

Internship listings both domestically and internationally

Volunteer Abroad

Volunteer around the world in this prestigious opportunity

  • Transitions Abroad
    http://www.transitionsabroad.com/
    Resources for Volunteer, Work, Teach, or Travel Abroad
  • Visions in Action
    https://www.visionsinaction.org/
    Sends volunteers abroad to Africa and Latin America to work for social change.
  • Volunteers For Peace
    http://vfp.org/
    A program that works toward a more peaceful world through the promotion of International Voluntary Service (IVS) projects and the exchange of volunteers with projects that provide intercultural education through community service
  • Volunteer Service Overseas
    http://www.vso.org.uk

Volunteer to fight poverty in developing countries.

Teach Abroad
  • Aeon
    • Country: Japan
    • Price: $250
    • Paid: 270,000 yen/month
    • Duration: 1 year
    • Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree, strong command of English, resume and essay
    • http://www.aeonet.com/aeon_index.php
  • CIEE Teach Abroad
    • Country: Chile, China, Dominican Republic, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam
    • Price: Varies, $1100-$5100
    • Paid: Varies stipend
    • Duration: Varies 10 weeks-1 year
    • Eligibility: Bachelor’s Degree, English as a native language
    • http://www.ciee.org/teach/
  • English Open Doors
  • ESL Partner
    • Country: South Korea
    • Price: none
    • Paid: Annual Salary ($28,000 to $33,000) Salary will be $1,800.00 to $2,000.00 (Net Salary)
    • Duration: 1 year
    • Eligibility:
      • -Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university in the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Great Britain or Ireland
      • Must be a citizen of one of the countries mentioned above
      • Must be a native English speaker
      • Must be in good physical and mental health
      • No criminal record
    • http://www.eslpartner.com/esl/index.asp
  • EPIK English Program in Korea
    • Country: South Korea
    • Price: None
    • Paid: Varies based on skills and region placed: 1.8-2.7 million KRW/month
    • Duration: 1 Year
    • Eligibility: Must be a native English speaker, Bachelor’s degree
    • http://www.epik.go.kr/EPIK/html/main.jsp
  • Fulbright
    • Country: Varies
    • Price: none?
    • Paid: none?
    • Duration: 1 year
    • Eligibility: varies, Bachelor’s degree, U.S. Citizen, some require host language proficiency
    • http://fulbright.state.gov/index.html
  • Global Vision International (GVI)
    • Country: India, Costa Rica, Thailand, South Africa, Kenya, Laos, Nepal, Fiji
    • Price: $1445-$8007
    • Paid: No
    • Duration: 2-24 weeks
    • Eligibility: Not Listed
    • http://www.gviusa.com/
  • Geovisions
    • Country: China, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, France, Italy, Russia, Spain
    • Price: $1079-$2099
    • Paid: Varies
    • Duration: 1 month-1 year
    • Eligibility: Varies on age, language knowledge, native English speaker
    • http://www.geovisions.org/
  • Greenheart Travel
  • The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme
    • Country: Japan
    • Price: none
    • Paid: yes
    • Duration: 1 year
    • Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree or 3 year teaching certificate, be a national of the country of the country where recruited, strong command of English
    • http://www.jetprogramme.org/
  • Teach Away
    • Country: Chile, China, Egypt, Georgia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam
    • Price: none
    • Paid: varies by country
    • Duration: varies
    • Eligibility: varies
    • http://www.teachaway.com/
  • Teach For China
    • Country: China
    • Price: none
    • Paid: varies
    • Duration: 2 years
    • Eligibility: Bachelor’s degree, speak fluent English, be a US Citizen or hold a US degree
    • http://www.tfchina.org/
  • World Teach
    • Country: American Samoa, Bangladesh, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, India, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Namibia, Panama, Tanzania, Thailand, Poland, South Africa
    • Price: varies; some have refundable deposits
    • Paid: none
    • Duration: 1 year, semester, or summer options
    • Eligibility: – be a native English speaker
      • be at least 18 or above
      • for year-long and semester-long programs ONLY] have a bachelor’s degree by date of program’s departure
    • http://www.worldteach.org
Get Involved

Clubs & Organization On-Campus

  • Global Roadrunners
  • Anthropology Club
  • Association of Latinos Moving Ahead
  • Brothers Making a Difference
  • Culture Club
  • Ebony Women for Social Change
  • Filipino American Student Association
  • International Business Club
  • International Student Organization
  • Irish American Club
  • Italian Club
  • Model UN Club
  • Organization for African Unity
  • Organization for Latino Unity
  • South Asians at Ramapo
  • Spanish Club
  • United Asian Association
  • Yoga Club

Local Cultural Organizations

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Mahwah, NJ 07430

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e: information@ramapo.edu

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