While You’re Abroad

Rescinding Off-Campus Study Leave Status

Students on two-semester programs considering returning after one semester should see “Leaves of Absence” section of the Class Deans website. Students wishing to rescind their Study Abroad Leave should notify the Office for International Study and their Class Dean in writing. If a student rescinds their study abroad leave in order to register for classes in Northampton, that decision will be binding, and they will not be eligible to have off-campus study status reinstated.

Leave may be rescinded until the first day of classes each semester, however, the student is responsible for any non-refundable fees and deposits already paid to the study abroad program or host university on her behalf. The student is also responsible for contacting Housing to request a room.

A student who withdraws from a study abroad program or host university after the program has started is responsible for any non-refundable fees and withdrawal fees charged by the study abroad program; they are also normally withdrawn from Smith and may not return to the college the following semester.

Extending Leave

Students approved for study abroad for one semester who want to extend their study abroad experience into the following semester should contact the Office for International Study to discuss their options.

For Smith Programs Abroad

Students who studied abroad in Florence, Hamburg, Geneva or Paris will be asked to complete a program evaluation that will be sent via email.

For Smith-Approved & Consortium Programs

All study abroad students who participated in a Smith consortium program or a Smith-approved program are required to submit an evaluation of their study abroad program to Smith at the conclusion of the program.

Students should complete the program evaluation that corresponds to the term studied abroad (fall, spring or academic year). Students who studied abroad on two different programs during the academic year should complete a program evaluation for each term and program (fall and spring).

Academic Year 2023-2024 Program Evaluation

Spring 2024 Program Evaluation

Please Note

Transcripts will not be forwarded to the registrar's office for posting until an evaluation is received by the Office for International Study.

Transcripts and grade reports from your program/university abroad must be sent directly to the Office for International Study:

Lewis Global Studies Center
5 Chapin Drive, Wright Hall 125
Northampton, MA 01063

Keep in mind that it may take a little time for your grades to appear on your academic record and on your transcript. If you have questions about transcripts or credits, please contact Associate Dean Lisa Johnson.

Please note: Transcripts will not be forwarded to the registrar's office for posting until a student's program evaluation is received by the Office for International Study.

For additional transcript and credit questions, see Credit Rules.

Returning to Smith

Few people anticipate culture shock when they return home, but many students actually find that it is just as challenging to get used to being home again as it was to get used to living abroad.

Some students find that they have changed and grown a great deal while abroad, but that home, family and friends have not. This gap makes it challenging to slip back into settings, routines and relationships that were once familiar and comfortable. You should expect a certain amount of this if you have had a full and enriching time overseas.

It is important not to ignore the return experience as a facet of study abroad: Readjusting to life at home is difficult and what you're feeling is entirely legitimate.

Common reentry experiences

• Impression that you can't fully explain your experience or its importance
• Realization that others do not want to hear very much about your adventures
• Sensation of being out of place despite being home
• Boredom with being home
• Experiencing reverse homesickness for the place where you studied abroad
• Seeing that relationships with family and friends have changed
• Feeling that others misunderstand your growth, or see the “wrong” changes in you
• Assessing your home in a way that is judgmental or overly critical
• Feeling that your experience abroad is lost or cut off from the rest of your life

Ways of Coping

If you find yourself experiencing difficulty after coming home:

• Try to use the same cultural adaptation skills that you developed while you were getting used to being abroad (that is, keep active, maintain a sense of humor, find a support group, expect differences, allow yourself to make mistakes, stay flexible) to make the transition to being home.
• Be reflective. Give some thought to your return, to the types of intellectual and emotional changes that you have undergone as a result of your time abroad.
• Expect some negative feelings about your home culture. Try not to be too critical of shortcomings that you did not see before. Remember that there are positive and negative aspects of all cultures—nothing is good or bad, it's just different.
• Accentuate the positive. Try to identify what you like about both cultures and try to incorporate the best aspects of these into your life.
• Be patient with your friends and family who are trying to understand your recent experiences. Listen to them, too, about the changes they underwent during the time you were away.
• Maintain connections with the international life through the many opportunities available at Smith: come to the Lewis Global Studies Center; evaluate your program; interact with the international student population from your study abroad location; help spread the word about study abroad to your friends and classmates; agree to talk to prospective students who are interested in the program through which you chose to study.
• Submit some of your favorite photos to the Global Encounters Photo Contest. We would love to see them!
• Set goals for your development. Realize once again that change can be stimulating and this could be your chance to develop in new directions. Set some long-term goals, which may involve finding ways to return abroad.

Part of the academic challenge of returning to campus is finding ways to bring the learning home. To demonstrate your new knowledge and educational perspective, we encourage you to consider:

Submitting proposals to present at conferences

• Smith in the World
• Celebrating Collaborations: Students and Faculty Working Together
• National Conferences on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) Annual undergraduate research conference held at a different institution each year draws 2,000 students and faculty members
• Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society Undergraduate Research Community for Human Sciences holds an annual Leadership Institute and Undergraduate Research Conference
• Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students

Creating social change takes action. Put into action the new skills, attitudes and experiences you have gained abroad. This can take the form of developing an organization, deepening your civic engagement in a course or simply getting involved with already existing community service groups in the community.

Resources

Center for Community Collaboration: Supports student engagement in meaningful community service work and leadership training that enhances educational experience, meets community identified needs, provides opportunities for reflection and models the development of effective collaborative community partnerships with local nonprofit organizations.

Americans for an Informed Democracy: A nonpartisan organization that brings the world home to the next generation of leaders through educational seminars and conferences, leadership summits, town hall meetings, opinion pieces and global videoconferences.

Interested in work and volunteer opportunities abroad? Many options exist for students to find a way to gain new skills and strengthen their cross-cultural understanding outside of the classroom.

Work Abroad

You may wish to do only a short-term job such as teach English for a year or acquire a more long-term job, but whatever you choose, working abroad can be a very rewarding and enriching experience. Being immersed in a new culture brings a great deal of self-discovery and professional development not easily acquired at home.

Please note: Most countries require work visas, so be sure to do your research on what exactly you may need in order to work abroad.

Resources

Smith Fellowships Office

BUNAC: Working Adventures Worldwide

University of Michigan: International Center

JET: teach English in Japan

Peace Corps

Transitions Abroad: information on international internships

GoAbroad.com: intern, volunteer, teach or work abroad

Embassy.org: foreign embassies of Washington, D.C.

CIEE Work Abroad

Work Abroad: The Complete Guide to Finding a Job Overseas, by Clayton A. Hubbs

International Jobs: Where They Are and How to Get Them, by Nina Segal, Eric Kocher

Work Worldwide: International Career Strategies for the Adventurous Job Seeker, by Nancy Mueller

Directory of Jobs & Careers Abroad (10th Ed), by Elisabeth Roberts

Best Resumes and CVs for International Jobs: Your Passport to the Global Job Market, by Ronald L. Krannich and Wendy S. Enelow

The Global Citizen: A Guide to Creating an International Life and Career, by Elizabeth Kruempelmann