Returned Participants

Welcome Home!

We hope you enjoyed your study abroad experience and are glad to have you back! Many students feel changed as a result of their time abroad and view Oklahoma and the United States much differently from when they left. Below are some helpful links and volunteer opportunities to make best use of your transition time, including ways to get involved on campus, and advice on how to deal with re-entry adjustment.

One great way to make a successful transition home is to share your experience with others. We would greatly appreciate any memorable quotes or photos from your study abroad experience that we could use to update our promotional materials and website.

If you haven't yet submitted your program evaluation to the Study Abroad/NSE Office, please do so! Your feedback regarding our programs is vital to improving our services and to helping us to advise future study abroad participants. If you have misplaced your copy, e-mail Kat Kratochvilova for a new one.

Likewise, if you saved materials such as maps, student guides, course listings etc. while abroad that you no longer need, donate these materials to our resource library so that future students may benefit from them.

Re-entry Adjustment:

There’s no place like home, but sometimes it’s harder to adjust to home than you expect. This link deals with reentry adjustment and provides links to resources that can help you successfully re-adapt to life at home.

Welcome/Welcome Back Party:

Each semester the Study Abroad/NSE Office hosts a Welcome/Welcome Back party for returned OSU students and new exchange students. You should receive an email invitation for this party, but if you get left out of the loop be sure to stop by our office for information!

Getting Involved in Campus Life Again through International Activities

  • Apply to be a Peer Advisor in the Study Abroad/NSE Office.
  • Volunteer to speak at study abroad seminars, the Study Abroad Fair and/or the Introduction to Study Abroad Class about your experience. Returnees are also needed to represent their host country for the site specific breakouts at the Study Abroad orientations in fall and spring.
  • Submit a photo for the Study Abroad photo contest, held every year during the Study Abroad Fair in September. The contest has prizes for the top three photos in both the international and domestic categories. For more details, contact our office!
  • Volunteer to help orient inbound exchange students. Contact the Study Abroad/NSE Office or apply to be an International Peer Advisor through the Office of International Students & Scholars.
  • Join one of the many language and cultural clubs on campus, such as the Latin Dance Club or German Club. Look on CampusLink for more information.
  • Volunteer to be an English conversation leader at the English Language Institute, located in 307 Wes Watkins Center. To earn a volunteer position, you must first submit an application to the Institute and then be offered the position.
  • Become a Cowboy Cousin. Contact the 2009-2010 Coordinator at cherry.cockrell@okstate.edu.
  • Participate in International Students & Scholars activities and cultural nights.
  • Consider volunteer work abroad and attend a Peace Corps Coffee Talk. More information can be found on the Peace Corps Recruiting Office Webpage.
  • Remember to complete your service project if you are a Provost's SAO Scholarship recipient, or your follow-on project if you are a Gilman or Freeman-Asia scholarship recipient. The recipients of these scholarships are expected to carry out a service activity that promotes international education and understanding at their school and/or in their community.
  • Volunteer at the Family Resource Center, located at 719 N. Walnut (the corner of Walnut and McElroy).
    • Participate in women’s and children’s nights
    • Facilitate an English conversation class
    • Participate in diversity conversation sessions
    • Take foreign language courses free
    • For more information contact Sarah Ruoff at 405-744-8569.

Phi Beta Delta

Another great way to get involved when you return is to join Phi Beta Delta. Chartered in 2003 at Oklahoma State University, Phi Beta Delta’s mission is to serve as a means of encouraging interdisciplinary international programming and promote the exchange of ideas and information among a network of faculty, staff, and students involved in international endeavors. Their goals are as follows:

  • To recognize the scholarly achievement of international students and scholars who have studied abroad, as well as faculty and staff who are involved in international activities
  • To serve as a vehicle for the development of academic-based international programming
  • To provide a network of faculty, staff, and students on each campus who are involved in international endeavors
  • To extend this network to thousands of members in chapters throughout the world

To learn more about the application process go to the Phi Beta Delta website or stop by the Study Abroad/NSE Office for more information.

Ways to Continue your International Experience

  • Pursue a graduate degree with the OSU School of International Studies
    • The School of International Studies offers a Master of Science in International Studies, as well as a Master’s International Program which provides the opportunity to incorporate Peace Corps service into the degree plan. More information on the School of International Studies can be found on their website.
  • Join the Peace Corps
    • Students who are anxious to travel should consider volunteer work in the Peace Corps. According to the Peace Corps website, as of March 2007, "Oklahoma State University has produced 455 Peace Corps Volunteers. Currently, OSU has alumni serving in Armenia, Benin, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Georgia, Ghana, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Malawi, Moldova, Namibia, Panama, Peru, Republic of Azerbaijan, Samoa, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia." To find out more, attend a Peace Corps Coffee Talk provided by the Peace Corps Recruiting Office.
  • Write a Fulbright Grant Proposal
    • Students interested in going abroad should also consider applying for a Fulbright grant. Students can receive comprehensive Fulbright grants, or Fulbright travel grants, to fund their work abroad. Teaching and business grants are available on a country-by-country basis. For more information and a link to Fulbright grant descriptions click here.
  • Apply to the JET Program
    • The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program is available for students interested in teaching English in Japan. Established over 20 years ago, the JET program now welcomes over 5,000 participants each year, promoting cultural and lingual exchange. To learn more visit the JET website.