Returning Home

• Returning Home Checklist (PDF 28kb)

You may be surprised to find that going home seems like returning to a new culture. Don’t forget that a lot of things have changed, both with you and in your home country, while you’ve been studying in Australia.

You have learned to be independent and responsible for yourself while you’ve been away and your ideas will also have changed. You will miss the friends you have made in Australia. There may be other things you miss, even the things you didn’t like! Your family and friends may not be prepared for these changes. These changes affect each person differently.

Take time to reflect on some of these changes:

• Pressure from your family and community to conform eg male/female roles, lifestyle
• Changes in levels of privacy
• Changes in economic and political views
• Differences in levels of communication eg mannerisms and gestures
• Differences in technology and
• Inability to communicate what you have learned and experienced.

Don’t let this worry you too much. Remember how you adjusted to life in Australia! Give yourself time to get used to being back home. Share your experiences with your family and friends, but go slowly. They have not been through the same experiences and need time to adjust to you, too.