The important thing to remember is to be supportive, patient, and a good listener. Here are some additional suggestions for the time that your friend or family member is abroad:
Be prepared to receive phone calls and letters from participants expressing either great excitement or complaints and frustration about the host country. Take these feelings seriously; show support for the new experience and empathy for the difficult challenges. Please keep in mind that participants may not call home immediately as it may be too inconvenient, complex, or difficult. Also remember that there is a tendency for participants abroad to call or write home when things are not going well and not to call or write when things are going fine
During a stressful telephone call, constructive advice can emphasize adaptability, a sense of humor, and a lot of common sense. Encourage participants to allow time to become accustomed to the cultural differences. It may help to remind them about the cultural adjustment curve (given during orientation) to validate their feelings, while at the same time encouraging them to think about the positive things they have learned about the new culture.
The encouragement and support of friends and family at home is a powerful tool in the adjustment process. Of course, remember to take participants’ needs and concerns seriously and be on the lookout for problems that may indicate that a participant is experiencing more than culture shock such as: severe depression; drastic changes in eating habits; excessive drinking; and self-isolation. If you are concerned about the safety and well-being of a participant, please contact International Affairs.
Encourage your friend or family member to write down experiences and feelings in a journal. Keeping a journal has two major benefits: 1) writing about the experience can help the participant understand what is happening and the feelings taking place and 2) past journal entries provide a means of documenting experiences as well as an interesting way to identify what has been learned.
Save correspondence from participants. Letters and post-cards also function as documentation of experiences and participants may want to look back on them upon their return home.
