United States Colleges and Universities
Help for Student Victims of Hurricanes
The Return Home

1. Introduction
2. Exercises to help you adjust to home
   • Now that you are home
   • Changes at home exercise
   • Positive long-term outcomes from your experience
   • Study Abroad

Hopefully you found the previous section helpful in preparing you to return home. Now that you have arrived, you certainly have many practical considerations to take care of. It is important, however, to process how you are feeling at this time. Please take a few moments to read through the information in this section and complete the exercises.

This exercise gives you a chance to reflect on how you feel right now as you are going through the readjustment process, and asks you to compare your answers with what you anticipated and expected about being home. This will help you to better gauge how the process of adaptation is playing out for you personally.  

Changes at home exercise

You know that going home would not be completely easy-it is important acknowledge this. This exercise asks you to note what the particular frustrations are for you so that you can better deal with them.

Positive long-term outcomes from your experience

You have learned a great deal through your time away and developed skills which will serve you well in the future. This section lists some of the positive long term outcomes that may have come from your experience and shares other students' stories.

Study Abroad

The skills that you have developed can be used in a number of situations. Why not apply them to a semester abroad? This resource explains why you may be a good candidate, shares what other students are doing, and provides resources for you to find a program that suits your needs.

Hopefully these exercises will help you process what you are going through now, recognize what you have learned as a result of your experience, and assist you in planning for your future.