Study Abroad Opportunities

• For up-to-date travel information, tips and advisories, visit the U.S. State Department's website.
• Traveler's checklist
• Traveler's health
• Emergency resources
• Smart Traveler Enrollment Program

• Leave a copy of your proposed itinerary with your family so they can contact you in case of an emergency.
• Photocopy all essential documents and leave copies at home.
• Write down passport, traveler’s check and credit card numbers, and keep them separate from your wallet.
• Never leave your luggage unattended.
• Your contact information should be labeled on each piece of luggage.
• Carry traveler’s checks or a bank debit card instead of cash.
• Learn key phrases in the local language so you can ask for help or assistance when you need it.

After you have returned from your study abroad program you should complete the Student Evaluation Form. This evaluation will help our office advise students, and future students select the appropriate program of their choice.

This is also an opportunity for you to share your thoughts and possibly provide us with recommendations to better serve our students. The International Office will email you the link to complete this evaluation.

Make sure you have requested an official transcript from your study abroad institution to be sent directly to the Registrar’s Office at ODU. The Registrar’s Office will then evaluate your transcript and post your transfer credit on your ODU transcript.

Grades will appear on your ODU transcript and will be calculated into your cumulative grade point average. The Business Office will send you a bill for this credit when we receive your transcript.

 Just as living abroad requires you to make some adjustments, so does coming home. For some students, this may be the most difficult phase of all.

By this time you have new knowledge and attitudes, and you may have changed intellectually and personally. You may find difficult to find people who understand your new perspective. The following tips may help you re-adjust:

• Try to find other students who have studied abroad or meet new international students.
• Think about how you have changed and what is now important to you.
• Be patient with your friends and family; they are trying to understand your experience abroad.
• If you have some negative feelings about your culture, it’s normal. You are now viewing your culture from a different perspective.

Find some ways to keep the “international” aspect in your life:

• Volunteer to assist the International Office in study abroad orientations for students going to the country you visited.
• Get to know the international students on campus.
• Consider adding a minor in international business.
• Read online newspapers from your host country.
• Consider how you can use your international experience in your academics or future career.
• Start planning how you might go abroad again, either through personal travel, work/volunteer, or internship.

If you are experiencing any emotional stress or are having a difficult time readjusting, please contact Counseling Services at (614) 251-4589.