Instead of staying in Medford last semester, junior Heather Edmands opted to intern at a theatre outside London. Now she finds herself back at Tufts, gradually readjusting to rigid schedules and dining hall menus. Although the transition to college life after time abroad is marked with familiarities, Edmands and other students have found the switch somewhat daunting.
"It's a little strange getting back into the swing of things," Edmands said.
Edmands went to London on a Boston University program, in which she took some classes but spent most of her time interning at a theatre right outside the city lines, working on stage design. Because of her schedule, she felt like she belonged to the working world. "I was in an environment that was like the real world. I was independent abroad," she said.
Her European lifestyle contrasts markedly with the life awaiting her at Tufts. "Suddenly, you're thrust into a community where it's completely students and almost all academically oriented," she said. "It's a much more structured, much more scheduled environment than when I was abroad."
Even the little things caught Edmands off-guard. "One of the weirdest things is getting used to not cooking," she said. When she went shopping for snacks recently, she had to remind herself not to buy eggs, milk, and other cooking ingredients. "I can actually eat in the dining hall," she said.
Like Edmands, junior Iris Halpern did what she wanted, when she wanted while abroad. In a semester in Madrid, she mostly took it easy - going out every night, taking in the museums, and traveling around Europe. "I sort of put my life on hold for three months. I had a really great time not necessarily being involved in my career or my studies," she said.
With the spring semester, Halpern has found it tough to adjust to a larger workload, but she is also happy to resume her studies. "It's nice to be back and develop my interests back here," she said, adding that as a women's studies and English major, it was difficult to build on her studies while abroad; women's studies is hardly a concept in Spain, she explained.
"In terms of my specific development, there really wasn't that much access," she said. "[The school was] more conservative in its variety of offerings."
Junior Howard Wolke, who returned this semester from Jerusalem, notes the dissimilar attitudes of the two countries in his transition back to life in the States. "It's been difficult. I was in a completely different place, a completely different environment," he said. People in Israel have an easier time coping with difficult situations than people do in the US, he said.
He also pointed out the difference in people's manners in the two countries. "People there are a little pushier. It's difficult for me not to have to push my way through everything. I don't have to push and scream to get something done," he said.
Senior Mike Eastman, who spent the last two semesters in Australia, also sees notable differences in the environments of the two places. "The way of life is more fast-paced here,"
Eastman also said that he finds it hard to reconnect with some of his old friends, and that classes are much more difficult in the US. "I think I'm going to have a tough time at school," he said.
While Wolke calls these differences "culture shock aspects," Halpern disagrees. "I think people are just having a tough time because they have to do work. They weren't really part of that culture," she said.
Halpern adds that during her time in Spain, she didn't really have to contend with the conservative nature of the society, because, like others, she wasn't really a part of that culture. "[Students abroad] were still Americans... they didn't have to deal with a lot of issues they have [in other countries]," she said.
During Halpern's stay with a Catholic family in Madrid, her religious beliefs sometimes came up in conversation. As a Jew, Halpern found herself very much in the minority in Spain. "[The family] didn't make me uncomfortable but if you live there, it probably would be [an issue]," she said.
Though those who went abroad all seem to have had memorable experiences, most also seem happy to be back. For Edmands, the organization of university life suits her better than the laxness of the real world. "I like the structure of 2:30 Eaton, 11:30 Olin," she said, referring to the Tufts schedule. "I get a lot more things done."
Edmands also appreciates being back on an academic track. "Even though I learned a lot and I grew up a bit when I was abroad, I felt I needed to get back into the swing of things and do things related to my major," she said.
For Wolke, the environment is the best part of being back. "One of the things I prefer about [Tufts] is the campus just feels more open. There's more interaction between people whereas [in Israel] it is a closed campus," he said.
