For those Jumbos who choose to live for a semester or year in a foreign country, arrival in their new destination isn't the only adjustment period. Through meetings and dinners, the Office of Study Abroad provides a forum for shocked students to share their concerns upon returning. Still, it would be foolish for students to miss out on amazing experiences abroad only because of the rocky transitions in and out of Medford.
Yet the reverse culture shock that accompanies reintegration into a native land can often be even more frustrating than getting used to the rolling blackouts or 5 a.m. call to prayer. A student's carefully (or haphazardly) carved niche within the Tufts community somehow vanishes, or perhaps a younger Jumbo has risen to the occasion in an absence. The "older" students you once looked up to and admired are long gone to the "real world," and magically, the transformation from underclassman to senior creates a whole new generation of leaders (and you're supposed to be one of them).
Reacclimatizing to the American "work-until-you-die-ethic" that Tufts students proudly display, or their over-achieving nature on exhibit each year at the vibrant student activities fair, can also be a challenge.
Even more difficult, according to some returning Jumbos, is the re-entry to the world of late-night study at Tisch and professors who actually expect you to attend class before noon (and hand in papers). After spending a semester or year learning through experience rather than classwork, a student must re-adjust their mindset and remind themselves that grades are important again.
But, some things never change at Tufts. While this may be comforting, it can also be a bit off-putting to discover that maybe the Hill is a bit smaller (even with more buildings) and less exciting than you remembered. Some young seniors bemoan the conservative U.S. drinking age and finally understand the adjustment undergone by those first-year international students who could not fathom why a glass of wine at dinner is prohibited.
Nostalgia for the adventures of abroad may persist, as students quickly discover their inability to replicate their all-night clubbing adventures. The social pressures against drinking before lunch (except on Spring Fling) are too much to handle. And you can't blame the repeated wearing of that blue t-shirt on your short supply of clothes while in transit.
Yet, despite the disjointedness, the Tufts community thrives on this abroad excitement. Whether cooking dinner for a housemate with a recipe your host mother used, sharing your new love of football (soccer, that is), or penning a viewpoint about a current international or political crisis, Tufts is a richer place because 40 percent of Jumbos leave the Hill. A university is only as diverse and vibrant as its students; only through growth and experience will progress ensue, both individually and collectively.
Over the course of a Tufts experience, the Hill becomes a friend to all Jumbos, and, as a friend wrote to a staff member in a travel e-mail, "The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."
