Share Your Experience

Share your experience with prospective education abroad students. If you enjoyed your study, intern, or research abroad experience and want to share it with students interested in your program, we're looking for your help. The best resources about program specifics come from our returned education abroad students.

So much can happen on an education abroad program. So, it makes sense that many students want to share what they experienced and learned with family, friends, peers, and the community. Sharing your experience can help process all the growth and knowledge you have gained while abroad. Education Abroad is here to help you find opportunities and learn ways to share your experience with different audiences. If you’re willing to share, there are many people who are interested in your newfound knowledge and skills.

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH POTENTIAL STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS

Sharing your experience can be a fun way to relive some of your favorite memories from abroad while also giving back to the Penn State community. There are different ways to share your experience with prospective students.

  • Serve as an Alumni Contact: When requested, we want to provide future and accepted students with contact information of program alumni. If you are interested in being included on our alumni list to answer questions about your program, please email EducationAbroad@psu.edu to let us know “I want to be added to the Education Abroad Alumni list.”
    • You will not be placed on any type of mailing list.
    • You have the option to be notified of upcoming events where we host returnee and alumni panelists.
    • Your contact information will only be provided to those students who are interested in your education abroad program.
  • Submit an Entry to an Education Abroad Contest: Education Abroad hosts regular contests for our returned students to showcase their experiences through photos and writing. These submissions show unique perspectives on the wide range of opportunities students have to go abroad through Penn State. Share your perspective with an entry into one of our contests with a chance to win a cool prize for your entry!
  • Get Involved on Campus: There are numerous ways to get involved on-campus that provide opportunities to share your experience and hear about others’ too. From becoming a Peer Adviser to participating in the Global Engagement and Leadership Experience (GELE), there are ways to expand your network and talk about your time abroad.
  • Be Featured on our Social Media: There are many ways you can share your experience through our social media. This may look like student spotlights, Instagram takeovers, “point of view” reels, etc. If you’re interested in being featured on our social media, reach out to EAOutreach@psu.edu. We love sharing student creativity with our followers.

WAYS TO SHARE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Of course, family and friends will want to hear about your education abroad experience. Share your memories, your photos, and what you learned about your host culture and yourself while abroad. Here are some ideas and things to keep in mind as you reconnect with people back home:

  • Put your pictures in a photo album and label them while the memories are still fresh!
  • Cook a dish from your host country and host a dinner party or potluck.
  • Exchange stories and photos with friends who have also been abroad.
  • Describe your thoughts and feelings about your experiences and what you learned while living abroad.
  • Ask questions about current events and things you may have missed while away such as good movies, concerts, sporting events, etc.
  • Express interest in what is going on with your close and extended family, friends, the community, on campus, etc.
  • While there are people interested in hearing your stories, remember that not everyone will be as interested in hearing your stories from abroad as you are in telling them. Even the most patient and curious friend or family member may reach the saturation point after a while.
  • Connect with other students who went abroad and share your experiences and support each other as you adjust to being home.

SHARE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

Local schools, Rotary Clubs, religious communities, international relations organizations, etc. may host cultural fairs and events. You could write about your experience as a newsletter submission or give a presentation about your experience in your host community.

When sharing your experience, be mindful that you may be the only representation your audience has to your host culture while you were abroad. Is it a fair representation? Are your statements based on facts or opinions? Are you clear that your experience is based on your perspective as a visitor of your host community abroad? The last thing we want to do as globally minded citizens is to perpetuate harmful stereotypes or biases.