PBA study abroad students share their experiences with culture shock

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—Palm Beach Atlantic University students Madeleine Jones and Kira Tjomsland have each spent a semester abroad to learn while embracing a new culture. Jones and Tjomsland enjoyed their experience, but also experienced what Dr. Joseph Sowers calls “reverse culture shock.”

University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Photo Credits: Grace Mackey

Studying abroad allows American students to further their education in a different part of the world. Living in a new country for the first time can impact mental health, often because of culture shock, but returning to the United States after living abroad can similarly result in reverse culture shock. 

Dr. Joseph Sowers, a communications professor at PBA, explained the impact of reverse culture shock on study abroad students who have returned home.

“Things that once felt normal—like social norms, routines, and even food—might now feel strange, outdated, or uncomfortable. Everyday conversations may feel superficial if the person has grown used to different communication styles abroad,” said Sowers. 

He explains the reasons a person can experience reverse culture shock when coming back home, such as social norms, materialism, and a sense of freedom that is now gone. Sowers said that a person can return home with feelings of isolation due to family members not fully understanding their experience. 

“I have seen people experience anger, confusion, frustration, and sadness as they readjust to being back home in the U.S. I have also seen a deeper sense of gratitude, happiness, and thanksgiving, especially longer term,” Sowers said. 

When asked about the mental and psychological impacts of reverse culture shock, Sowers stated that people may experience a variety of emotions and that the experience is unique to each individual.

Tjonsland, a current senior at PBA, expresses her thoughts on how she experienced reverse culture shock after returning home from her time in Oxford, London. 

“It was a heavy weight, a tangible ache, with many tears and an intensely painful feeling of loss,” said Tjomsland. 

Tjomsland explained that after arriving home to the U.S., she felt a sense of longing to be back in England and missed the beauty of her stay.

“I missed the beauty of Oxford: the reverence of walking down a street lined with medieval Gothic architecture and knowing that the buildings I lived in had value, were meant to last, and were meant to be beautiful. In the heart of cement Florida buildings, I felt like my world had lost something,” said Tjomsland. 

Jones, a PBA sophomore who is currently studying at the Lorenzo De Medici University in Florence, Italy, shared her insights on how culture shock has affected her and said she is “still adapting with each day.”

“I am having to be patient with myself while I adapt,” explained Jones as she talked about how Italian culture has affected her. “The hardest thing for me has been learning to adjust to Italian schedules.” 

According to Jones, most businesses take long breaks in between shifts to allow employees to rest during the hottest parts of their shift, making it difficult to figure out regular hours of operation. Furthermore, she explained how the city does not wind down until 3:00 a.m. because of the popular socializing aspect of Italian culture. 

Jones said that while she is still learning about Italian culture each day, it has made her appreciate her life and friends back home in West Palm Beach even more. 

“Realizing the depth and impact of relationships I’ve been blessed to establish during my time in college has been enlightening,” explained Jones. 

Jones only has a month left in Italy, she plans to visit Florence in the future to stay in touch with the group she has formed while overseas.

“When I leave Florence, I will leave with relationships that I can cherish for the rest of my life and hope to depart from a community I have loved well,” said Jones. 

By Skylar Senes