Parent & Family Guide

The experience of studying abroad has been cited again and again by students as a life-changing experience, integral in the formation of their adult self. Studying abroad oftentimes redefines and refines a person’s view of their self, their culture, their language, and their ideals – the journey is full of moments of ups and downs, of challenges and joys, or learning about oneself and who one would like to be. Besides the individual changes students will experience, they will gain an invaluable advantage for their future career by learning a second language and by gaining a multicultural perspective that will help them navigate global endeavors. They will meet knew people and make new connections that will give them a worldwide network to call on in the future.

However the immediate concern of most students and their families is how to best prepare for the experience and handle the logistics and emotions preceding a trip abroad. We hope that the following Expanish Parent & Family Guide will assist students and their families in this task so that both sides can ensure the student has the best experience possible on their Expanish Study Abroad program.

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Parent Guide

Culture Shock & Transformation
No matter what length the program, the majority of study abroad students experience significant emotional changes and transformations during their time abroad. Students learn new daily habits, sometimes change from a rural or closed campus to an urban setting, get used to new types of food, experience life in a second language, and view their home country from the outside. Their process of adjustment is sometimes easy and is sometimes quite difficult, and most students experience symptoms of culture shock from the experience.

Culture shock has five stages, although it is important to note that not every student goes through every stage:

1. The first stage is often referred to as the honeymoon stage, where everything about the new country is fun and exciting.
2. The second stage is characterized by the students’ first encounter with difficulties abroad. The student may struggle with the language, be challenged by cultural differences, and become frustrated with adjusting to new daily habits. Students may become physically ill during this stage, either with a cold due to the stress of moving or changed daily hours for example, or sometimes stomach aches from adjusting to different kind of foods or diets with less preservatives, etc.
3. The third stage involves an improved understanding of the culture and why some things are the way they are. Many students begin to see the good or humor in situations, and begin to see if they can change their old habits as opposed to the new ones.
4. The fourth stage is an evaluation of the old and new cultures, involving and analysis of the benefits and negatives of each practice in the old and new cultures.
5. The fifth and final stage is generally called reverse culture shock, or re-entry shock, when students arrive back to their home culture. Students must once again re-adjust to their old practices, foods, time schedules, etc. It is common for students to go through a period of depression or display a desire to return abroad.

Being informed about the possible emotional changes your student may undergo is critical to your supporting role as a family member. Do not be surprised when you hear tales of joy and love, or tales of frustration or anger from your student. Do your best to keep your student’s emotions as balanced as possible when the challenges get the best of them.

How can you help your student? Encourage your student to participate in Expanish or university activities, to be courageous and invite new friends out to dinner, to obtain a language exchange partner, to participate in the activities they normally do back home such as sports or music or volunteering, advise them to avoid speaking their native language with friends, or to take extra Spanish lessons. Have them take advantage of counseling and academic services provided by Expanish at any time. We at Expanish are happy to support students in any endeavor they would like to take on to make their transition smooth, but it is equally as important that they feel supported from back home.

Tips for Supporting your Student

• Make sure your students know that you are behind their decisions, no matter what. If your student decides to study abroad, it will be important for them to know that you support them. No matter how excited they are, it is a scary experience to leave behind the world you are accustomed to and the people you know. Students generally want to make sure that you are okay with their decision and will be there to help them if anything should go not as planned.
• Let your students make their own decisions. If a student is unsure if they like their classes or their homestay, etc., ask them objective questions to help them figure out their stance. Try to avoid pushing students one way or the other on a decision; many students simply need the first week to adjust to a new culture, a new form of teaching, new customs, or luxuries they are not used to living without. Encouraging negative or positive reactions that may not really be there oftentimes either upsets the students or forces them into a decision they are unhappy with down the road, and families may feel that repercussion down the line as well.
• Keep in mind that it is completely normal for students to ride emotional waves. Students oftentimes enter the “honeymoon” stage after they arrive abroad, and love everything about their new home. After they encounter new difficulties with the language, having to give up common luxuries abroad such as cable or double beds, trying to make new friends, etc., it is common for students to become lonely or frustrated. Keep in mind students often just want someone to listen, but they do not want you to solve your problems.
• Encourage independence and autonomous problem solving. If your student does encounter a real problem or intense frustration, encourage them to solve it on their own by giving helpful advice and emotional support. If they have a problem with a professor or a coordinator, or they misunderstood an important instruction, it will not help your student if you intervene on their behalf, but it will help them immensely if you guide them to solve the problem on their own. Keep in mind they are university students and expected to behave themselves as autonomous adults, so avoid the temptation to get involved.
• Promote open communication. If a student is unhappy, be it the city, their courses, their friends, etc., make sure there is an open line of communication between the student, their family, and the program coordinators. Most problems or culture shock symptoms can be solved or at the very least improved simply by ensuring that the student is on the same page as the program coordinators. Be sure to let your students know they can always come to Expanish staff for personal counseling or academic advising, to complain about a problem or seek a solution. We want to ensure each student has the best experience possible while abroad, which can only be facilitated by open lines of communication.
• Prepare for your student to have changed when he or she returns. Students inevitably transform their daily habits and their global perspective with the experience of studying abroad, especially after seeing how their home country is viewed from the outside. Things they have gotten used to living without or living with, from foods to walking habits, to political viewpoints and concepts of time, once again change and they must re-adjust all over again. Many students, though not all, will experience a difficult period of reverse culture shock when they return home that can equal a few days or the amount of time they were abroad. Help them cope with integrating their new habits and new views into their old life and most importantly provide an open ear to listen to their stories. Many students may feel like their friends are tired of hearing about their time abroad or that the people around them simply do not understand how important their experience was, so let your student talk openly about their experience for as much time as they need, discuss the changes they experienced, and do your best to avoid judgmental responses.

Health, Safety, & Emergencies

• Health: Help ensure your student is traveling abroad under the best health circumstances possible by encouraging him or her to get all general health check-ups before his or her departure, including general physical, dental, visual, and/or gynecological exams, if applicable.
• Safety: Your student will receive extensive information about safety while abroad during the program orientation, however do your part by ensuring your student is travel savvy. Look into getting a money belt, discuss best practices while living in a big city, discuss preventative measure, and encourage the student to be aware of their surroundings at all times. Oftentimes students suffer from the loss of important items due to forgetfulness, rather than theft.
• Emergencies: Help your student choose an emergency contact and discuss the most reliable ways to get in touch with that person. Make sure that person has an up-to-date passport. Also discuss an emergency contact plan, in the case that the parent needs to quickly get a hold of the student. Exchange all contact information, including that of Expanish and the local embassy, and schedule information as soon as the student arrives to their housing assignment, is given their free cell phone by Expanish, and finds out their schedule. This will ensure that you know how and when to get a hold of your student, should an emergency event arise. Also keep in mind that as all students are at least 18 years of age, their emergency contact will only be contacted by Expanish in the event that the student gives us explicit permission to contact the individual, or if the student is physically incapable of making the contact by his or herself.

Trip Preparation
While it is important to let your student take responsibility for his or her trip abroad, there are some important items you as a family member can help with:

• Pre-Arrival/Approval Packet: Read through your student’s pre-arrival pack that will be sent to them at least one month before their program begins to make sure that you are both informed about any important trip preparations, expectations, what to bring, weather, money concerns, etc.
• Program Preparations: Help ensure your student is keeping up with Expanish program payments and turning in additional preference forms in a timely manner, as all program information will be sent directly to students, not to parents.
• Passports: Make sure your student’s passport is current and will not expire while he or she is abroad. Make sure the student’s emergency contact back home also has a current passport in the event of an emergency.
• Immunizations: Read through your student’s pre-arrival pack and help your student decide if he or she should arrange for any additional vaccinations before departure.
• General Health: Schedule a general physical check-up for your student before they depart for their study abroad.
• Medications: Help the student arrange to bring a supply of regular medications they will need for the duration of their stay abroad, or a doctor’s prescription to obtain the medications abroad (should be written for the drug’s generic name).
• Medical Insurance: Ensure the student has checked with their insurance company to find out the procedure for making any claims from abroad. Generally students will need to pay up front for any kind of appointments abroad and be reimbursed by their insurance company upon return to their home country, but it is important to be informed by your individual company ahead of time of any special procedures.
• Traveler’s Insurance: Ensure any valuable items the student is bringing with them; reversely, encourage the student not to bring any irreplaceable items on their trip, and to keep a back up of all computer files apart from any electronic devices such as laptops or MP3 players.
• Financial Planning: Discuss with the student how they plan to obtain access to their money from abroad. Also discuss if you will need to take care of any bills or financial responsibilities such as rent or taxes for the student during their stay abroad.
• Academic Planning: Make sure the student is up to date on important items at his or her home institution, such as class registration dates for the following term, financial aid disbursement or application dates, class planning, housing applications, etc.
• Travel Planning: Make sure your student is aware of flight change fees, baggage fees, and keep updated on their travel plans independent of the Expanish program.
• File Important Documents: Have your student make a copy of every important document they are taking abroad with them, such as driver’s licenses, passports, insurance cards, credit cards, etc. Find out how to replace a lost passport while abroad and have the necessary documents ready in the case that the student should need to replace their passport during their stay.
• Staying in Touch: Look in to calling plans to easily stay in touch with your student during their time abroad. Discuss the pros and cons of bringing a laptop or any kind of communication device from abroad to another country. Be aware that your student is the first and usually the best person to contact with questions after arrival, not necessarily the Expanish staff.
• Program Terms & Conditions: Go over the Expanish Study Abroad Programs Terms & Conditions and the Code of Conduct with your student ahead of time, so that there are no surprises about program change policies, expulsions, or expected conduct on the student’s behalf.