Returning Students

Returning to Clemson 

Welcome back to Clemson! We hope that your international experience challenged you and helped you grow both personally and academically. Although your program may have ended, your experience is far from over! Now, we hope that you will take advantage of our many resources to reflect, adapt, and grow. Please refer to our Returned Student Checklist to help you navigate your transition back to Clemson. 

The Pam Hendrix Center for Education Abroad has created a Canvas workgroup for all returned study abroad students. This workgroup provides students with content modules and resources to help students successfully transition back from their international experience and prepare for a global career. 

  • Transferring Your Credits

    With a few exceptions, all courses on faculty-directed programs are Clemson courses, and no transfer is necessary. Students’ grades on a faculty-directed program are included in their Clemson University GPA.

    For exchange, third-party, and direct-enrollment programs, approved courses are transferred to Clemson upon receipt of the program’s official transcript.

    • Students must receive the equivalent of a “C” grade or higher to transfer credits.
    • Courses must be graded (no pass/fail courses will transfer).
    • Credit hours, not letter grades, transfer. 
    • Grades from these programs do not affect the student’s Clemson University GPA.

    Please be aware, it typically takes 12-16 weeks after your program ends for your study abroad transcript to arrive. Follow the steps below to ensure your paperwork is up-to-date.

    • Verify with your provider or host university an official transcript will be sent directly to abroad@clemson.edu.
      • For institutions that do not offer electronic transcripts, a paper copy must be sent to:
        Pam Hendrix Center for Education Abroad
        E-301 Martin Hall
        Box 345714
        Clemson, SC 29634.
    • Verify you completed your coursework approval request form and that all courses you took are listed and approved.
    • Add any missing courses following the instructions at the top of the page under the Course Approval tab in your application.
    • Once we have processed your transcript, you will receive a message that it has been sent to the Registrar. 
    • Be sure to check your unofficial Clemson transcript for your transfer courses within a few days of receiving this message.
    • Verify the courses transferred correctly. Please note, transfer courses are listed before your Clemson courses.
    • Notify our office immediately if there are any discrepancies.


    Did you have to change any courses while abroad, or did you take courses that have not been approved yet?

    • Add any missing courses to your coursework approval request form
    • Follow the instructions at the top of the page under the Course Approval Tab in your application
    • Do not forget to click the purple “submit courses” button to initiate the approval request

     *Please see our Transferring Credit page to review this process if needed. 

       

  • Adjusting to Life After Abroad

    Reverse cultural adjustment is a normal process when transitioning to life back home. The process is unique to each individual student. The personal growth that you experienced while abroad may be challenging for your friends and family to recognize. That personal growth may also hinder your re-adjustment to the established routine that you were used to prior to your time abroad.

    Some Common Re-Adjustment Experiences Include:

    • Having the impression that you can't fully explain your experience or its importance 
    • Realizing that others do not want to hear very much about your adventures 
    • Feeling "out of place" despite being home 
    • Being bored with being home 
    • Experiencing "reverse homesickness" for the place where you studied abroad 
    • Realizing that relationships with family and friends have changed 
    • Feeling that others misunderstand your growth, or see the "wrong" changes in you 
    • Assessing your home in a way that is judgmental or overly critical 
    • Feeling that your experience abroad is lost or cut off from the rest of your life 

     

    If you find yourself having difficulty with any of the experiences above:

    • Check out the Getting Involved at Clemson section to find ways to tap into your intercultural mindset and experience in the Clemson community.  
    • Maintain friendships and connections built abroad.
    • Remember the cultural adaptation skills that you developed during your initial adjustment to being abroad and try to utilize them during re-adjustment. Examples include: flexibility, finding support in others, normalizing differences, etc.
    • Set long-term goals, including future international experiences. 
    • Reflect on aspects of the host culture that you enjoyed and find ways to incorporate those into your daily life. 
    • Seek out support from a trusted source if needed. Our staff is always available as well as contacting CAPS. 

     

  • Getting Involved at Clemson
    • International student groups and cultural exchange communities
    • Multicultural programming and engagement in coordination with the Gantt Center
    • Study abroad alumni 
    • Campus job such as UPIC Internships with PHCEA or the colleges, peer advisors/mentoring programs
    • Writing content for student newspaper or our website
    • Photo contest, Instagram takeovers 
    • English language programs
    • International Student Services
    • Creative inquiries for international research and engagement
    • Clemson extension community-based initiatives or volunteer and engagement opportunities

     

    *For additional information and resources, returned students should login to the Pam Hendrix Center returned student workgroup in Canvas.

      

  • Highlighting Your Experience Professionally

     

     

    *For additional information and resources, returned students should login to the Pam Hendrix Center returned student workgroup in Canvas.

      

  • Going Abroad Again

     

    • Seek opportunities through the Office of Major Fellowships
    • Meet with a Study Abroad Coordinator to discuss internships, research programs, or even other study abroad programs
    • Pursue international graduate school opportunities

     

    *For additional information and resources, returned students should login to the Pam Hendrix Center returned student workgroup in Canvas.