Greetings from the Office of Study Abroad! We hope this finds you well and enjoying your experience abroad so far. We have provided some information below that we hope will help you during your experience abroad. As always, feel free to contact our office with any questions and/or concerns as we will be glad to help.
Emergency Contact In a real emergency that may warrant a return call, make sure your message indicates clearly the nature of the problem, a telephone number where you may be reached, and a fixed time when you will be available to receive a return call (if possible). If you are unable to make contact with our office (757-683-5378), call the ODU Campus Police (757-683-4000) and they will get in contact with a member of our staff (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Study Abroad Handbook If you have questions while you are abroad, consult the study abroad handbook. If you are unable to find the answer to your question in the handbook, contact our office and we will be glad to assist you.
Cultural Adjustment Most people who move between cultures experience a period of adjustment as they establish themselves in their new environment. We highly recommend reviewing our cultural adjustment packet and the Online Cultural Training Resource for study abroad as these are two excellent resources to help you adjust to your new culture. If you would like to speak with somebody from the Office of Study Abroad about your adjustment, feel free to contact our office and we will be glad to assist you.
Pre-reentry Before you return to the U.S. it is important to prepare for "re-entry," say your "goodbyes" in a culturally appropriate manner, and reflect a bit on your experiences abroad. We highly recommend using the Online Cultural Training Resource for Study Abroad (click on Module 2 - "Welcome Back! Now What?) to help faciliate this transition. It would also be helpful to look at our resources section for re-entry to help you as you prepare for this new transition.
