Post-study-abroad Care and Career Support: A Report of a General Education Course "Reflecting on Our Study Abroad" as a Post-study-abroad Education for Study Abroad Returnees in the Spring Semester of the Academic Year 2022

This paper aims to report the reactions of students who joined the new general education course titled “Reflecting on Our Study Abroad” held in the spring semester of 2022. Eight undergraduate students of Showa Women’s University who had experienced their study abroad for a few months within the first seven months of 2022 joined the course. The first author of the paper was the instructor of the course and its content had been developed by the authors. The results show that all of the returnees experienced reentry shock （reverse culture shock） upon coming back to Japan. We also found that all the students shared their study abroad experiences with their peers and felt relieved listening to the other students’ talks. They also realized how to make use of their study abroad experiences for their future working lives, as well as to take action to maximize their experiences. They were especially encouraged and motivated by fellow students. Thus, we conclude that it is meaningful to continue the special course to help study abroad returnees with post-study-abroad care and career support.departmental bulletin pape