Welcome back from your studies off campus! We are eager to see you and hear about your extraordinary experiences, so be sure to stop by our office for a visit.

Adjusting to life back at home presents a unique set of opportunities and challenges. Don't sit in your room glued to your favorite social networking site. Instead get involved in the international aspects of the Gettysburg campus and community. You and over a hundred of your peers were off campus last semester so be pro-active about your reentry. Here are some tips and resources:

Things you can do with OCS:

We are always here to chat, look at photos, or brain storm about ways to go abroad again!

Photo Contest:

Do you have a picture from studying off-campus this past semester that can win our photo contest? The OCS invites you to submit your favorite photos to us.
Photos will be judged by a team of "experts" made up of Gettysburg Faculty, Students and Administrators. The winners will be announced at a Photo Contest Reception in the Common's Cafe where all photos will be on display. All photo entries will have their pictures featured on the OCS website.
Winners will receive a prize!

Guidelines
1. You may submit a TOTAL of 4 photos to any of the following categories:
-Cultural Interaction (GC student interacting with local people)
-Learning in Action (either an inside or outside of the classroom shot that demonstrates your academic experience)
-Landscapes and Landmarks
-"The Essence of your Term Abroad"

2. Please send pictures to ocs@gettysburg.edu with "Photo Contest" in the subject line.

3. Submissions are due for students returning from Fall '11 Monday, February 20th.

4. When submitting your photos please include your name, where you studied, a title for your photo, in which category you are entering your photo, and an explanation for each photo. By submitting your photo, you are giving permission for our office to publicly show your photo or photos.

Global Leaders of Gettysburg College:

An collaborative initiative between OCS, The Garthwait Leadership Center and Residence Life, the Global Leaders of Gettysburg College Initiative empowers students who have studied abroad to infuse their international experiences into their campus life & future endeavors through mentorship, activism and scholarship.

Global Leaders move beyond observation to active reflection and leadership. GLGC webpages.

On-campus organizations that will help you channel your experiences:

Center for Public Service (CPS)

Language Resource Center (LRC)

Intercultural Resource Center (IRC)

Gettysburg Recreational Adventure Board (GRAB)

International Club

International Affairs Association

Helping you adjust to life back at Gettysburg:

Try to make sense of your time off campus. Find some insight into your experiences and apply your newly found cross-cultural skills and perspectives.

• Top 10 Re-Entry Challenges: Feeling blue and out of sorts when coming back home? It's normal! Re-acclimating yourself can be a tough challenge. Read the top 10 re-entry problems faced by students today and reassure yourself that you're not the only one feeling this way.
• What's up with Culture : Material developed to support and enhance a student's ability to make successful cultural adjustments both before going overseas and upon returning home from studying abroad.
• Personal Reflection and Action : Studying abroad is an amazing experience with a steep learning curve about culture and yourself. Go through these questions to help you reflect upon your experience.

Do you want to study, intern, or work abroad in the future?

Study Abroad Again
So you've gone once and want to go back? It's possible! Students may study abroad up to the Fall semester of their Senior year or even as a post-graduates. Please contact your off-campus advisor for further information. 

Career Development
Interested in interning or working abroad? Contact the Center for Career Development and talk to an advisor.

Fellowships & Scholarships
Do you think that you need a 4.0 GPA to receive scholarships or fellowships? Well, you don't! There are fellowships and internships available for everyone, for every major. More information on Fellowships and Scholarships.

Abroad View
For more information on working in a field related to your international experience, check out Abroad View, an online resource designed with students in mind. The website provides information on fellowships and careers, ways to act as a global citizen, and updates on world news and current events.

MOST Importantly, BE PATIENT

Allow yourself time to adjust. If you aren't feeling different, then you have missed the whole point of going. These changes mean that you have been challenged with finding a way to incorporate the new things that you care about into your choices at Gettysburg College and into the rest of your life. Many people don't know that our Counseling Center is full of people who have had significant international experiences.  Any student can schedule an appointment to meet with an advisor there by calling x6960.