How to review a research stay before making the next decision

Return to the questions you started with

Before reviewing the visit, find the needs and constraints you wrote down beforehand. Compare the experience with those criteria rather than with a vague memory of a pleasant trip. Note which ordinary routines you actually tested and which remained assumptions. If you did not experience a relevant condition, make that gap visible instead of assigning it a positive score.

Compare observations independently

If more than one person is considering the move, write a short review separately before discussing it. Each person can identify an advantage, a difficulty and an unresolved question. Differences do not need to be averaged away. They may reveal a requirement that was never discussed, or a compromise that needs more attention before choosing the next step.

Choose a bounded next action

Finish with an action small enough to verify: another visit, a question for an operator, a conversation with a qualified adviser or a decision to keep researching. Assign a source or person to each unanswered question. A practical research stay does not establish residence eligibility, tax consequences or contractual suitability. Those need the relevant current information and appropriate advice.

Sources and further reading