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Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

So today I was presented with a rather unique opportunity: "Would you like to become a foreign exchange student?" Asked the school. The idea has me intrigued, and I'm seriously considering going despite the fact I might need to repeat my last year of school (honestly it doesn't bother me much, since my grades are already pretty good). 

My question to you people is pretty simple: have you ever been a foreign exchange student? And if so, what was your experience like? 

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago
I haven't actually been one myself, but I think it would an awesome opportunity to experience another culture/country. I wish I could have been able to be a foreign exchange student when I was younger.... but as I lived in small town, Texas I never had the opportunity. I say... go for it! Enjoy life while you're still young! (Just my own personal opinion on the subject.)

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

It's been my experience with foreign exchange students in my school that you're only allowed to go if you're taller than everyone else in the school you're being sent to. I think it's like a cold-war propaganda thing.

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

If weren't for my low grades an low income I would have gone to japan for my somphmore year. It didn't help that I took spanish instead of japanese though. Some of my classmates went to Sweden though for a semester and said it was one of the best decisions ever.

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

My experience with foreign exchange have generally been short trips of around two months in the holidays that don't really interfere with the school year. So I'm guessing that yours might be something more like a gap year?

My thoughts on foreign exchange (if it's for an extended period of time for maybe... 7 months>) is that if it won't help you in the future in some way, don't go. I say this because the things and language you've learnt for another country, you'll probably forget if you don't use it again much in the future so it's not exactly a waste of time, but you won't learn much. The things you will get out of it will be the experiences. But, there's nothing stopping you from going to another country at any other time, with maybe better people that you'd like to take along (perhaps a girlfriend? oho). Those experiences can always happen later, and with things like Airbnb now, you can have the same 'authentic' experience of living in someone else's house as well.

But, if you're really looking forward to it, there's no issues if you go now as well.

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

Haha! Girlfriend! You're so funny!

Well the plan was to go to a country of significance to me, with those being the US, Canada, Germany or Japan. Maybe Sweden if those are all taken. I didn't want to go someplace where I wouldn't get much out of it :P 

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

I hope you're ready for long blocks of school days only mildly peppered with holidays, as opposed to alternating months...

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

Wasnt really an exchange student, but I remember moving to Israel without knowing any hebrew and returning without knowing any english. It wasn't really fun. When I moved, I kinda lost all my connections in Israel, and the cultural diff between Is and America is yuge. So it was difficult. Dunno if the culture shock between australia and wherewr youre going is as big as that tho. If you don't like your area, it may be worthwhile to encounter a new culture

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

Yeah, the places I plan on visiting won't be quite as different as Israel and America, though I can imagine it would be rather different >_> 

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

U.K., U.S., or New Zealand?

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

New Zealand scares me.

See my reply to Sky's post for the 4 more interesting places on the list :D

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

Me too.

I have to ask, though, what significance Canada and Germany hold to you. Japan is awesome, and America has a few remote pockets of awesome scattered across the shitlands. But, Canada just seems like a larger version of one of our lousier states and Germany is filled with a bunch of militant anti-homeschooling treehuggers (then again, they also have beer).

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

Germany is more so for family ancestry. My father's side of the family comes from Germany/Poland, and I've always had a soft spot for the Nazis Germany itself. As for Canada, I'm really interested in knowing what the Anti-Australia looks like :P  Plus I need to know whether they speak maple leaf or moose. 

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago
Leaf, for the most part, but there are some enclaves of moose-speakers.

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

No, but had a couple. One was from Egypt, two from France. The two from France were interesting, the dude from Egypt was a prick, but I felt bad for them their friends got to go to Chicago, or New York, they got stuck in a small town in Iowa.

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

I was given the offer to become a foreign exchange student from Australia when I was a young'un, but I didn't go.

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

I wish I was presented with this opportunity. I say go for it! You'll probably never get another chance like this again.

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago

I don't have any experience as a foreign exchange student for a long period of time (although I would like to). I have been on one educational trip that lasted for ten days, and I loved it although I guess that would be more considered a short break. Anyway I would go for it ^^

Foreign Exchange Student?

8 years ago
Never got the chance to go on an exchange. Tried to do a semester abroad in university, but that would have cost several thousand dollars more on top of tuition, which I didn't have.

I'd go for it if I were you. Even if it goes horrible, at least you'll have the experience of it.