Student Exchange I've wanted to do a student exchange ever since... oh, fourth grade, I think. I may finally be getting the chance! I haven't exactly smoothed out all of the details, but I sent in my preliminary application to AFS (an exchange program) today. Right now, I'm a sophomore in high school. I'd like to do a full-year exchange to Norway, Sweden, Finland, or maybe Russia in my junior year. I can't be too picky, though, because I'm later than I really should have been in applying, so my first choices may be full already. So... I'm hoping that it'll work out because I probably won't get another chance if it doesn't. *Excited* Has anyone done this before? Did you like it?
one of my friends did it her 11th grade year in austria.. it ended up with her learning how to knit, getting drunk a lot, and bringing a lot of chocolate home, that's about it
One of my good friends was actually a foreign exchange student from Norway. I begged him to smuggle me back where there are many hot blondes and the ratio of girls to guys are 50:1. But he couldn't find a big enough suitcase.
It's the opportunity of a lifetime for a lot of students. My daughter went to France a couple of years back (either before they hated us or they gladly masked it for money). I personally think it changed her life, and no, she didn't get drunk and stoned (at least not only that, I hope). Go for it if you can get it. Who knows when or if you will ever be able to travel to another country in the future?
Si, if anyone offered me that chance, I'd take it without reservation. I really hope you get selected. And you know you want to send a fellow OTFer a postcard from where ever you go...
I second what MixedVariety says. It's very true that it changes your life. I lived with a Mexican family, and it really changes how you look at the world. But make sure that you take lessons in whichever language of the country you're studying in, and take some extra time to learn their cultural idiosyncrasies. You don't want to show up and offend somebody accidentally. It is definitely worth it.
If I get in, I'm going to try to convince the school board to pay for it ($7,000), because it would cost them $10,500 for a year of my education here... hopefully that'll work, but I sort of doubt it. :xcool: Of course I'd send you a postcard, piff :xparty: I'd definitely try to learn as much of the language beforehand as possible. *Crosses fingers*
I did an exchange program in the summer through a program called CISV. I highly highly highly recommend it. You'll learn so much more in an exchange program than you will in the classroom. It's the experience of a lifetime. Oh, and I want a post card too.
Good work, takes balls to go to a totally new country knowing no one etc. If only that guy who was complaining about not being able to leave home cause he was too young could see this.
