Experiences on becoming an exchange student?

Question

how did your first day go as an exchange student?

where is the best country to be an exchange student? in usa?? in europe, if, what's the best country in europe?? or in latin america, if, what country is the best country in latin america??? what do i need to do to be an exchange student?? did you haveany breaks like christmas vacations or whatever?? how much would it probably cost?? please just add more informations...

Answer 1

I have been a student exchange in Italy, for ten months (one school year). I had preparation from the organization that setup the exchange. It is best to have professionals to counsel and contact in case of need. They prepare you and organize everything. They will help finding a match family host and shouldn't let you high and dry once you get there. I had weekly italian lessons and we had two trips organized by the association (one for feedback, another for visiting another part of the country). They help you think of all you may need and discussions you need to have before you leave. For example, we had to discuss what would you do if a family member or close friend got seriously ill or died? Would you go back or stay? The organization I was with allowed me to go back if such a tragic event did happen. My father did get ill (heart attack) but I chose to stay as I had discussed. It was such an amazing experience, like if I was reborn! I had the time of my life. I now speak italian well and napoletan (dialect) a little bit as well. You have to remember that you are there as a student, not a tourist and must attend school or it will void your student visa. Also, you'll be living in a family and must respect their rules and contribute (chores). You may have the experience of a student exchange during a student exchange. The school I was attending organized an exchange trip in Belgium for a week and the students from Belgium visited Italy as well. This experience taught me more than a language, more than friendships, it made me grow. And I wish I had stayed there never to retunr "home".

For the country, go with what your heart desires. I was always drawn by Italy. As a child I would go to sleep with italian music (I am French canadian) and although I did not understand,it felt soothing. Go where it is safe and where you'll be able to study/concentrate. Monetary, my mother paid 10000$, which included a medical insurance that covered me up to a million dollars US. You'll have the same schedule as other students, same hollidays, vacations, etc. If you go in the Souther hemisphere, be advised that the seasons are reversed and that the school year is different (the summer is in november-february, this is when they're off for summer!), So you may need to wait for six months before leaving, so you can start at the beginning of the schoolyear. You may take advantage of this time to raise money and get prepared. If you need extra $, you may organize event to raise funds in your community.

My uncle and mother have used the same organization years back, my mom went for a summer in Australia to learn English, and my uncled went to Brazil for a year. It is an amazing experience and I hope you can participate. I am putting funds aside for my nephew, niece and my baby-to-be =o)(@) for them to have the opportunity to take part in a student exchange.

If you need to know more, you can contact me by e-mail. You can get information at the website below. Good luck

Answer 2

Wow! A lot of questions.

There really is no BEST country in which to do an exchange. It depends upon your reasons. If English is your main concern, then you would probably do well to go to England, the U.S., Canada or Australia. Right now, the U.S. is a good bargain because the dollar is so low.

If you are looking at Latin America, Argentina and Brasil are quite popular. I'd stay away from the Colombia/Equador/Venezula area right now as they might be on the verge of war.

As to Europe, well, I've traveled all over and hosted students from most of the countries there -- you can't go wrong anywhere!

I can tell you that costs range from $7,000 - $10,000 and that's in USD for most programs. Rotary is cheaper, but it's more competitive and operates a bit differently. In addition to program fees, you will have monthly expenses. Most organizations expect you to have at least USD $200 per month.

Your first step is finding a program. Since I don't know what country you're writing from, I can't say which ones are available for you. However, if you plan to come to the U.S., make sure that the program you choose is on the CSIET list (www.csiet.org). If it is not, you could run into some problems.

Generally speaking, AFS, Aspect Foundation, Rotary and YFU are good everywhere. ASSE can be OK in many places. AYUSA (which I understand operates with INTRAX) is not recommended in many places in the U.S. including where I live.

As to how the year goes, generally you will arrive in your country before school starts in the fall. Some programs will have a language or orientation camp before you go to your host family. You will go to school just like students do in that country. If they wear uniforms, you will wear uniforms. If they play sports in school, you can too if you like.

You will live with a family as a member of that family and be expected to participate in family activities -- including household chores!

Your holiday schedule will be the same as your host country. If they celebrate Christmas there -- you will have a Christmas vacation. However, few if any programs will allow you to return home during that time. You will stay and celebrate the holidays with your host family.

For lots more info on being an exchange student, check out this on-line community of current and former exchange students!

http://www.exchangestudentworld.com/

Good luck! I hope you decide to do this. It's a fantastic experience wherever you go!

Answer 3

Your Main Focus is ....

Have an accent

P.S It really work and you'll be like

real exchangey lol