Upon Return

Last Monday, the World Affairs Council of Northern California held a Study Abroad Information Night. The World Affairs Council partners with a study abroad program to provide scholarships for high-school students.

It was a great group of students and their parents, who are honestly wanting to go abroad. There was no reason why they needed to be persuaded; they just had a multitude of questions about the study abroad program itself and the World Affairs Council scholarship.

It prompted a thought, however…. What if you needed more persuading? What if you wanted to know exactly why becoming an exchange student was a great idea? Besides the obvious “I get to travel to another country” reason.

So, here are a few really great reasons why you should become a high-school exchange student.

1. You learn a new language.

Regardless of whether the language you’re learning is valuable to your future resume, learning a foreign language in an immersion-style environment is experiential learning at its zenith. Learning by experience is how humans learn to use tools, get creative, and teach others. These are skills that you will innately develop while learning a foreign language as an exchange student. And these are skills that can help you throughout your life. Learning a new language forces you to open up, make mistakes, and learn from them.

2. You learn more about American culture.

While you’re abroad, you’ll be immersed in that country’s culture. But you’ll also be comparing it to American culture. The things about American culture that you might not notice, because you live in them every day, will come to your attention. Studying abroad sheds light on your own culture. One culture is not better than the other, they’re simply different. Knowing those differences creates a level of tolerance in you as a person. Also, a highly-needed quality in today’s modern world.

3. If you’re a bit shy, this will break your shy-shell wide open.

So, you’re in a new country, trying to learn a new language, maybe even struggling to get through a school day. Most of these experiences will only be positive when you become proactive and make them positive. Being the initiator and making new friends at school are ways for you to break free of your shy self and embrace a new side of your personality.

4. You’ll never get bored.

Every single day that you’re in another country, there will be new things to observe and learn. Your brain will literally never get bored, simply because new data is constantly around you to be digested. The best part is that you get to choose why you avoid boredom – you can throw yourself into learning the language, or get invovled with the local community. Either way, you’re destined to become a poster child for anti-boredom.

5. You’ll learn a new sport or hobby.

If you’re from a state that has great snow sports, but you end up in a country that has never seen snow, you’re likely to notice that sports and hobbies are a little different, right? Sports and hobbies are a great way to live in a culture. Different cultures interact with their environment in different ways. What means a lot to an American might not mean the same to a South African or a Korean. Getting involved in a sport locally can be one of the best ways to adapt to your new culture.

6. You’ll appreciate your parents a bit more.

It seems a wild idea, but when you’re suddenly “over there” and “on your own”, you will realize that your parents are pretty darn cool for supporting your decision to study abroad. They’ll actually start to seem like the coolest parents ever. You’ll have a deeper understanding of your love for them.

7. It will prepare you for college.

Not only is the application process (especially for study abroad scholarships) a bit like applying for college and great practice, but the ability to adapt to a new environment and set goals for yourself is exactly the type of strength you need for college life. Colleges and universities really enjoy hearing your side of the story – what it’s like being an exchange student. Some colleges even rate an experience like that higher than your SAT scores.

8. You’ll become an expert.

You are definitely the only person like you. Which means your opinions are your own. Which means your take on your new culture – the people, the food, the current events of that culture, etc – are all topics that you become an expert on. Everybody loves an expert. That’s who we go to for advice, which means you’re absorbing wisdom as you study abroad (even if you don’t realize it). Using that wisdom and expertise to achieve your goals for college and beyond is a wonderful position to be in.

9. A study abroad year or semester is a great way to observe a different education system.

Have you heard lately that Americans are falling behind in education? Yes, that’s a national percentage of Americans who are falling behind other countries. Maybe you don’t fall into that percentage, but there’s obviously something going on in those other countries – how else do they continually improve their educational goals and scores? By studying abroad, you get to find out. You get to discover the differences in education systems. That can be a powerful piece of information to impart to your American friends and family. Maybe that’s how change will get started here in the USA.

What do you think? What else could be a great reason for studying abroad? If there’s anything missing from this list, add your #10 reason by leaving a comment.

Princess Di was born on this day. Back in 1961. That makes today her 50th birthday! Wow.

When you think about it, that means she had her two sons when she was very young. William (who just got married, did you hear?) is 29 already. When she went through her divorce, she was still vibrant and beautiful and young! She was only 20 years old when she got married. 35 years old when she was divorced from Charles. That’s a lot of life to have lived in a short amount of time.

When I went to Germany in 1997, she died on August 31. I was 16 and my mother and her family are from Britain. This was big news. And I was hearing it for the first time, in German. A language I didn’t know. A language I was still learning day by day. I had only been in Germany for a little over two months.

I will never forget watching the news in German, looking at the photos. I felt a mixture of sadness and pride. It seems odd, but I was proud of myself for understanding at least some portion of the news. It’s one of those moments in my life that I’ll always remember.

Being able to travel to a foreign country is a privilege. Before going to Germany, I was so excited that I forgot to say a true goodbye to my parent’s at the airport. It was too quick, too fleeting. I felt as if I had every good reason to live abroad as a teenager. I was unstoppable, I was impenetrable.

Two months later, Diana had just died. I was suddenly painfully aware that I was responsible for myself. It could be a really great thing, and it would probably be really difficult. Somehow I was able (at age 16) to hold on to the feeling of self-accomplishment and self-awareness for my entire exchange year.

I was aware that my parents loved me so much they let me go. I was aware that I had survived an entire year in a foreign country. I had adapted, grown, and learned so much along the way. It’s almost unquantifiable.

When I came back to the US, I was 17. I had a new language under my belt. I had a whole gaggle of new friends who I wanted to see again. Not to mention my fabulous host family who felt like real relatives. I was different. How do you explain to someone how much you have grown? How do you explain to someone who hasn’t been where you’ve been, exactly what it feels like?

High-school Exchange

Exchange programs that send high-school students abroad must comply with U.S. Department of State guidelines and can be audited by the State Department at any time. The State Department is pretty much keeping tabs on all the programs that allow high-school students in and out of the United States. These are minors and should have a governing body looking out for them. And while the private sector is larger, the State Department itself has a few programs for high-school students. It’s called the Youth Programs Division. (think: summer institutes for youth, congress-bundestag youth exchange)

Learn more about the Youth Programs Division of the US State Department here: http://exchanges.state.gov/youth/index.html

The private sector, as stated, is much larger, and these are the programs that the State Department can audit at any time. Programs like Youth For Understanding, AYUSA, Rotary and AFS. These programs offer a J-1 visa program and the State Department actually governs a portion of the costs such programs have to meet. There is a fee these organizations must pay the US government for allowing exchange students into the country. These are administrative costs mainly. So, the fee that you see attached to a year-long high school exchange program takes this fee the organization pays into consideration. Then, you’ve got flight costs, the organization’s admin and support fees for each individual student, plus taxes and so forth.

Exchange programs provide homestay experiences, where you stay with a host family. Before you go, they are required to provide a cultural orientation to you, describing the effects of culture shock, preparing you for what you might not expect, etc. The incentive here is to learn what it’s like to actually live in another country. What is the culture like? Not just what they like to eat, but why are they the way they are? Is American culture really all about fast food and TV sitcoms? Not really, but unless you’ve lived here, that’s sometimes all you know about America. That’s all you’ve seen. What have you seen of other countries? Do you really believe that’s exactly how everyone is in that country? Being an exchange student gives you the chance to find out!

Study Abroad in College

American students are much more likely to study abroad through their university’s program. The numbers prove it. Universities often have strict programming for their abroad students, much of the time specialized classes are taught in English. There can often be little interaction between the Americans studying abroad and the native students at the university. American students live in student housing, in a dorm. Minimal to no homestay experiences that might allow a student to learn more about the daily lifestyle of their study abroad country.

I am not stating that an American college student doesn’t learn from their experiences studying abroad. I am stating that studying abroad in college is something very different from going on exchange while in high school.

University study abroad programs are not governed by the US State Department. You are already a university student. You’re paying the university for tuition. Studying abroad means you’re studying somewhere else, but you’re still a student paying your university tuition. Often, the tuition for studying abroad is cheaper than staying at home. This could be due to the fact that the university you study abroad at has a different set of tuition standards for international students. The university is responsible for collecting your grades while you’re studying abroad, but that doesn’t mean they’re responsible for your visa, your flight, or your cultural preparation. It depends on the university. You should make sure to have a contact within whatever office oversees the study abroad program who you feel comfortable asking questions of.

What’s the difference?

From a personal point of view, I did both. I was an exchange student when I was 16. I lived in Germany for a year, my junior year. I also went back to Germany through my university’s study abroad program. I spent a semester of my junior year at the University of Bonn. The experiences could not have been more different.

During my exchange program, I was a total newbie. I had to learn the language. I had to understand the school system, although my new friends helped me in the coursework sometimes. My host family was there to guide me and explain some of the things I didn’t understand. I had to learn what the cultural ins and outs were. Did you know that a closed door in Germany does not imply privacy?

During my time as a college student, I had to make an effort to speak German and take German university courses (on my own!). I had to secure my flight over and back. I had to initiate all the academic visits to professors and administrative staff. Nobody was going to provide check-ups for me. If I was failing a course, I had to be the one to confront the instructor for either guidance or fairness. Sometimes they didn’t care or didn’t have time. They’re busy professors writing important articles and books about their very important research.

I wish more Americans had the chance to be exchange students. From my experience, it seems easier in retrospect to have been an exchange student.

If you want more information, here are some recent news I’ve found about study abroad programs:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/08/prweb4429594.htm

http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/56457-1282775239-participation-in-summer-study-abroad-increases-new-research-from-studyabroadcom-reveals.html

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100823/NEWS02/708219938/1101699