New Food, New Body Shape

It is highly likely that while you are on exchange you will have a drastic weight and body shape change. This can really affect your self-esteem, confidence and ultimately your exchange. You need to really try not to let it affect you though! If you put on weight this could be a great opportunity to start exercising which is also beneficial for your mental health. Join sporting teams at school or in the community. As much as you should try different foods in your new country, try to limit the amount you eat. Learn to say “No thank you, I’m full’ in your host language. Embrace the new you!! This is a time in your life when everything has been turned upside down so understand that this is just part of being an exchange student – it happens to all of us!

“I’m not fat, I’m an exchange student.” – Unknown

Homesickness

Youth Exchange would be different for everyone. During the first week some will be thrown into a serious language camp, others will be dropped off at school first thing on day one of their exchange and others will have a few days of relaxing in their new environment. Once the excitement of being on exchange starts to wear off, homesickness may start to take over. You will start to compare everything to your home. You may begin to miss your friends, family, and pets. It will be like a rollercoaster of emotions.

I never felt like I wanted to go home but I would wake up in the morning feeling really sad. I felt unmotivated to do anything and some days I was holding back tears until the moment I went back to bed. This would happen for a whole week and the only way I could keep pushing on was to know that tomorrow something exciting might happen. By keeping a very busy schedule you can avoid feeling horrible. Surround yourself with people and try new things. The weather really affected my moods as well. During the winter when it was gloomy and cold in New York I had a hard time. You just need to continuously see the positives and look towards tomorrow.

Feeling a sense of belonging is important for anyone so look towards your new found friends and host family to fill any gaps in your life. Your exchange program might be able to do this as well. I went on exchange through the Rotary International Youth Exchange program. For those of you who know what Rotary is or have gone on exchange with them will know that the Rotary Clubs meet on a weekly basis. I made an effort to attend every meeting and form a relationship with them. This allowed me to have something to look forward to. I quickly became a part of a number of those Rotarians and their families which was a really special part of my exchange. Find yourself a place where you belong while one exchange and you will have a much more memorable exchange experience.

For more information on the Rotary International Youth Exchange Program you can contact your local Rotary Club or alternatively check out their website http://www.rotary.org/.

Meeting the Host Family

It can be scary when you first meet your host parents. Try to be in contact with them before you meet them. It is very important to have a good relationship with your new family.

Being in a new place can sometimes make you feel threatened or on edge so just remember that your host family may be a little strange, harsh or uncomfortable to be around but they have opened up their home to you so you need to be thankful and appreciative of that. On the flip side it might be the most enjoyable and comfortable part of your exchange. On many occasions your host parents can become like your second parents or grandparents. Your host siblings might become like a real sibling or best friend. There is the potential for relationships to form all over the place.

Do your best to be considerate of your new family and have the same respect for them as you would for your own. Write a bucket-list to give to them of all the things you would like to do while on exchange. This could also be a great icebreaker. Be open with them and talk to them. If they feel like you are a boarder in their home things will not end well for anyone – trust me, I know from firsthand experience. Make a massive effort to be a contributing part of your host family. Try to help to cook meals and clean the house, even if you would never lift a finger in your home country. Do something nice to show them that you appreciate them!

New Kid

I would say that making friends is one of the most important, if not the most important task for an exchange student to complete. Without friends your year will be lonely, boring and probably very uncomfortable in school. It can be really hard to do though, especially at first because of the language barrier. It is important to take into account that on top of everything else that it is going on, it is essential that you leave a good impression on your peers. By opening up to those around you they may be more likely to open up to you in return.

You will be the new kid in town and we all know that news travels fast around schools. You will either be the talk of the school or a ‘nobody’. Unfortunately it is human nature to judge a book by its cover so present yourself well and be respectful of other culture. It is unlikely that a group of people will make the effort to make you there friend so it is up to you to be friendly and approachable. Do not be afraid to go up to your peers and talk to them. There is so much you can talk to them about – you come from a completely different part of the world!

I’ve seen other exchange students make enemies during their first weeks of school or shut themselves off entirely to their peers which will only result in one very lonely and unhappy exchange student. I would not recommend finding you a boyfriend on day one or showing up the teacher’s pet by answering all of the questions in class. Try not to be clingy and be conscious of how those around you are reacting to the things you say and do. You are the one that has to adapt to them, it’s not the other way around. Just have fun and don’t stress about homework and your grades unless you need too.

My #1 Tip: DO NOT CONSTANTLY TALK ABOUT YOUR HOME COUNTRY. You will be tempted to reference everything back to your home. Try not to start any sentences with ‘in my country’. It will be so hard not to compare things because there are so many little differences but the truth is, your new friends don’t care to hear about it every 5 minutes. At first they will be interested to hear about your home. I found that the American’s were obsessed with Australia but there was a time when I realised they didn’t want to hear about it all day every day.  So please try to avoid doing this because it might result in you pushing people away rather than making friends.

You will always find a friend in other exchange students. They may not understand EXACTLY what you are going through but they do understand what it is like to be an exchange student.

While on exchange you will make friendships that will last a lifetime!

Language and Communication

Learning a language and communicating with people in your host country can be a daunting experience.  Since I went from an English speaking country to another English speaking country on exchange I luckily didn’t have to learn a new language.  I didn't think twice about this aspect of an exchange so I was not prepared for the fact that I had gone to a part of New York which was highly populated with families from Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Puerto Rico and they all spoke Spanish! I was also submerged into an area which used a lot of slang which can be difficult to understand and quite confronting when you’re not used to it. I found that in these instances the best way to adjust was to embrace it.

For those of you who find yourself in a new country and trying to learn the language, you may like to try setting goals for yourself. Plan to learn at least one word a day and increase the amount as time goes on so that you can really start to grasp the language. Do not stress about punctuation. You may also like to buy a dictionary that will allow you to convert the language and take it with you wherever you go. Take some time out in the evenings before you go to bed to study the language. This could be a great opportunity to sit down with your host parents and practise words and phrases. Try to aviod speaking your own language if you can.

Being in a new country and not knowing the language can be pretty unsafe at times. Try to stay with a friend at all times and don’t go exploring until you feel you can at least say the basic six in your host language: yes, no, please, thank you, sorry, and I do not understand. Try old school style and have all important numbers written down on a piece of paper. Keep them in your pocket and also in your phone contacts. This also includes the numbers of the local emergency services. Make a note of where your own countries embassy is in your new country and keep all of your important documents safe. Familiarise yourself with bus and train schedules. Be conscious of what is around you, who is looking at you and think twice before going somewhere by yourself.

The most important part of language and communication is having fun with it. Don’t take it too seriously. Have a laugh when you ask your host dad ‘where the trees are in the kitchen’. A universal way of communicating is through body language. A smile on your face can speak a thousand words.

J

Relocation Education

It is very important to be prepared for your Youth Exchange experience by having an open mind and being ready for anything. This was one of the first lessons I learnt from the moment I turned my back to my parents and walked through the security check at Sydney airport. I felt nervous yet exhilarated. I fed off the excitement of other exchange students as we travelled from Sydney to New Zealand and then on to Los Angeles. It was during my final flight across the United States to New York after saying goodbye to the last exchange student, that I realised for the first time that I was alone.

The first stage of an exchange can be summed up in one world; overwhelming. If you haven't properly prepared yourself you are going to be in for some serious culture shock! I believe that to some degree your survival instincts will kick in and your guard will go up. It will all happen so fast that it will leave your head cloudy and you will feel emotionally exhausted. Your senses will be heightened to take in your surroundings. It is important during this time to adjust to your new time zone and schedule as quickly as possible. If you are over tired it is just going to make everything that much harder to deal with. Nothing will look the same. Nothing will smell the same, not even the air outside. Food will taste different; do not expect to have your parents’ home cooked meals that you have eaten every night of your life sitting at the dinner table. Make sure you surround yourself with as many things that make you feel comfortable as possible. It might sound odd but even smelling your clothes might put you at ease since they should still smell like they've come straight out of your closet.

Be open minded, friendly and stay true to yourself. Embrace everything and don’t compare it to home. ‘It will be easy’ said no one ever! You will learn quickly to trust your instincts and believe in yourself. An exchange is an experience that will allow you to challenge yourself, build character and overall it will allow you to understand who YOU are, so stay positive and enjoy every moment of it. You have the world at your fingertips...

Good luck! J

 

Anne Fox. 2008. Absolutely Intercultural. [ONLINE] Available at: <http://www.absolutely-intercultural.com/?p=116">http://www.absolutely-intercultural.com/?p=116</a></u>. [Accessed 31 October 12].

It has been a while...

When I created my blog almost a year and 10 months ago it was titled emmainamerica2011 and its sole purpose was to keep my friends and family up to date on my 12 months youth exchange journey. After that first post I was overwhelmed with the emotional rollercoaster I had strapped myself into after boarding the airplane with my final destination being Peekskill, New York. I found it less time consuming to simply post short statuses or pictures on Facebook instead. It is now that I look back on my exchange and wish that I had of found time to properly keep a blog journal.

My exchange was the most incredible experience that ended just as quickly as it had begun. I find myself trying to relive it in any way possible; through souvenirs and photos that I hold dearly as I fear that one day every memory of my year on exchange would be lost forever. I have decided that I could now use this blog forum to impart my knowledge and tips from my personal experiences to help other people who are interested or about to depart on their own incredible journey as a foreign exchange student. There is so much that this world has to offer that will broaden ones horizons and open their eyes to unlimited opportunities. I encourage anyone and everyone to travel and explore the far reaches of our Earth.

Remember that an exchange isn’t a year in your life but a life in a year.

Welcome to Youth Exchange 101.

Enjoy! :)