Each year, foreign exchange students leave behind their homes, languages and routines to immerse themselves in classrooms and communities thousands of miles away. While this opens many doors for these students, there can be many obstacles that they must learn to cope with.
Becoming a foreign exchange student can be an exciting opportunity, but it also requires having to make a tough decision. Sophomore Paula Llado Prat, who is a foreign exchange student from Spain, explains why she decided to study in America and how that journey has been so far.
“Being yourself in a new country helps you gain experience and be better. I feel like this thought really motivated me to do this program. My family also influenced me in making this decision since they wanted me to start a new chapter in my life,” Llado Prat said.
For many, moving to a different country can be the hardest part of becoming a foreign exchange student, as it can be stressful and difficult to leave your friends and family behind.
“The homesick feeling, missing my friends and my family, and later on staying with my new family, I had to make adaptations. Also, the moment when I had to say goodbye to my family at the airport was really hard,” Llado Prat said.
Traveling to a new country can be a lot of fun, and you can also experience a new style of education. However, learning a new language and making new connections with people can be difficult.
“The first months were very challenging to learn English, but with the help of my teachers, peers, videos and translators, I have learned a lot. The same goes for making friends; the first three months were hard because comparing the different cultures and having to meet new people was a bit stressful,” Llado Prat said.
Being a foreign exchange student can help teenagers become more independent as they learn to handle daily responsibilities in a new country.
“Being independent has taught me not to rely on others but to trust myself in order to do better in life,” Llado Prat said.
The experience of being a foreign exchange student shows both the challenges and rewards of stepping into a new social environment. In the end, this journey not only shapes the student’s independence and perspective but also gives them a new start in life to make bigger and better experiences.
