Foreign exchange programs

[PrincessFiona]

Did anyone go as a teen or has someone sent a teen? Aidan will be 15/16 when he is in Austria. I’m a little nervous.

Kris


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[OrionGrad]

I did a student exchange in Graz, Austria, when I was a senior in high school. I lived over there for about a month (maybe a little more) and my host lived with us the same length of time. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone (I was very very homesick), but I pushed through and now in hindsight I’m really glad I did it.

I also did a summer study abroad in Madrid, Spain when I was in college. I probably got less out of that because we pretty much spent the whole time partying, but overall still a great learning experience.

[PrincessFiona]

Fun! Aidan will be going for a year, which just seems awfully long to me. I wish they had a shorter program!


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[OrionGrad]

Is there any chance you can go visit him while he's there? Does he know yet where he'll be in Austria? Will he be with a host family, or in a dorm?

[McPants]

I'm faculty lead study abroad for a major university. We send hundreds of teens/early twenties students every year. I've never worked with school kids though.

[peggyfromwastate]

I did when I was 18/19 and it was kind of a disaster. But the whole thing was that I was prohibited from contacting my family more than once a month, we had no computer/internet/cell phones, I was in Mexico in a very regressive society for girls/women, and my host family had a financial interest to keep me in their home but they were not nice people. I had a host sister who was my saving grace, but she only wanted to practice HER English so I didn't even get the benefit of language immersion. And then I had the public school where I was placed with 14/15 year old kids, which was just so ridiculous.

But I survived. I did. I grew, but I think it was overall not a positive experience. (Sorry, not what you want to hear.)

And I think the world is so much of a smaller place now, with the internet and your familiarity with Europe.

Absolutely go travel to visit him, and let him know (I wish my parents had) that if he wants to bail, he can. After about 4 months of being there I was so depressed and I asked my parents if I could go home, and the host family really wanted me to stay bc they were getting $ for it, but my parents wouldn't let me come home. I wasn't even earning credits or anything. I should have just bought my own ticket!!!

Anyway- young girl in mexico is not the same as adventurous and cool-guy american in Austria! So I'm sure he'll have a better experience, but really I would encourage you to just make clear to him that he has a ticket home whenever he needs, for whatever reason. (((Hugs)))

[Meenah]

Peggy is WISE!!!!

[peggyfromwastate]

Peggy is WISE!!!!

Oh I wish I didn’t have this wisdom lol!

[PrincessFiona]

Thanks Peggy. The program is pretty regimented. The kids meet with program leaders once a week. Hopefully that will help.

I do know of one girl who is there this year that was paired with a family that has unicorns all over their house. She described them as very “weird” and has not enjoyed her experience. Hopefully Aidan gets lucky.

Kris


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[peggyfromwastate]

Oh lol- that is strange.

Is he excited?

[PrincessFiona]

Oh lol- that is strange.

Is he excited?

More like terrified. 😂


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[PrincessFiona]

He seems more accepting and curious about going. He keeps practicing his German. I hope he is fluent when he gets back. I am going to have daily panic attacks when he is gone!


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[alison]

I spent a year in Germany when I was a senior in high school. I was 17 when I left. I applied for college when I was there, which was before apps were online. It was crazy, and I had to fax my essays over, I believe.

I’m still in touch with my host family, and they are my second set of parents whom I love dearly. And they’re also the reason I’m fluent in German. They were patient and loving. But tough as nails, because they knew the goal was for me to learn German. We spoke entirely in English for the first month I was with them, and then it was German only from then on! Even when I didn’t understand, they would explain 1000 different ways until I understood.

[alison]

I just read Peggy’s experience. Eeeps! My exchange program strongly discouraged parents from visiting, I think primarily because it would have been difficult for family dynamics.

My host parents were my parents that year. Helping me through colds, homesickness, disciplining me when I came home late or left a mess, buying me a winter coat (I didn’t have a thick enough one for German winters). I think it would have been awkward to have my parents there. I see my host parents whenever I visit Germany. It’s super important to me that my kids know them, because these people were just so good to me. I was very lucky. I hope the same for Aidan.

[alison]

How’s he doing??