Here's a list of a few pros and cons of participating in an exchange year.
Cons:
1) Believe it or not, you can get a little lonely in the beginning.
When I first arrived, I remember the first week seemed to last a month, and the first month was a year. But now, I have no idea where the last five months have gone and the clock keeps ticking faster.
2) The language barrier.
This one is a given, but when you're trying to make friends, it can get really frustrating. Everyone here has been so kind and welcoming to me, but there's a difference between making small talk with 'that kid in some class' and having a full on conversation with friends. I never had to sit alone or anything, but I was so tired of not understanding the jokes and the topics being discussed. It was a constant battle in my head. I kept telling my brain, Hey buddy! Can you you hurry it up there? I've been here for two full hours already! Let's get fluent!
No worries. I know the process is slow, but eventually, you will stop feeling out of the loop. And little by little, you will reach the point of true friendship; where you may easily gossip about how cute Brad's butt is to your heart's desire.
3) The occasional homesickness.
Yup. I especially miss my dogs.
4) Not hearing about everything going on at home.
And I don't mean how your BFFIAB got stood up by the high school hottie because the International Corgi Dog Show semifinals were on. I mean, my brother recently broke his foot and nobody told me until three days after the incident.
Me: "Brother! Why are you in a full-body cast!?!"
Mom: "Oh, I thought you knew! He got hit by a truck last week."
Me: "..."
5) It can be difficult re-adjusting when you come home; especially with school.
I haven't had to deal with this yet, but I know it's coming. Most countries don't accept a year abroad as a year of school, so you have to repeat the year. For me, I've known I wanted to do this for a while, so I've taken two years if summer school, I will take another course this coming summer, and next year will be packed. I prefer a packed Senior year rather than graduating with the Sophomores. Sorry guys.
The pros:
1) Its's the best, most efficient way to learn a language and get immersed in a foreign culture.
There's no denying it. I learned more in the first two months here than the four years of classes I took in school. I feel completely comfortable speaking Spanish even if my grammar isn't perfect.
2)You meet really interesting people.
Somehow, when I'm traveling, I tend to bump into pretty cool people. Whether it be bus, train, or plane, I've found myself in quite a few interesting conversations. Now remember I am not saying you should completely throw stranger danger rules out the window. Never specifically tell strangers your future plans, but it's fun to share stories of your past adventures.
3) You make some of the best friends you will ever have.
I will probably bring up some of these friends in future posts when I talk about the crazy situations we've gotten ourselves into.
4) Everyone finds you really interesting because you're foreign.
Especially in the beginning, you never run out of topics to talk about. It's great.
5) You mature, becoming more independent and responsible.
I've known a lot of exchange students from all over the world in my life. This statement does not apply to a few of them at all. However, for the most part, being away from home for such a long time does cause you to change. I would say the change is a positive one 99.99% of the time. At least, I've never known an exchange student who changed for the worse during their year abroad.
6) You have amazing experiences.
So far this year, I've visited Bilbao, Santander, Madrid, Rome, Florence, and the Vatican. I'm planning to go to Paris in a couple months too. Even if you can't travel once you get to your host family, I've tried a ton of new things in my host town.
7) You will try new things and maybe find a new passion.
For those of you who don't know, for the last two years of Spanish high school, you can go into one of three branches of studies; technology, humanities, or art. I'm studying in the art branch and, let's just get this out of the way, I am horrible at drawing, painting and sculpting. And guess what we focus on in the art branch! Drawing, painting and sculpting! At the beginning of the year, I was taught that I'd been holding a pencil incorrectly my whole life, as well as other things. It was torture for a long time. But after being forced to draw and sculpt every single day for almost six months, I can confidently say, the awful, putrid stick figures that I brought with me to Spain have been left in the dust. When I arrive on American soil, my stick figures will be glorious.
I've also taken up kickboxing, which is painful but really fun. And I'm in a Spanish theatre group, so I've learned a lot of traditional Spanish shows.
8) You will make memories that you will carry with you for the rest of your life.
I keep a journal with me here, but I may never read it because I know I'll never forget.
In the end, there are way more pros than cons to participating in an exchange year. The best thing to do is face the challenges with a smile, and know where the closest ice cream store is for when times get rough. Be patient, have a sense of humor, and have fun!
Until next time,
Sierra
No comments:
Post a Comment