Courteous culture shock (Opinion)

You’ve probably seen exchange students since the beginning of the school year. They’re German, Danish, French, Venezuelan, Slovak, and they all have one thing in common: they don’t speak English very well. But they want to succeed. Now, think about staying in a different country for one year without being able to see your parents. Sometimes you can’t call them when you’re feeling well because they’re sleeping, other times, they’re at work. You start to miss home.

Becoming an exchange student isn’t easy. I had to write several papers about myself – things I like, things I dislike, basic information about myself. I had to write a letter for my future host family but I wasn’t allowed to say my race because of possible racism. I had to take some tests in English to evaluate my grade. After that, the coordinator chooses the best host family for you. Once you have a family to stay with, you have to pack. Deciding what to pack for the yearlong trip was one of the hardest parts. I had 51 pounds of belongings to take with myself.

First, you plan the seasons. I had to take my favorite clothes and shoes, which was the most difficult of it all, let’s be honest. I said goodbye to my family, friends, my home. At the airport, I remember crying so much, I was devastated. It was hard.

You have my point of view but I wanted to ask to another exchange student, junior Karen Toft, about her perspective on American culture.

Q: Why are you an exchange student?
A: I am an exchange student because I love traveling and experiencing new cultures. I love adventures and doing stuff that I normally wouldn’t do.

Q: What is your goal for this year?
A: To experience a bunch of new things, like the culture, the people, and the lifestyle and the way of living.

Q: For you, what is the most difficult thing when you are an exchange student?
A: I think it is to adapt to all the new things and the way people over here live.

Q: What are your essentials, the things you have take on your baggage first?
A: My essential was my stuffed animal. It was a gift given to me by my little sister when I was six.

Q: If you’re not feeling well, what do you usually do?
A: I just go out with my friends and have a good time, so I can forget about the bad feelings, and get some happy thoughts in my head.

Q: How can we be perfect exchange students? What are the dos and don’ts?
A: I think you have to be open minded and engage in the social life around you, so you can experience the American lifestyle.

Q: How did you feel when you met your host family for the first time?
A: The first time I saw my host family, I was so happy. I had a lot of contact with them from my house in Denmark, so I felt like I knew them. So it was just a lot of joy and hugs, I am still extremely excited to be here and I don’t wanna leave!