Exchange Student Delimma!?
I have a chance to become an exchange student but the problem is... I'm notsure where to go I have 25 choices: Argentina Austria Belgium Brazil Croatia Denmark Ecuador Finland France Germany Hungary India Italy Japan Lithuania Norway Peru Poland Slovakia Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey please help. i really need to figure it out thanks bunches =)
Studying Abroad - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Here's an important question that will help you narrow it down: How many foreign languages do you know? If the answer is zero, you may want to consider a country which speaks your native language. But, don't fret. I know a lot of people who knew almost nothing about the main language of a country they did a foreign exchange to. If you go this route, consider taking language classes before you leave (independently or through your school or a nearby school), or taking language classes while in that country. If you do know a foreign language or two, even just a bit, go to a country which has that language as its first or second language. Also, how long have you been away from your family and friends? Do you get homesick easily? If you haven't been away from them for long, or you do get homesick easily, you should go to a neighboring country, or one on the same continent; or, you could go to a country that is farther away but you won't be gone for as long. One last thing to consider is this: how open are you to seeing different religions, different people, and different ways of life without instantly pressing your beliefs upon them? Any country you go to which isn't your own will have people vastly different from you. Are you willing to learn about new people and things without trying to change them into who you are? :) Personally, from your list, I'd pick Japan. Not only is it on a different continent, it's pretty much the technological and fashion capital of the universe, but those are some things I'm interested in. Look into a little history and culture about each of these countries before you make your final decision!!!
2 :
I think the best thing you can do is to decide what is important to you. Ask yourself questions like: -Do you want to learn a new language? -Do you want to get to know a completely different culture and adjust or you just want something with a little more familiarity? -Do you want to go to a place that has excellent weather conditions? -Do you want to go to a country where most people do speak English? LANGUAGE/CULTURE: I would definitely recommend a country that you do know something about and you can speak its language at a certain level. Even if you don't speak Spanish, it is a good option because that language is pretty easy compared to the others and most Spanish universities offer several classes in English. This way, you would have a good opportunity to learn a new language because don't expect too much from a language that you are not familiar with at all. I don't think anybody could learn more than some words in a semester. That was my experience at least. If language learning is not the reason why you want to be an exchange student, Denmark is also a great option since everybody speaks perfect English there. It is a very nice country, by the way. I'm from Hungary and I can tell you Hungarian is a very difficult language just like most of the languages of the other countries you listed. I have met many exchange students and although they felt great here, I kinda felt that they were a little lonely and sometimes they were afraid to communicate with others. They would have loved to learn the language but that is impossible in only one academic year or even less. If you have any questions, feel free to message me because I might be able to give you some advice if you have specific questions since I have visited or lived in a lot of countries you have on your list.
Read more other entries :
