 |   45383 -   de Lucille Gence , 16 ans (France) - 2025-05-07
Voyages : "Is a Foreign exchange program to the United States a good idea or not?" |
 Hi everybody, I'm finishing my foreign exchange program in the United State and I thought some people would like to know if it's really a good idea or not. To be honest before coming to the U.S. I already had a great level in English, so I didn't have much trouble with the language. I know that host families are willing to help if you don't know the language. My host mom hosted an Ukrenian couple years ago that didn't know a word of English. She helped him out and in the end He became bilingual. One of the thing that surprised me was how fast they talk and their other dictionary. In the state I'm in we say "anyways", "Benchmarks" for exams, or "Monsoon" for rain. Depending on what state you're going you won't have the same experience. Most of the cities in the U.S. can't be for people who don't drive. When you're under 18 years old and you want to be a Foreign exchange program, they will make you sign a paper saying that you can't drive, drink alcohol...If you want to go somewhere and your host parents can't take you, you can ask your friends most of them can drive you. In the U.S. they get their driving license at 16, almost every upperclassmen have their own car. One of the thing I love here are the teachers, they are super kind, understanding... The only thing that I will say is disturbing is the attendance program. If you attend a A+ school like me, they'll require you to not be absent more than 12 times a semester or they'll take out all your credits. The problem is when you feel sick, sometimes you need to stay home. Spoiler : being sick is not a valuable reason to not attend, even if you're a teacher. If you want to do a Foreign exchange student without caring about your grades it's okay, but if you are taking some kind of dual-diploma you got to have more than C in every class. Sometimes it's difficult. What I will say is this, you have six periods. Take 5 classes that you know you'll do well on, and put study hall somewhere. Believe it or not but study hall will save your life, most of the times when you find a host family the school you'll have to get in has already started. It happened to me and I got bombed by homework for a month straight. Don't go on a foreign exchange student as a Frenchman or in 9th grade. Why? You'll be forced to take certain class, that I promise you won't be easy. If you want to go on a foreign exchange student for 9th grade ask your counsellor to be put in sophmore year, or 10th grade. You won't be forced to take any classes in particular. The three classes I would absolutely recommend are : - U.S. History, if you want to know more about U.S., now if you're not good in history don't take it. - English 1,2,3, or 4 take what you can. I thought it would be my most difficult class but in reality English 3 was really easy. You'll learn more vocabulary, and the teacher will remind you all the rules of grammar and the tricks to write the perfects English essays.- Drama, even if you don't like to perform, go to a drama class. It will help you for presentations. You'll learn to be confident in front of an audience. Drama class is a safe space, and you'll make a lot of friends there. Lastly, don't forget to ask your concealer if you have to take any national test like the ACT, the Science state test, the ASVAB or the SAT. I was forced to take both the ACT and the Science State test since every student declared had to take it. I didn't even take any science or math class so I was kinda surprised. They talked to me about the ACT way before, but the Science state test was a complete surprise I knew two days only before the test. It was really stressing. Even with all these bad things, I'll do this again if I came back in the past. People are super nice, I made so much friends that I can't count them. The teachers are wonderful same goes with the councellors. It was one of the most beautiful experience of my life. If anybody's interested with those program here are the names of the associations that helped me and my parents : JEV langues, Greenheart exchange, Dual-diploma. |
