Anyone on/planning to go on exchange?

[-._._.-]

I am thinking of going for exchange and would just like to know whatever you can tell me about it. Experience, advice, suggestions, recommendations, etc.

Thanks.

Cheers!

Edited May 27, 2014 by -._._.-

[Sanna]

Hey

I am going on an exchange trip as well, to Hungary this year. I heard its fun and a great experience. Where are you going for your exchange trip??

[ellie]

Hey! I am an exchange student right now, would be happy to tell you about anything you want to know.

Since your exams were in 2013, I assume you mean university exchange? Well, I'm with YFU on a high school exchange, but the experience is similar nevertheless. The biggest differences may be living in a host family, which I'm doing now, but you probably wouldn't if you're in university; and learning in the native language (if you go to a non-English speaking country). Exchange is said to be "not a year in your life, but a life in a year" and that makes perfect sense to me. I've been in Norway for 9,5 months with one month to go and I have experienced something that isn't possible to put into words -- it's been both the hardest and the best year in my life. I've learned so much about myself, the life and goals I want, the people I want to be surrounded with, and I'm completely immersed in a culture far different from mine. My home country is only a 1000 kilometers away and yet the difference is enormous. I speak fluent Norwegian with no learning -- I've learned it all simply by living here and I know so much about the people and the country and the culture. By 9,5 months in, I feel like I understand.

I'd also really recommend going for a year, if you do. The first half of the year is a priceless learning experience, but it's like going uphill -- you don't really speak the language, the traditions weird you out, you miss home (holy jesus, Christmas time) and you are really hungry and really tired all the time. The second part of the year isn't that much easier, but it's more fun. You understand why things are done the way you are and whereever you go, you fall in love with the country, your friends, and if you have it, your host family.

I've had a very rocky year with all kinds of issues throughout, but I would never trade it for anything. I am so thankful to be here, 18 years old and completely split in half between two countries I call home.

EDIT: Oops, this is the University forum. Well, the experience is still similar.

Edited May 27, 2014 by ellie

[-._._.-]

Hey! I am an exchange student right now, would be happy to tell you about anything you want to know.

Since your exams were in 2013, I assume you mean university exchange? Well, I'm with YFU on a high school exchange, but the experience is similar nevertheless. The biggest differences may be living in a host family, which I'm doing now, but you probably wouldn't if you're in university; and learning in the native language (if you go to a non-English speaking country). Exchange is said to be "not a year in your life, but a life in a year" and that makes perfect sense to me. I've been in Norway for 9,5 months with one month to go and I have experienced something that isn't possible to put into words -- it's been both the hardest and the best year in my life. I've learned so much about myself, the life and goals I want, the people I want to be surrounded with, and I'm completely immersed in a culture far different from mine. My home country is only a 1000 kilometers away and yet the difference is enormous. I speak fluent Norwegian with no learning -- I've learned it all simply by living here and I know so much about the people and the country and the culture. By 9,5 months in, I feel like I understand.

I'd also really recommend going for a year, if you do. The first half of the year is a priceless learning experience, but it's like going uphill -- you don't really speak the language, the traditions weird you out, you miss home (holy jesus, Christmas time) and you are really hungry and really tired all the time. The second part of the year isn't that much easier, but it's more fun. You understand why things are done the way you are and whereever you go, you fall in love with the country, your friends, and if you have it, your host family.

I've had a very rocky year with all kinds of issues throughout, but I would never trade it for anything. I am so thankful to be here, 18 years old and completely split in half between two countries I call home.

EDIT: Oops, this is the University forum. Well, the experience is still similar.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It's always nice to hear about personal experience from those who are/went on exchange.

So you didn't know Norwegian before you arrived? I'm a bit concerned with the language, especially if some of the courses are actually in the foreign language. Normal communication should be bearable but I'm not sure how it'll be if the teaching language is a language I don't know at all. I'm still looking at my uni's partner unis' websites and keeping my fingers crossed that they have their courses in english but I've got a feeling it's not going to be in english.

Hey

I am going on an exchange trip as well, to Hungary this year. I heard its fun and a great experience. Where are you going for your exchange trip??

I haven't really decided. I want to go to a European country but I don't have a particular country yet. Maybe like netherlands, sweden, denmark, etc. - I'm quite open. It's more of the idea of "exchange and so I pick a country" rather than "me wanting to go to a certain place so I go for exchange".

Any ideas for countries? I want to do architecture but if I can't find equivalent subjects (or if it's too much of a hassle) I might do electives or worse come to worse do breadth subjects (these are free subjects that are outside my course).

[Sanna]

Hey, I live in Sweden and its a nice country if you want to come here as an exchange student. International students are given special attention and care. I am an exchange student here as well and I'm doing my IB here. I get a lot of support here. If you want to come somewhere in Europe, I suggest you come to Sweden. It goes without saying that the winter is pretty bad, but you have fun things to do with school and your classmates. But I'm skeptical if they'll take you in halfway/mid-way during the IB programme.

[-._._.-]

Hey, I live in Sweden and its a nice country if you want to come here as an exchange student. International students are given special attention and care. I am an exchange student here as well and I'm doing my IB here. I get a lot of support here. If you want to come somewhere in Europe, I suggest you come to Sweden. It goes without saying that the winter is pretty bad, but you have fun things to do with school and your classmates. But I'm skeptical if they'll take you in halfway/mid-way during the IB programme.

Thank you. I'm on uni exchange so I think it should be fine. But application is kinda a pain (*sigh* sometimes I even consider not going for exchange because of the hassle lol it's only me wanting to go for exchange that's preventing me from dismissing the idea straight away. Having said that, I might still end up not applying )

[alefal]

I'm going on an exchange to Korea next year, if everything goes as planned!

And, I completely disagree with Sanna! As a Norwegian, I must point out that Norway is a better country! Haha, I'm joking, both countries are great and rather similar! But, it depends on your interests and what the university offers in terms of exchange, your university does most likely not have exchanges with universities from all the countries in Europe.

I think you should go through the hassle, though! I have yet to hear anything negative being spoken about university exchange experiences. All I've heard have been positive superlatives. It depends slightly on what you want from the experience and university in general, though. I suggest you think a bit on this, what your goals are (short- and long-term), what you want to get from the experience, how it will help you later on, etc. That'll probably make things a bit clearer for you.

[ellie]

I agree with alefal here, too, hehe! Norway is so great! I didn't know any Norwegian besides 1-10, hi and thank you, but you pick it up really fast if you spend enough time with people who speak it. Norway is also famous for (or should be) for having English as almost a second language. Everybody speaks understandable English, even bus drivers! (Bus drivers in my home country don't even speak my native language...) I am 90% sure you can take your courses in English here, too.

Exchange is worth it in every way. I'm almost starting to doubt that because of the regular before-bed panic attacks I get because I dread leaving, but in the end, it's all worth it.