On my exchange in Germany, I got to experience daily life in Germany for six weeks and to experience the vastly different culture of European boarding schools. Everyone was very welcoming on the first day of school. I met many international students from South Africa, Singapore, and other countries. All my classes were in English.
My host family took me on many trips, such as to Berlin, to see soccer matches in Hamburg, and to the German countryside. I also joined a school trip to Norway, where I stayed for a week.
Life in the boarding school I attended had a very similar culture to the US. Life in my boarding school centered around the school much more than Athenian. Since most of the school boarded, it was rare to leave campus. For the first half of my trip, I was in the IB class for international students. Later in my exchange, I became more familiar with other parts of the school. They generally knew less English, forcing me to improve my German.
My most significant challenge was the language barrier and learning German. This made it challenging to communicate, as people often preferred to talk to their friends in German. This made it sometimes difficult to make friends or grow connections with people. Still, in the end, I always managed to overcome the language barrier by playing soccer or other fun activities.
The trip to Norway at the end of my journey was with a different grade, so I had to meet an entirely different section of the school. It was more difficult, however, as the students were younger. Many weren’t fluent in English, or preferred not to speak it.
After completing my exchange, I recommend everyone goes if given the opportunity. It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to live abroad at such a young age, meet new people, and build connections away from California. The exchange was one of my life’s most memorable moments, and I am very thankful I got to visit Germany.
The Athenian School Exchange Blog 