High School USA - Interview mit unseren Teilnehmern

Nur noch wenige Wochen, dann starten unsere High School und College Schüler in die wohl aufregenste Zeit ihres Lebens.

Wir haben mal einige unserer ehemaligen Teilnehmer über ihre Zeit im Ausland befragt. Bestimmt könnt ihr euch hier noch den ein oder anderen Rat holen. Viel Spaß beim Lesen!

 

Meet Marlene, Christian and Heidi. They are from all over Germany and studied abroad in the United States for one year. Marlene studied in Ottawa, Illinois, Christian studied in Spokane, Washington and Heidi studied in Tooele, Utah. 

      

         Tell us about your host family – did you have siblings? Did you share a room, etc? What was your favorite experience with your host family?

Heidi: My favorite experience with my family was Thanksgiving and Christmas because a lot of family members came to visit and I met my oldest host brother for the first time at Thanksgiving. He lives in Florida and doesn’t visit very often. Christmas was just a lot of fun. I made the Christmas dinner with Danish specialties because I’m Danish and my host family cooks every year for Christmas food from different countries. My Host brother from Oregon, Portland, came with his wife and son who was nearly 1 year old. Actually I had a lot more great experiences because they treated me just like I was their own daughter. I felt this way from the first day I arrived.

Christian: I had a really nice time with my host family. My host brother is 11 years old and we had a lot of fun together. I did not share a room with him. My favorite experience with them was when we drove down to San Francisco to see my host father’s family.

Marlene: I had a host mom and dad and 4 siblings. My host family lived in a house in a nice neighborhood with a small backyard. I had my own room. I think one of my favorite experiences with my host family was Thanksgiving (we do not celebrate Thanksgiving here in Germany). We got up very early because one of my host sisters ran a Turkey trot and we cheered for her. Back home we all cooked together. The food was so good J Later that day some of my host sister’s friends from Chicago came to visit. We stayed up late; played some games, talked a lot and had tons of fun.

       

            How has your study abroad experience affected your life today?

Heidi: I’m more open to other people and not judge people and their beliefs. I try to make my own opinion about people not to judge them before I even know them. Furthermore I’m not that shy about talking to people and asking for help because this experience to be on my own changed it.
Christian: Oh, first of all my English improved a lot. I am much more self confident. I have learned to take more responsibility. Also I learned a lot about American history and in general American culture.
Marlene: I’ve gained so much experience, independence and life- long knowledge from this exchange. 

 If you had one piece of advice to give students going abroad, what would it be?

Heidi: Don’t worry too much about what the family will think of you just be yourself and try not to judge the family before you lived there. I lived in a Mormon Family and worried too much about it because a lot of people said to me that this isn’t going to be good but when I met my family and they just greeted me so nicely, I knew it would be a great year and it was.
Christian: It is not hard to find friends. If you have problems with your host family just talk to them. Also when you have problems with anything else Americans are in most of the cases open to listen to you and to understand your problems. Just enjoy the time you can be there. It is too short to miss anything.
Marlene: Don’t waste your time, cherish every moment. You are only there for 1 year (at the most) and time will fly by. Try new things, hang out with your new friends and do stuff with your host family. Get out there and do stuff!

         

     Why do you think your experience was valuable/invaluable?

Heidi: I think my experience was valuable because I lived in this Mormon Family and learned so much about their culture and religion which was very interesting. Also the family made me feels that I was one of their daughters and they made a lot of things with me like going to St. George and Las Vegas. One more reason why it makes my experience valuable is that my family supported me in everything even in hard times. MY family taught me a lot and they just loved me as much as they love their own children. I wish Utah wouldn’t be that far away.
Christian: It was valuable because I learned to take more responsibility. I also gained more self confidence.
Marlene: My experience was valuable because I got to know a new culture, a new lifestyle and I met awesome people.

      

       What is your most favorite memory from studying abroad?

Heidi: I can’t even tell about my most favorite experience because I can’t really decide which one it is but to one of my favorite experiences is that I could be in the Fall Musical “The Fantastiks” where I was the Mute and I was almost in every scene on stage. I met a lot of new friends and I had so much fun. My teacher was a little bit crazy because he always changed thing of the play even on the day when we performed. I just loved to be on stage, be somebody else and to have fun together with my friends.
Christian: When I was on a ski trip with my organization.
Marlene: All my friends. I keep in very good touch with them and I can’t wait to see them again.