Preparing to Go Abroad

Feeling Excited, Feeling Nervous

For most exchange students, the preparation stage is an exciting time. You eagerly search the Web for all sorts of information about the country you will live in. You find photos, maps, online newspapers, and tourism sites. You get information about the history, the climate, and the currency. You find some help with the language. You may also feel some regret at having to leave your own country, and have worries about being away from home for such a long time. It is normal to have such misgivings. If you are one to worry a little bit about what is ahead of you, that’s okay.

If you are overly worried, try to manage your anxiety. Think about some of the difficult situations you’ve faced in the past. How did you cope? How did the situation turn out? Hamida, an Egyptian, was worried about coming to the United States. Was her English good enough to make friends? What would she say? Would she be accepted?

Preparations


Though it is important to prepare for your experience, you can’t predict all the situations you will meet in the host country and know in advance what to do. Your goal in preparing for the exchange program is first, to have enough information to know what to pack; second, to understand enough about the culture, customs, and language to be able to “survive” the first few days; and third, to the extent possible, to understand your own culture and develop an open-minded attitude about whatever you may find when you get to your host country.

Learn the Language. Use any means possible to learn as much of the host-country language as you can before you leave home. Even if you have studied the language in school or in private classes for some time and believe you know it well, the additional study and practice will pay off. There are dozens of strategies for learning a new language, with or without a teacher. All of these strategies require you to use the language. Listening to tapes or radio and video broadcasts in the language is a good place to start if you can. Reading a page or so a day in a language text or other book also helps.

More important is the active use of the language: speaking it and writing it. Unless you are in a class, you will need to create your own opportunities to speak and write. Find people who are native speakers. Practice with others who have studied the language. Write letters or keep a diary in the new language. Don’t neglect writing in the new language.

Study Your Own Culture. Years of experience with exchange programs have shown the importance of students understanding their own cultures. You have probably studied some of the grammar of your language, for example, even though you speak it fluently. Knowing how to recognize a noun or a verb helps prepare you to recognize these parts of speech in another language, even if the rules of grammar are quite different.

Write to Your Future Host Family. If the exchange organization has provided the e-mail or home address of your host family before your departure, it is an excellent idea to begin the relationship by writing them, either by e-mail or by letter if time permits. Most exchange students know little about their host families before they arrive on their doorstep.

The family does not have much information about you, either. Your letter should tell them something about who you are and what you are interested in. Some students like to send pictures of themselves with their natural family and their friends in ordinary situations, working, around home, or having fun. Describe your home and school. Tell them important things about yourself. Use their language, at least for part of the letter.

Talk to People from the Host Country. These people can help you learn about the country and can provide useful advice about clothing to take and gifts to pack. People from your country who have lived in your host country will also be able to give you useful information. But be careful. This information may not be objective, especially if the person has strong feelings against or in favor of the country, and it should be compared with information from other sources.