Imagine walking through a huge school with lockers lining every wall, everyone wearing sweaters with the school logo, and somewhere in the distance you can hear the marching band practicing for Friday night’s football game. Sounds like a scene from a movie, right? For exchange students, this is an everyday reality. Studying in America for a year is not just a trip, it is an adventure full of new impressions, challenges and growth. There are many reasons why young people decide to spend a year away from home. Some want to improve their English, others just want to experience what it is like to live in a completely different culture. “I would like to improve my English skills and I think it is a life experience that will change me as a person. It will give me life skills such as independence, problem-solving, adaptability, and an open mind. These qualities are necessary nowadays,” says Beatrice Caprari. An exchange year is not only an opportunity to learn a language better, but also to get to know yourself. You become more independent, learn to solve situations in your own way, and discover that “leaving your comfort zone” does not necessarily have to be scary- rather, it can be exciting in a good way. Still, it’s not all glitz and glamour. The first few weeks can be quite tough. Everything is new: the food, the rules, the people, even how to use the washing machine. “For me the first month was the hardest, your English is pretty bad and you have to learn the habits and traditions of your host family.” admits Beatrice Caprari. It takes time to get used to a different family with different habits. Maybe you suddenly eat at five in the afternoon or have to wash your plate. And then, of course, there’s missing your family and friends. Everyone is doing fun things at home, while you are on the other side of the world. That longing is part of the experience, but it also makes you appreciate the moments you are doing something fun that you would never do at home.
And then the holidays are coming up, the time when many students get extra homesick. While in the Netherlands the smell of peppernuts. While in the Netherlands the smell of peppernuts wafts through the air and we are busy with Sinterklaas from the second Saturday in November until December 5, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving with huge turkeys and family dinners. Christmas starts early there: lights in the garden, Christmas sweaters at school, and Christmas songs blaring from the speakers as early as November. It sometimes feels strange to skip Sinterklaas, but most exchange students enjoy experiencing new traditions. Some simply bake pepernoten themselves to introduce their host family to a little Dutch magic. So an exchange year isn’t just an adventure you can share on Instagram; it’s something that changes you. You learn new perspectives, discover how big (and sometimes small) the world really is, and you come home with stories that no one else has. It’s not always easy, but that’s what makes it so valuable. The little moments: a host parent teaching you how to make your favorite food, a friend taking you to their first football game, or that feeling when you finally understand a joke in English those are the memories that stick. And the best part? When you return to your own environment after that year, you realize that you have not only gotten to know another country, but also another version of yourself.