Monday, January 28, 2013
How would you feel about hosting a foreign exchange student in your home?
How would you feel about hosting a foreign exchange student in your home?
I am directing this question not only at Americans but at all nationalities who might read the question and have thoughts about the subject. This year my family is hosting two students, one from Germany and one from Hong Kong, both girls. In the past we have hosted two boys from Germany, one boy from Korea, and one girl each from Germany and Hong Kong. This is our third full year to host, and we also hosted for a partial year. Our son was a foreign exchange student in Germany for a year. We have had exceptional kids to work with. The experiences have been incredible and we are connected to all of our past and present kids. Would you consider hosting a child from a foreign land? I'm not recruiting, although my wife is coordinating placements and trying to recruit families in our local area. (South Texas.) I was just interested in seeing what sort of response I would get from the Yahoo! Answers community. I expected some people to respond as you have, and I also expected some to say "no way," and others to simply be curious about the programs. From experience I can tell you that if you like young people and enjoy interacting with other cultures it is an experience difficult to match other than by doing a lot of traveling on your own.
Studying Abroad - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Yea I'd definitely consider doing that. It sounds fun, although I don't think living with me would be the "American experience" they were probably looking for. Home, School, Work, and Sleep.... And hey if the female exchange students are hott, it wouldn't hurt to have some eye candy around the house.
2 :
Yes, I'd definitely do it. I have an overseas scholarship programme I run for primary aged Thai students. We rely on the kindness of western people to host our children. In my experience, families who are 'in it for the money' really turn out to be the worst families. Those looking to gain something other than profit out of the experience are always the better ones. It's often the way that the family wants their own child to meet children from other cultures, so therefore offer to host one of our children. To me, you sound like someone who is involved for the benefit of those students you are hosting. That is a truly selfless attribute to you as a human, well done.
3 :
Yes. My family's hosted 2 Japanese exchange students, 1 German exchange student and 2 German interns. I enjoy it although it can be annoying to pick and send the kids to school or when they make something for tea and not clean up! I was also an exchange student abroad. I have my own place now and would like to host an exchange student again but I doubt any of the organisations would let a single lady of 22 to host any;) Exchange students can also be expensive! Besides board and food, you have to take them out (which I enjoy) and where I'm from, we pay for everything and usually even give the kids an allowance (not because we HAVE to but because we want to.. it's like my parents give me an allowance so it would be unfair if they didn't give their temporarily adopted 'son' his allowance!). Whoops, back to the question: I would definitely host an exchange student.
4 :
I would love to do that, but our house is only two bedrooms and they are both full of stuff. Kudos to you!
5 :
We are hosting right now. This is our 5th student and she is PERFECT! She's eager to learn about...everything. Right now she's watching American football and trying to learn the rules. She brought her camera and is making a scrapbook. She tries any food we cook, she's making friends in school, just everything is perfect! The other 4 we hosted in the past were utter nightmares so I still can't recommend hosting to people because the odds of getting another spoiled selfish brat who doesn't want to be here is just too high.
6 :
I'm on my 13th! Our first just as an arrival family. I have four Danes, three Germans, two Swedes, two Swiss, one Finn and one Brasilian! As you can tell, we love it. We've also had exceptional students to work with as well ... and we wouldn't trade any of them! To top it all off, we spent our 25th anniversary on a three-week tour of Europe visiting many of them! Hosting not only gives you a new son or daughter, but it gives you a whole new family as well! The one thing that concerns me about your question however, is that it ALMOST seems like a recruitment of host families. I'm sure you really didn't mean it that way, but I certainly would NOT be looking for families for students on the Internet! Congratulations on your international family!
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Monday, January 14, 2013
I'm Getting a Foreign Exchange Student From Germany through AFS and I dont know what kinds of events to do?
I'm Getting a Foreign Exchange Student From Germany through AFS and I dont know what kinds of events to do?
ok so my parents decided to sign up for afs to get a kid from another country. we got a girl from germany and she's 16. she's into soccer, piano, flute, swimming, and basketball. she has a younger and older brother. our problem is that we don't know what kind of activities to do to get her to know our culture and everything. my mom had great grandparents from germany and she knows some of the language. we would like to do something inexpensive because my parents have to pay for me, the foreign exchange student, and my two younger sisters, so something a good price. we r already going to d.c. for a day and going in a submarine in philly. she come in mid august so there's not a lot of time for a big trip. Thanks!
Other - Europe - 3 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
If u are going to d.c., Smithsonian and the National Gallery are must sees. Comparable with some things European. Walmart, or a shopping mall and a multiplex movie house or an iMax -- they don't have in Germany. Get her a Chicken Fried Steak (a good one, not a huge or greasy one) and show her our restaurants are 1/2 price of Germany restaurants.
2 :
First, don't try > too hard < to introduce her to local culture right away. Give her time to get to know your family and for you to know her as a person (not just a resume). Do whatever normal things you would do anyway and take her along. That includes mundane activities like going grocery shopping or renewing a driving license. Adjust your activities as you find out what she likes and what she wants to do in America. Also remember she will be affected by the time change. She will probably awaken really early in the mornings (ex. 3:00am) and be really sleepy by 6:00pm. She will be over it in about a week, but keep that in mind when planning activities. She probably knows much more about America than you know about Germany. Much of what she knows will be from TV and cinema, which are usually gross exaggerations of reality, so don't be surprised if she has some fairly strange preconceptions about the USA (don't make fun of her!). Do some research on Germany (and Europe) in general and on the part of Germany she's from in particular. It will help your family A LOT to know about where she is from. Finally, people who move somewhere else go through a series of emotional periods - and it can be worst for teens. At first, everything/everyone is interesting & wonderful. After a while (usually a month or so), the new place is annoying and "stupid" (not as good as home). It's a form of homesickness. Eventually, almost everyone adjusts and the new place becomes "normal". It helps to stay in contact with friends & family at home and the Internet now can help make that affordable. Encourage her to call home regularly via through-the-internet phone services like www.skype.com - and getting a care package (with familiar goodies from home) is a happy event.
3 :
Give her time to adjust to the time zone. Took me a over a week going from US to Europe because I was so excited in a new place. Ask her exchange organization what they provide students such as trips/excursions and orientations. Over the year, mine provided a week long orientation with language immersion at a youth hostel and included a trip to a small town, then a couple of weekend orientations during the year, and a mini Spring Break trip to London. My host family had already planned a summer vacation. They also did weekend trips. Sometimes this included visiting friends and relatives in different towns. I attended some recitals, a kid's fashion show, flea markets, etc. with the family. Look at what you have locally. Universities and colleges have a variety of cultural, arts, and sporting events. High school in the US often have a variety of activities that European schools don't often have as part of their regular curriculum (in Europe, sports and music are usually taught in clubs or special after hours schools). Many towns have a fall or spring community events such as street fairs and art walks. I've known some exchange students who got involved in community programs such as Habitat for Humanity. Church youth often have a variety of activities throughout the year. As you get to know her, ask her what she'd like to see.
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Monday, January 7, 2013
I have some questions about being a Foreign Exchange Student in Germany...?
I have some questions about being a Foreign Exchange Student in Germany...?
So, I am American high school sophomore (Nepali by birth and parents) and i want to go to Germany for my senior year as a Foreign Exchange Student. I speak english, nepali, spanish and im learning german. i want to go to germany because i plan to live there in the future (or austria) and i LOVE german culture as well.. so here are my questions: 1. will my classes in germany count for graduation in the united states? or do i just graduate there? 2. which organization? rotary? YFU? others? rotary is the most famous but i heard that they cant guarantee i end up in germany. im think YFU right now... 3. how much will it cost? how can i be eligible for scholarships? 4. how much money should i take for spending there? how should i take money? cash? debit/credit card? travelers check? 5. if anyone else has been an exchanhe student to germany, what was it like? experiences? likes, dislikes? 6. will i be allowed to take my guitar? (random question) 7. what exactly WILL i be able to take? what SHOULD i take? if you have any other details or things that are useful, please tell me! you can email if you want at samy360@gmail.com thank you in advance, im looking forward to hearing what you have to say. danke!
Studying Abroad - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I tried applying for Rotary last September, so I can answer some of these for you. 1) No. Rotary said that its more about learning the language than getting school credit, so it would be like taking a gap year in the middle of high school. You would graduate the year after you come back. 2) You're right there. They ask you to pick five countries, and they do try to give you your top choice, but its not guaranteed. A girl we have here wanted Australia, but she ended up loving Canada anyways. 3) Costs and scholarships depend on the organization. EF High School Year Abroad don't give scholarships, and costs $20,000 on average. Rotary is $5,000, and negotiate with families who can't pay the five grand. 4) Rotary gives you $100 allowance each month, but its really up to you and your family how much you take for spending. 6) Yep. European schools don't have extra-curriculars sponsered by the school, so anything that would help you relate to other students would probably be helpful. 7) Again, it depends on the organization. They will give you a list of suggestions on what to bring once you've been accepted.
2 :
First, a note of warning - it is most likely too late to try to do an exchange with a departure date before next year (meaning before 2011). Application deadlines are generally fairly early. That being said, I'll provide some information to help answer your questions. 1) Each school is different, so your school needs to determine this for itself. What I can tell you is what our school (Cheyenne WY) does -- unless the overseas school is accredited by CITA (forgive me, I forget what that stands for), the classes overseas are treated the same way that home-school classes are treated - they count towards the required credits for gradation but grades and such would not transfer. (If the school IS CITA accredited, everything transfers.) Sorry to be a broken record, but your school is the only one that can tell you what the 'right' answer is for your school. 2) YFU, AFS, and Rotary are frequently called "the big 3" when it comes to exchanges - long histories and good reputations, although a few others are making their way up that list. Please forgive my bias towards YFU - it's the one that I have direct experience with (I am a 5-time host mom and volunteer). I am gaining indirect experience by corresponding with former students. When I have asked exchange students why they chose YFU, I get the following answers: (1) YFU gave them more bang for their buck and/or (2) someone they knew and trusted recommended YFU. 95% of the fees collected by YFU go for direct program costs (airline tickets, support in hosting country, etc.). YFU has been around for 59 years and has learned how to make exchanges successful. Which ever program you choose, make sure they are listed with the Council for Standards on International Educational Travel (csiet.org). They routinely audit programs for quality. 3) The cost may change next year, but the current year's prices are on the YFU website (year (late July to early July OR early Jan to early Jan) = $9895; semester (early Jan to early July OR late July to early Jan) = $9395; "Discover Germany" summer (late June to early Aug) = $6495. The most expensive parts of an exchange program are airline tickets and training the volunteers who will be working with you on a continual basis. These costs don't change much whether you're there for a year or a semester. You can also go on a "gap" or 13th year just after graduating from high school. Things that are considered for scholarships: grades, YFU volunteer recommendation, teacher/educator evaluation, financial need (for some), etc. For most (if not all) scholarships, you will need to have at least a 3.0 (out of 4.0) GPA. You can apply for a scholarship and, if you don't get one, all you've lost is the application fee (usually $75). It is definitely too late to apply for scholarships for 2010-2011. (Unless you want to go to Japan for a year.) 4) How much spending money to take GREATLY depends on your spending habits. I'll ask our German son (to us, our son, to the rest of the world, the boy from Germany we hosted last year) if he has advice. I would think that a credit card WITH NO INTERNATIONAL FEES (they're not as common as other cards but they exist) would be best. Take a small amount of cash, but not too much. I'll check, but you may be able to open a bank account in Germany and just have your parents transfer funds as needed. 5) I wish I could answer that one. The best I can do is refer you to the alumni portion of the YFU website (below). There you can contact former YFU students to Germany. 6) I don't see why not. Some things to consider: 1) the potential for extra baggage fees for the airline; 2) if it's electric, you'll need to have an adapter as Europe's electrical grid is different and even then it may or may not work 100% the same (our European students have complained that their curling/flattening hair irons don't work as well here as they did 'back home'); 3) potential for damage by the airlines (may or may not be a big issue). But as far as YFU is concerned, it shouldn't be a problem. Final say would be with your host family, but I can't imagine anyone not wanting you to bring it so they can hear you play. 7) You'll be able to take many things, as long as the airline allows it. One thing I recommend leaving at home in the USA: your cell phone - it probably won't work there anyway and if it did, the extra international charges would likely be high. What SHOULD you take? Pictures, lots of pictures; clothes (discuss how much with your host family); a book about your area or some other area-specific gift for you host family; a good English-German dictionary; digital camera; a few toiletries (discuss with your host family - they'll probably take you shopping not long after you get to Germany); a diary or some sort of journal; discuss the rest with your host family - they should tell you what they do and don't have (for example, we always tell the girls we host to leave hair appliances and jewelry boxes at home
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So, I am American high school sophomore (Nepali by birth and parents) and i want to go to Germany for my senior year as a Foreign Exchange Student. I speak english, nepali, spanish and im learning german. i want to go to germany because i plan to live there in the future (or austria) and i LOVE german culture as well.. so here are my questions: 1. will my classes in germany count for graduation in the united states? or do i just graduate there? 2. which organization? rotary? YFU? others? rotary is the most famous but i heard that they cant guarantee i end up in germany. im think YFU right now... 3. how much will it cost? how can i be eligible for scholarships? 4. how much money should i take for spending there? how should i take money? cash? debit/credit card? travelers check? 5. if anyone else has been an exchanhe student to germany, what was it like? experiences? likes, dislikes? 6. will i be allowed to take my guitar? (random question) 7. what exactly WILL i be able to take? what SHOULD i take? if you have any other details or things that are useful, please tell me! you can email if you want at samy360@gmail.com thank you in advance, im looking forward to hearing what you have to say. danke!
Studying Abroad - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I tried applying for Rotary last September, so I can answer some of these for you. 1) No. Rotary said that its more about learning the language than getting school credit, so it would be like taking a gap year in the middle of high school. You would graduate the year after you come back. 2) You're right there. They ask you to pick five countries, and they do try to give you your top choice, but its not guaranteed. A girl we have here wanted Australia, but she ended up loving Canada anyways. 3) Costs and scholarships depend on the organization. EF High School Year Abroad don't give scholarships, and costs $20,000 on average. Rotary is $5,000, and negotiate with families who can't pay the five grand. 4) Rotary gives you $100 allowance each month, but its really up to you and your family how much you take for spending. 6) Yep. European schools don't have extra-curriculars sponsered by the school, so anything that would help you relate to other students would probably be helpful. 7) Again, it depends on the organization. They will give you a list of suggestions on what to bring once you've been accepted.
2 :
First, a note of warning - it is most likely too late to try to do an exchange with a departure date before next year (meaning before 2011). Application deadlines are generally fairly early. That being said, I'll provide some information to help answer your questions. 1) Each school is different, so your school needs to determine this for itself. What I can tell you is what our school (Cheyenne WY) does -- unless the overseas school is accredited by CITA (forgive me, I forget what that stands for), the classes overseas are treated the same way that home-school classes are treated - they count towards the required credits for gradation but grades and such would not transfer. (If the school IS CITA accredited, everything transfers.) Sorry to be a broken record, but your school is the only one that can tell you what the 'right' answer is for your school. 2) YFU, AFS, and Rotary are frequently called "the big 3" when it comes to exchanges - long histories and good reputations, although a few others are making their way up that list. Please forgive my bias towards YFU - it's the one that I have direct experience with (I am a 5-time host mom and volunteer). I am gaining indirect experience by corresponding with former students. When I have asked exchange students why they chose YFU, I get the following answers: (1) YFU gave them more bang for their buck and/or (2) someone they knew and trusted recommended YFU. 95% of the fees collected by YFU go for direct program costs (airline tickets, support in hosting country, etc.). YFU has been around for 59 years and has learned how to make exchanges successful. Which ever program you choose, make sure they are listed with the Council for Standards on International Educational Travel (csiet.org). They routinely audit programs for quality. 3) The cost may change next year, but the current year's prices are on the YFU website (year (late July to early July OR early Jan to early Jan) = $9895; semester (early Jan to early July OR late July to early Jan) = $9395; "Discover Germany" summer (late June to early Aug) = $6495. The most expensive parts of an exchange program are airline tickets and training the volunteers who will be working with you on a continual basis. These costs don't change much whether you're there for a year or a semester. You can also go on a "gap" or 13th year just after graduating from high school. Things that are considered for scholarships: grades, YFU volunteer recommendation, teacher/educator evaluation, financial need (for some), etc. For most (if not all) scholarships, you will need to have at least a 3.0 (out of 4.0) GPA. You can apply for a scholarship and, if you don't get one, all you've lost is the application fee (usually $75). It is definitely too late to apply for scholarships for 2010-2011. (Unless you want to go to Japan for a year.) 4) How much spending money to take GREATLY depends on your spending habits. I'll ask our German son (to us, our son, to the rest of the world, the boy from Germany we hosted last year) if he has advice. I would think that a credit card WITH NO INTERNATIONAL FEES (they're not as common as other cards but they exist) would be best. Take a small amount of cash, but not too much. I'll check, but you may be able to open a bank account in Germany and just have your parents transfer funds as needed. 5) I wish I could answer that one. The best I can do is refer you to the alumni portion of the YFU website (below). There you can contact former YFU students to Germany. 6) I don't see why not. Some things to consider: 1) the potential for extra baggage fees for the airline; 2) if it's electric, you'll need to have an adapter as Europe's electrical grid is different and even then it may or may not work 100% the same (our European students have complained that their curling/flattening hair irons don't work as well here as they did 'back home'); 3) potential for damage by the airlines (may or may not be a big issue). But as far as YFU is concerned, it shouldn't be a problem. Final say would be with your host family, but I can't imagine anyone not wanting you to bring it so they can hear you play. 7) You'll be able to take many things, as long as the airline allows it. One thing I recommend leaving at home in the USA: your cell phone - it probably won't work there anyway and if it did, the extra international charges would likely be high. What SHOULD you take? Pictures, lots of pictures; clothes (discuss how much with your host family); a book about your area or some other area-specific gift for you host family; a good English-German dictionary; digital camera; a few toiletries (discuss with your host family - they'll probably take you shopping not long after you get to Germany); a diary or some sort of journal; discuss the rest with your host family - they should tell you what they do and don't have (for example, we always tell the girls we host to leave hair appliances and jewelry boxes at home
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Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Im student in Germany guy take money now reject to payback and threatened me to make out of country What I do?
Im student in Germany guy take money now reject to payback and threatened me to make out of country What I do?
A guy he is old and Anglo-Indian now denmark citizen supposed to be my very good friend meet him first time in june 2008 after that we talk lot in phone and he oftenly invited me to his place in weekend also take me to the trip to Prague and Salzburg before trip he say to me I don't have to pay anything as Im like his son. I believe him during both trip at different time he asked me fo some money around 90 euro. And later in winter he call me and ask again for 110 euro as he told that he will pay me when he got his money from Arbietsam now not only he uses abusive language and start blaming me that i make his 17 DVDs scratched which I take from him to watch only and are no more useful for him and reject to pay me my money and said that we give you food , shelter and entertain you and threatened me that He has friends with big contact in Germany with those people help he can make me out of country if I call again and ask for money again. I am really depressed and don't know what to do? I am a student and I know how I gave him money......
Law & Ethics - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Call the police!!!
2 :
What were you doing going on vacation with an older man whom you hardly knew? If you are only out 200 euro, you are lucky. You should avoid that man. He sounds dangerous.
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A guy he is old and Anglo-Indian now denmark citizen supposed to be my very good friend meet him first time in june 2008 after that we talk lot in phone and he oftenly invited me to his place in weekend also take me to the trip to Prague and Salzburg before trip he say to me I don't have to pay anything as Im like his son. I believe him during both trip at different time he asked me fo some money around 90 euro. And later in winter he call me and ask again for 110 euro as he told that he will pay me when he got his money from Arbietsam now not only he uses abusive language and start blaming me that i make his 17 DVDs scratched which I take from him to watch only and are no more useful for him and reject to pay me my money and said that we give you food , shelter and entertain you and threatened me that He has friends with big contact in Germany with those people help he can make me out of country if I call again and ask for money again. I am really depressed and don't know what to do? I am a student and I know how I gave him money......
Law & Ethics - 2 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Call the police!!!
2 :
What were you doing going on vacation with an older man whom you hardly knew? If you are only out 200 euro, you are lucky. You should avoid that man. He sounds dangerous.
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