THE TRUTH ABOUT MY EXCHANGE YEAR (Q&A)

[@christinawilson2105]

You should repost your cheerleading video now that you aren’t doing the exchange year. I’m kind of disappointed they bullied you into taking it down. Everyone talks about freedom of speech in America until it’s something they don’t like. This is what KZbin is all about if people don’t like it they can watch another video. As for the school system I wouldn’t judge the US school system based on Arizona’s. Every state and county has school systems some harder than others. I feel like my high school was harder than your experience and that was in the late 90s. Glad you are back! 👍

[@JazzyLewis19]

Christina Wilson I agree

[@jelly6077]

Exactly!! Also, Arizona was rated #50 in the US for their school system (meaning they are the WORST)

[@TheRealMarkS]

I agree (re: "Everyone talks about freedom of speech in America until it's something they don't like."). It's pretty much a given that everyone has at least something they don't like, but these days, people can't just move on to something they *do* like. They have to make a point of being offended and rally "troops" around them who are also offended. I remember when people who were offended wrote songs about it, and moved on. Suing has replaced songwriting. Sad.

[@mariacheebandidos7183]

she is free to post and say whatever she wants and the other person (the school, in this case) is also free to object (ask her to take it down) and if they disagree then you go to court. that's how freedom works, its not just a one way street. lots of foreigners come to the US take easy classes and conclude that school is easy in the US. it depends on the classes you are taking and the program you are in. go get 4.0 gpa in a top program from a top school, then you say it is easy. btw, exchange students are specifically given easy classes to accommodate them.

[@sofiee5346]

Mariachee Bandidos no we are not? I literally chose my own classes and so did every other exchange student I know. We don’t all pick the easy classes and yet they are in fact very easy for (mostly) all foreigners.

[@boswellwhanau]

Ok but listen to ur voice before she left and now, her pronunciation is so much better

[@anapaulaaf13]

When you mentioned your host mom yelling at you for your cheer video... my blood started boiling??? That's so out of line she's supposed to guide you through any issues you may have, that's literally what she's there for you're a minor AND you're not family or related to them. The school making you delete the video is one thing that I could understand, but your host family mistreating you?? I'm so pissed lmao. If my kid ever told me their host family is yelling at them and not being helpful AT ALL you would find me throwing hands real fast. Glad you're safe and didn't come back to them!!

[@sarahmclaren4122]

meowdy I can guarantee you that more often than not, exchange students are mistreated by their host families. I was, and every single exchange student I met whilst overseas also was, aside from one. It’s not uncommon but unfortunately it is not talked about as often as it should be, and naive children don’t understand what they’re getting into when they go on exchange.

[@anapaulaaf13]

sarah mclaren I'm sorry you had to go through that I genuinely hope you're ok and safe now! That's disgusting

[@anapaulaaf13]

sarah mclaren literally the reason why my parents would never let me go on an exchange year

[@seventysix92]

meowdy i already made my own comment talking about this but, HER HOST MOM NEEDS TO LEARN HER PLACE. If my host mom started yelling at me... that’s a wrap. I refuse to live with her any longer lol. This stuff makes me wanna be a host family because i want exchange students to feel comforted and safe.

[@sarahmclaren4122]

meowdy i didn’t let my host family ruin the experience, I honestly would go back if I could. It’s a shame though that it happens so often because apart from that I would recommend it to anyone

[@norabunker6401]

I feel like her makeup has changed since being in America

[@laqudori]

Mhm

[@imene7322]

Yeah it got darker

[@emily.7668]

I think her friends showed her what make up they do here in America

[@renske8300]

For the (most) European people that want to go on an exchange year (USA or somewhere else), I really recommend STS. I am going on an exchange year with them this summer (if Corona allowes me to). They are really honest about your experience, they are honest about the ups and downs. Also their social media accounts are also not full of flowers, but also show the rough time. This is at least the experience I've had with them until now (in The Netherlands, it might differ if you are from a different country). But I really recommend STS, but the most important thing is that you feel comfortable and save with your company.

[@caradunne9240]

weird flex but ok aren’t they very expensive? are flights included in the price?

[@renske8300]

@@caradunne9240 Not really, of course it's not cheap but I don't think other company's are a lot cheaper. Approximately you have to pay the same amount of money with every company. And yes, with STS the flights are included (at least in the Netherlands, you should check the STS site of your country to be sure).

[@renske8300]

@Nadine Willems That's awesome! Oke idk waarom ik in het engels reageerde haha. Bedoel je schooljaar 2021-2022 of 2020-2021. Super leuk!

[@yanna2803]

weird flex but ok what are their social Media accounts??

[@renske8300]

c'est la vie it’s usually sts and then the name of the country (in english). so sweden would be stssweden, italy would be stsitaly and netherlands would be stsnetherlands. they also used to do weekly take overs by current exchange students (when covid 19 wasn’t taking over our lives yet)

[@Peachgguk-tz6yb]

I really don’t like that people contacted the school on your behalf, people on the internet need to learn that certain situations; they need to back off and not get involved. Stop being Karen’s.

[@laqudori]

Like FR!

[@NoahKahan67]

I have actually only heard bad things about EF. edit:that doesn't mean EF is the worst ,there are plenty of organisations that have the same problems

[@imke5274]

Handball Fan I was in Australia with EF. The school was fine but the accommodations were a nightmare. Worst thing is they didn’t even did something about it

[@Paoguma]

Same, about the homestays and the school

[@jade7461]

for exchange they are actually the best!! but it depends on what country you re drom

[@caradunne9240]

Imke are the high schools all private?

[@siggelito7869]

what?? i’ve only heard good stuff. i’ve even became an ambassador for it

[@chinyere7297]

I don’t like how some of y’all emailed on her behalf, doesn’t sit right with me

[@alyssatony3701]

yeah, that's really sad that she got in trouble for something her subscribers were doing

[@inhle1688]

CWinnie A fr!?!? that’s so weird

[@nomiluxx]

I agree, especially because she didn't ask for it.

[@laqudori]

O.o what the hell

[@zaubermotte9990]

I find it funny that America stands for “freedom” and “freedom of speech” but get scared by a teen posting a video to the point of humiliating her by apologising in front of the whole cheer team

[@anhelina4054]

i mean when i came to us my (new) friends were saying that its all a big lie abt freedom here at first place so even americans comfirm that i guess

[@matthewkozinski5241]

I mean the whole freedom thing is just on like a governmental level in terms of your rights. Like you won't get arrested for saying something fucked up, but the school and the exchange agency have their own set of rules and can punish you based on those. Like , if you publicly shit talk the company you work for, are you really gonna expect to not be fired because "freedom of speech guys." So not really an America problem, just a business and a school afraid to have the slightest bit of bad press

[@nomiluxx]

"This is America"

[@salvadorreyes1337]

@@anhelina4054 We are granted that right. It's in the 1st amendment. You want be jailed for it. The problem is, we live in a time where we have a cancer in society, the left, that loves to cancel/censor those who they don't agree with.

[@jazzie2967]

Freedom if your white and fit the standards :(

[@Italianabroad]

Very sorry to hear what happened to you, but it’s good you talk about it. EF should take this as an opportunity to improve their service, I really hope they do and that this does not happen anymore. I saw the video you had to remove and I didn’t see anything wrong in it. But KZbin is a powerful weapon and I believe the school was scared. It’s sad that instead of taking it as an opportunity to improve, they just make you feel bad.

[@anapaulaaf13]

That's true! I wish she would add "EF exchange program" or something like that to the title of this video so more people that may be interested in doing their exchange with them can do research and find a real testimony of a bad experience

[@sundance81677]

I agree with both of you.

[@aurorajenna]

That’s really dumb that they made you apologize for that video. Like yes cheer injuries happen and you can get hurt but repeatedly dropping someone on their head within a short period of time means that they are not safe stunting and the stunts they are doing are to difficult for the skills they have. That doesn’t mean you can’t try new stunts it just means that they aren’t ready to safely do that if they can’t catch you and that goes for any flyer

[@hemanshuchudasama3535]

😁😁 isn't it what they say intelligent people makes things difficult lol

[@NoahKahan67]

It is really good to hear the truth about the ups and downs

[@babeitskirstenn]

Why y’all emailed on her behalf LOL who are y’all

[@limegreenshark777]

Heyhihelloooo ikr💀

[@AfroLinguo]

We are we! We are him! Is we he! He is we! We is us!

[@laqudori]

FR FR FR 🙄

[@myapeoples8187]

Also, the whole cheer situation- American schools love to make sure that they aren’t at fault for anything. And idk who decided to stalk this girls school to email people. That makes everything way worse for her

[@laqudori]

Mhm

[@ariquarius2939]

it’s really important and brave of you to speak up about the issues. some might see it as just looking for attention, but the things you mention are serious and future exchange students need to be made aware of the risks.

[@sandybrooks8390]

Schools systems really don't like any kind of criticism, I'm not surprised that they asked you to take it down. They are scared of getting sued if someone gets severely injured in sports like cheerleading that are inherently dangerous. I don't think it's entirely representative of the US as a whole, there's quite a bit of authoritarianism built into schools that exists in part because students are minors. I think it's likely a cultural difference if you would have felt comfortable posting something like that about a Swedish school. I'm not saying that it's right that they censored you, just that an American probably would have known that it could cause issues.

[@shbj276]

Your videos are always so genuine and real which is something I really like about you. You don’t fake it or paint the perfect picture which is something that’s really appreciated keep doing what you’re doing and I hope you get better experiences in the future.❤️

[@LothellaMeep]

My experience was really similar to yours, although I didn't go home or get sent home. I lived with a host family I didn't really get along with, and my "contact person" was also one of my host mom's best friends, just like in your case. I contacted her once about maybe switching host families, but she basically threatened me and said that I'd end up with an old couple that never left their house and that I should just suck it up and stay with the family I already had. She also made sure to tell me that if I wanted to switch families I would most likely have to move to a different part of the country because no other families in my area wanted to host - but when I talked to people at my school about it multiple people said their families wanted exchange students but there weren't enough so they would try again next year. When I tried to contact the organization in Norway, I struggled to reach them because my norwegian contact person was on sick leave, and it took them MONTHS to get me a new one. My host family obviously understood that I didn't enjoy living there, so we kinda just made a deal that I had to be there two days a week, and the other 5 days I stayed with friends. My friends' families treated me like their own daughter, and when my host family wouldn't even get me medicine (I would pay them back of course) when I had the flu, my friends' families would literally show up to school to get me whatever I needed because they felt so bad. My host family would also cook themselves a great dinner after I went to bed, but only serve me boxed mac n cheese etc during the day. My host family never did anything bad DIRECTLY to me, but it was just an awkward situation and I never really connected with them. My host sister's best friend was so jealous of me living with her best friend (my host sister) that she tried to get me sent home multiple times. She would send my organization pictures of me where it looked like I had a cigarette in my hand (it was just the side of my phone looking awkward in a picture), and she would create fake accounts on instagram messaging my contact person that she had proof that I had done illegal things etc. At one point it even got so serious that the organization considered contacting the cops because of identification theft (she would use other peoples pictures and names on these fake accounts). My host sister also told me multiple times that the whole family was talking bad about me when I was gone, and that they really didn't even want me there at all and wouldn't mind if I had to go home. I just all around had a very negative experience with my host family, but considering the fact that they accepted me staying elsewhere for most days of the week it still ended up being the best year of my life. I loved my school and I made tons of friends that I've visited twice, and they've visited me in Norway once. I haven't talked to my host family since though, and I've deleted them off every social media. I really don't have any desire to talk to them ever again. I traveled with Explorius though, so I guess bad things happen no matter what organization you choose.

[@makni3408]

I'm so sorry that you had to live through this! I can't imagine going on exchange and not getting along with the people you're going to live with. I also don't understand how your host sister and her friend acted, host families are the ones choosing to host exchange students, like no one forced them so why would they act like that? That's just messed up. I'm so glad that you managed to make the situation better for yourself and lived the most out of the experience despite the difficulties. Thank you for sharing this with us💕

[@ariquarius2939]

Kenza Makni my guess would be that the contact person convinced her friend to host

[@lucya8316]

That sounds crap I am glad that your friends families helped you out with food and somewhere to stay some of the week ! ❤️

[@Ella-is4pl]

Omg i'm so sorry...thank God for ur friends and their families. And that u were safe.

[@hemanshuchudasama3535]

@@makni3408 but that's what makes human different than others that's how we designed to be

[@franciscapiloto6491]

Omg. The strangest thing is that, even though you never showed your host family on your videos I always got bad vibes. Specially after that first video explaining your health issues. The reluctance in taking you to a doctor.... I was like, something isn't right. If I was a host mom, you damn sure I would be the first to take you to the doctor, because first: it's gotta be terrifying to be in another country, alone and sick; and second: I wouk be scared that if something happened to you, I would be responsible. So, not cool. I've also noticed since the beginning that some of your colleagues were all up in your ass (pardon the French) to get in your videos. It showed. Sorry that you had those bad experiences, but think positive. All is baggage that will be useful in your life. PS: I'm also on the "Upload the video again, fuck them!" team. What they did with asking you to apologize to the cheer team was straight up bulling and humiliation. I saw the video and you didn't say anything wrong. It's a free world, the KZbin account is yours, they had no business meddling with that. Even if you had said that the cheer team sucked. Freedom of speech.

[@anapaulaaf13]

Francisca Piloto thisssss. I always got a vibe whenever she would show her room there it made me feel uneasy. Call me crazy but you could feel it through the screen if that makes sense? I followed her journey closely because I really feel for Sofia she seems like a sweet girl she's so young and things like this always happen to exchange students. Which is why I'm so upset that the host mom would yell at her for the cheer video like chill woman you're getting paid to take care of her and make sure she's alright. Thankfully it ended sooner rather than later.

[@franciscapiloto6491]

meowdy Yes, I was exactly the same. The vibes weren’t good. But I’m glad that everything turned out kind of alright. And it really shows that Sophia grew a lot with this experience. That’s really what life is all about, living and learning. I’m sure she is a better person now, if that’s possible. She seems like a really sweet girl, very mature for her age.

[@rebeccaward6392]

@@franciscapiloto6491 omg I felt the exact same way too !!!!!

[@mrockwell3161]

How much do you think it costs to see a doctor in the US without health insurance? Let’s give you a little perspective- a visit alone just to get into the office can be upwards of $100, the x-ray she “needed” would have been upwards of $500-1000, not to mention market value of any medications she needed. Healthcare isn’t cheap. Her host family didn’t sign up for that. Yeah, it sucks, but I would have made her figure out health insurance or some other way to pay before taking her too. That’s not fair to ask of them when this is something that should have been ironed out with the company she went through ahead of time and she should have had a health insurance card in her wallet before she stepped foot on US soil.

[@helenavis]

@@mrockwell3161 Why do you think she wouldn't have insurance? Handling the insurance surely must be up to the host family, as that is what a normal caregiver does for children (handle their health care).

[@salsakickz314]

I feel like american culture is so hyped up but it’s honestly a really upsetting country and there are so many cooler places you could go. The healthcare system alone is all the reason to not want to live there. :(

[@justanotherpotato5523]

I live in America, but I'm fine because I have health insurance

[@mallie249]

I agree. I live in America, but have traveled/lived in Central America and Europe, I must rather live in Europe than the States 100%.

[@adamprinceofeternia1820]

I love America.

[@thatbitch2501]

Well I’m from America and that is offensive

[@petal9577]

@@thatbitch2501 agreed. living in america is offensive. what a shit show.

[@kyliereinhart5243]

I actually studied abroad in college in Europe, and something that I quickly noticed through the whole thing is that US is worried about getting sued, and certain words can get them sued, and “not feeling safe” is one of those phrases, that if you were to bring up later and have evidence ( the video you made) you would win. Anyway that might be the reason, obviously it’s dumb and you should be able to say your experience and what you want to!! It’s just something from an American perspective that might be the reason they did that, although it’s dumb I agree! Sorry your exchange year got cut short!:)❣️

[@alanaoxley]

Hi, I went to the USA on exchange for what was supposed to be 5 months. I left in January and came back at the end of March. I absolutely agree with what you said about you’re exchange company. I feel like as soon as I needed to come back to Australia my company gave up. And my host mum was best friends with my lc and I hated talking to her because I thought they constantly spoke about me. Hope you’re doing well

[@liesedevos414]

Which company did you went with?

[@rrrrrafael]

Can someone explain what is a ic ?

[@hannahcappe5243]

What company did you go with? I'm also Australian and thinking of going on exchange. It's hard to get honest reviews of the companies.

[@sarahmclaren4122]

TravelFreak Hey, I went on exchange for 5 months to France with SCCE. I would not recommend this company. I was provided with absolutely zero support from SCCE or their partner company in France (JEV Langues) for the entirety of my trip. One particularly bad experience was when my host family went on holiday for 3 weeks and I was expected to find somewhere to live for that time. My host family disliked me and my LC regularly contact me to tell me everything I was doing wrong, and that my difficulty adjusting was making it too hard for my host family and that I needed to change my behaviour to make it easier on them. I would not recommend going on exchange at all unless you are completely willing to be thrown out of your comfort zone and adapt to everything that is thrown at you. Do not go if you have any issues with mental health. I was lucky to have amazing support from my teachers and my friends and their families, and I did have a great time in France but the trip (which was 3 years ago) took a massive toll on my mental health.

[@justapikture3241]

@@sarahmclaren4122 oh I'm french, I hope you still has a good time in my country :)

[@carlitalopez2895]

omg i didn’t realize how early i was, but you’re so cute!

[@shrekishawt768]

girl those eyelashes

[@celinedegroot]

I was actually thinking about going on a exchange year, so i did some research and found EF. I signed myself up to get an email with some more information about an exchange year. Since then they have been STALKING me... They call me several times a week, they text me or send more emails. And all because i just wanted to get some more information to see if i would really like to go on exchange year. I think this company is trying so hard to get people to go on exchange year and talking only about the bright side of things whilst giving such a bad service! Now im kind of glad that my parents said couldn't go because it cost too much money

[@Leah-vs1kw]

that’s actually so true! i’ve signed myself up too and they even messaged me on whatsapp several times and said i really need to decide whether i want to go or not. and when i said i really have to talk to my family about the money and stuff they were like you could pay it yourself most parts. i’m shocked so many people have bad experience with that organization..

[@KathiBuffy]

Omg same! One day a guy actually appeared IN FRONT OF MY DOOR to ask me if I already have some plans for my exchange year

[@ebbablaze9531]

Celine de Groot yeah it was the same for me! I wanted to see if I had to go with people younger than me and they called and emailed me everyday. I got so scared that I blocked them.

[@lunarhartman4326]

I had the same, I did sign up after it. Then never heard anything from them again, got almost no information, there was literally no communication after the first payment. I was supposed to go this summer to england, but due to corona I have absolutely no idea what will happen, but EF doesn’t tell me anything

[@celinedegroot]

@@lunarhartman4326 omg sis get your money back!! They will keep it if you don't try...

[@yex4620]

So what i'm understanding is that a lot of friends were basically clout chasers and wanted to use you for followers... that sucks

[@carltapnio4810]

Americans.

[@shivanimh3617]

to all high school students, you should definitely wait until university to do exchanges if you want a lot more freedom! (i.e, partying, hanging out with whoever whenever, living alone, etc).

[@kyokashodladd3967]

I don’t think we have to wait cuz every exchange is different and it’s our choice . Going during high school and uni is really

[@k.emiyamarie]

Tbh I think it’s good if you do both because u only are in highschool one time, and some people want to get the experience of what other highs schools are like, so whatever someone’s wants to do just let them. It’s just really depends

[@stephanledford9792]

Sophia, the US is huge and while the culture is somewhat similar across the country, there are enough differences that had you gone somewhere else your experience might have been totally different. One advantage of leaving home for an extended period of time is that when you do go home, you see home with different eyes than when you left, almost like someone who is visiting your country for the first time might. You kind of mentioned this in your returning home video. This is one reason that travel, especially for an extended time, is helpful in broadening your life experiences and your mind. I hope that when you heal up emotionally and this virus mess is behind us that you will take a trip back to the US and see some of the areas you missed before. You didn't see a lot more than you did see. Best wishes for whatever you chose to do with the rest of your life, and I hope you will continue to share your videos.

[@hemanshuchudasama3535]

Sir thank you for your time but wasn't necessary lol

[@Nina-yz1ip]

Am I the only one that feels like she is really down and lost a lot of confidence.

[@kasbowguy]

It breaks my heart to hear you had troubles with EF... I recently came back home from my exchange year due to Covid19 and during the 6 or so months I was away I had three different host families and lots of troubles with my course (I was actually debating going home early even before covid19 struck)

[@kiararodriguez154]

Did you go with EF? i wanna go for an exchange year so badly and EF seems good to me but now, all these storys i think nahh ... i seriously didn’t expected that EF was so bad with their organisation and everything

[@kasbowguy]

Kiara Rodriguez I would recommend going because I had such an amazing time outside of all the dumb stuff with EF but maybe shop around for another company

[@melinap6719]

Kiara Rodriguez don’t go with EF, there are so many other companies that are less expensive than EF and with only good reviews, they really take care of you compared to EF :)

[@seventysix92]

Kiara Rodriguez i’ve heard great things about STS!

[@helenaortegaa]

I know another girl that went for an exchange year with EF she had problems with her host family and she wanted to change to another family and the company didn't helped her, she complained about that through social media and EF told her to delate it bc that was bad for the company, EF put her a warning or something like that (with 2 warning they would sent her back to Spain)

[@emn8998]

Her bff from Arizona should come do a exchange year in Sweden when corona is over lol

[@linahellman9768]

I've also heard a lot about negative experiences with EF as a company. This influenced my choice of company when I went on my exchange back in 2014. I decided to go with Explorius, which is a smaller company that is primarily based in the Nordic countries I think. I had a really great experience with them! Since they are a smaller company, I felt that they really looked after their students even when they were away. Highly recommend it to anyone looking to go on exchange! :)

[@maya6734]

imma do my exchange year in sweden lmao i‘m already signed up and EXCITED

[@solacebalcom781]

Maya Helene what program? I’m supposed to leave with RYE in July to Sweden, but everything’s now unconfirmed because of Corona.

[@sarahmclaren4122]

A Little Bit of Swede I honestly would not have your hopes up. It’s extremely unlikely that you will be able to go.

[@maya6734]

A Little Bit of Swede Ayusa Intrax, but in 2021/22

[@solacebalcom781]

sarah mclaren as of currently my chances are actually good (I know it sounds insane.) There is not and likely will not be a ban on all exchanges (only speaking for Rotary) so each country makes their decision. We are all expecting a delayed start but Sweden’s said they don’t even plan on that. The only country to pull out now is Denmark, but Swedes stepped in and are taking that student too. Sorry for the long message but I don’t want other students having wrong information. Hope this is helpful! ❤️

[@sarahmclaren4122]

A Little Bit of Swede It’s not “wrong information”. Doesn’t really matter what the program says, you are more than likely going to be unable to travel overseas as early as July. They’re telling you that now because they don’t want to lose money, you will get told the bad news closer to your expected date of departure. I’m assuming you’re departing from Australia? I’m not sure where else RYE exists - in which case there is currently a travel ban and exchange does not fit under any of the exemptions. This is highly unlikely to be lifted even once other restrictions are lifted as it is based more so on the COVID-19 conditions of other countries, rather than Australia. Please correct me if I’m wrong in saying you are travelling from Australia, however if you are travelling from the US or the UK, your chances are even slimmer.

[@SuperBigblue19]

School in the US is basically a social learning experience since you can learn just about anything you want on-line academically . I totally remodeled my house just from on-line tutorials. There are so many income streams that don't require traditional education anyway. So doing bad in school doesn't doom you unless you let it.

[@makenziehoman]

I live in Iowa in the US. At my high school we have had 5-6 exchange students, through PAX, each year for the past several years, which has allowed me to really get to know them and the countries they have come from. Every single one of them says that school in the US is soooo much easier. We just have a different structure I guess. I wish our public school system was harder as there are a lot of things that need to be fixed. As far as health care goes, I am only 18 but I know there are things wrong with the system. I am fortunate to have parents that get insurance through their jobs. I have always had access to radiology services, appointments, medicine, and surgeries. I know so so many people that aren’t as lucky. Linking health care to employment can cause major issues and also could have played into why it was so hard for you to see a doctor as I’m assuming you weren’t covered under your host parents insurance. I’m so sorry that your exchange year ended like it did. In all seriousness, if you ever want to come to Iowa totally message me!!!! :)

[@sarahweatherholtz7289]

you are so strong. i’m incredibly sorry your experience was so terrible. but we love and support you so much and just want you to be happy(: sending love

[@stevenbarrera7256]

None judgemental, calm , sweet , observant, nice , conversation was easy

[@noorcoffeng1398]

as an exchange student the last 8 months in texas, i feel you haha. finally someone who’s talking about the real deal not just the perfect things you see online. thank you for opening up to so many people who wants to the same as we did, bc now they can see that’s it’s not all amazing and that i can be tough and that you have to get used to the new culture!

[@mountainflower6825]

Another thing is, be careful who you choose to be friends with. Salt and sugar LOOK exactly the same. Those people around you were clout chasers, I'm so sorry you had to go through this heartbreaking situation. You deserve better girl!

[@alyssatony3701]

i really hope they don't make you take this video down...you have the right to talk about whatever experience you had on YOUR channel.

[@m.s.8399]

It's good to hear the good things but also the bad things that happend, going on an exchange year looks as if it is only positive but if i see what you experienced and the company that didn't even try to help you, then now i have another opinion about it. I never really knew a lot of going on an exchange year but because of your videos i actually learned a lot, it's nice that you are real about it! Hope you are doing well now!

[@michaelmckeen3751]

I could listen to you for hours...so interesting

[@ameliesophie5072]

I understand that IECs/local coordinators (the local representatives of the organization) like to "recruit" their friends to become host families but it just has so much potential to be bad for the exchange student. If there is any problem the exchange student automatically gets blamed for everything!

[@ladydavinci9914]

I know as a teenager there was always that emphasis on making as many friends as you can. I never had many friends in high school, but a few good friends. Now as an adult in my late twenties, you realize that the quality of friends, even if it’s just a few, is a blessing. And that’s really what matters. I did my first exchange program in Spain after graduating high school for two weeks. And I did one year of study abroad in Lima, Peru while in college.

[@cindimoulton6670]

I am so sorry to hear about what happened to you. I am an l.c. from another program & I can't believe they didn't move mountains to help you. I hope that you are feeling better & you are safe at home. Your safety should have been their first priority. They are not supposed to share what you say to your host family without your permission either. I am so do sorry to hear all this. Hugs to you.

[@evam8504]

Omg, I am really happy that you made this video. I always thought that doing an exchange would be "perfect" but you also tell the bad things about it. Thank you😂❤️

[@nannabanana2568]

Hi Sofia, I’m soo sorry you had a bad experience during your exchange year, especially in Arizona. I wish that this doesn’t stop you from ever coming back and going to school here. The best of wishes to you and stay safe!

[@sheraabdullah8999]

i miss your post so much 😭 i always look up to your youtube channel for new videos & i'm happy that you're back now. i hope you feel so much better now ❤️

[@manulema1704]

Im just so sorry about your experience, you are really nice 😭❤️

[@doubtingthelimit]

If you ever wanna try another exchange, I REALLY recommend the exchange program through AFS! Some of the kids in my chapter had bigger problems and from what I heard they always got a lot of support 😊

[@sminaabroad9807]

Hey love!! I'm really sorry that you've made this experience especially because an exchange year is the most exciting and best thing ever! For people that live in german speaking countries I would recommend my organization, TASTE, they are a smaller organization that really focus on you and your interests. I am going on exchange this summer and got the best host family ever that is perfect for me. I hope you're doing well!!

[@spookyems]

I’m really glad to see u back! I’m really sorry that you had to go through that huge mess,, personally i don’t think u should of been forced to apologize cause u were just stating your experience and feelings🥴 but anywayssss I hope u are safe w this virus going on!

[@Sanneonedirection]

Honestly, I haven’t even been on an exchange year with EF yet and they already managed to annoy me. I requested an online brochure on their website, but I had to fill in a lot of personal info for that, but I thought, whatever, sometimes companies do that, and I didn’t think much of it. So I get the brochure, decided I would never be able to afford it, and moved on with life. But no, EF proceeded to call me every single day for a week, and then occasionally months after as well, sending letters to my home and what not. Like I haven’t finished my marketing degree yet, but one thing I do know is that you shouldn’t completely spam your potential customers when the only thing they’ve done is request a brochure cause there’s no info on the website

[@alexandraslavikova1180]

Sanne Yes, I absolutely agree with you. I also had to fill in a lot of personal information to get an brochure. And for curiosity I asked them how much costs an exchange stay in Miami. I mean living on campus for 2-3 weeks. One woman responded and I wrote her back with a sentence like “okay, thank you for your response”, but she started calling me ( i think she called me 2 or 3 times). I don´t know what EF was thinking - I just wanted to know the price of exchange stay. EF acted like I was just going to afford the stay in Miami but I was just curious about the price.

[@luccajosefinerald3324]

They are doing the exact same thing with me. I have chosen a different company for that reason

[@pernillavanduuren508]

Lol after finishing my language year they proceeded to call me and my friends every week, like hey do you wanna come again?? Spend thousands of euros again??? Like yeah i had fun but i should probably start studying now shut up EF hahaha

[@renecordova6349]

Overcoming obstacles in your life only defines your character!! Our world has lots of obstacles!! Winners learn and grow from these experiences!!!

[@MusicNoteAnn]

it’s sad to hear that you felt scared to go back to being a flyer because of how many times you were dropped. coming from a cheerleader that shouldn’t happen, the flyer should never touch the ground period.

[@evewilliams4788]

I’m so sorry you had this experience!!

[@LittleVenator]

The whole situation sounds really sketchy. I’m so sorry all that happened!

[@katharineorr6474]

I was supposed to go on a trip this April through EF to Italy, and once the whole coronavirus threats came up, they gave no help and won’t give us refunds. Our school is thinking of taking legal actions with them. They’re a bad company.

[@alisonmccoy1394]

katharine orr if you decide to do an exchange later on, CETUSA is a really good company and it isn’t too expensive! I’m working with them right now and am supposed to go to Italy this fall!

[@cedriceeckeloo]

I love that you're so transparent about EF!

[@ricardof9394]

Sorry about your experience, glad you are better now.

[@emilyj5573]

I went on exchange with a different company to a different country but I have similar issues to you! everything was fine until issues started happening like me getting sick. you're so strong for getting through it!!

[@LauraRuiz-fe6os]

Hey! I'm from Spain and I also did a exchange but instead of America I did it in Canada. I was only for four months because of my mental health and some big stuff in my family. I didn't make that much friends at all either. I really understand you and your situation. But as you say this may be a bad and a good experience. You start seeing things that no one else does.i give you all my support and love. ❤️

[@annm6854]

i have been WAITING for this video omg thank you for posting!!!

[@deesantoo]

omg i’m so early , i love you ive been watching your channel since you started , i’m so proud of you !!! 💕

[@LilacPeony28]

I’m so so sorry that your exchange student experience was so crappy.... When I was in high school I had 3 really good friends who were exchange students and thankfully they didn’t have any issues with their host families or the company they went through. I feel like you were so excited for this experience and a majority of it just wasn’t cool 😔

[@Blue-nn9sn]

Sofia:Don't date Issac: 😕

[@321aleksandra]

Nunhlui Chhangte i miss them ngl😕

[@Blue-nn9sn]

@@321aleksandra so do I

[@overthemoonflorist9135]

I miss them alot, bella Issac, her school vlogs

[@caitlinthorn1]

I did an exchange to the USA with EF in 2012. I didn't like my experience with the company either! Good to know they haven't changed.

[@johanna9379]

I’ve been on exchange in Ireland with EF as well and they were (for me personally) amazing. But I’ve heard a lot of stories about them where they treated some students real badly. I was in Ireland, not in the US, so that might be why I personally had a completely different experience / view. But I hadn’t any problems at all either, so I don’t know how they would have reacted if something would have actually gone wrong. Since I hadn’t any problems, I barley ever contacted them and they just checked up on me from time to time, so I felt quite free to do whatever I wanted, as well things which weren’t going with their rules, but they never found out cuz I didn’t give them a reason to look at me more closely, I was kinda one of those students who were hardly even recognized by EF because I just held myself in the background and had a lot of freedom cuz of that. I’ve been really close with my host fam, like they r my second family, so I didn’t really need the organization anymore after a while. It was the most amazing time for me personally and I’m still crying about being back in my home country. As u and many others, I was sent back due to Corona so it still feels like it’s kinda “unfinished”. Just whish I would have decided to stay without the organization after a few months cuz then I’d still be there.

[@bcpicxels]

Hope your doing well!!! This was enjoyable to watch, and a good distraction from my homework lolll

[@brendaandjohnroark-rivera7710]

Thanks for sharing your experience! We are host parents with a different company. I'm sorry your experience wasn't exactly what you were hoping for initially. I'm so glad you got to move in with your US best friend and her family!!❤ Our German student had to leave early due to the virus.😭😭 We still have one exchange student here. Best wishes!!

[@ninaloretan3606]

I love your video, you look soo nice and kind you deserve way better

[@verafey9735]

I'm so sorry for the bad experiences you had!!! I remember you were soooo excited before you went and when you were first there...

[@khtsilverway3685]

I'm so sorry this happened but I hope you are doing alright nevertheless! I'm really looking Forward to seeing more videos from you ❤

[@emilyholmes9125]

I’d love to go to Sweden on exchange!!

[@mccallcrosby9635]

Emily Holmes DO IT. I got back from an exchange year in Sweden like 3 weeks ago :) I loved it

[@leonoraprenga4465]

i’m so sorry you had to go through all of that... i’m sure you were expecting to have the best year ever but you ended up “regretting” it.

[@layoverwithlo]

you’re glowing!!! lash tutorial please

[@sophielyczek5540]

i went on an exchange to germany through my school & a program and its was amazing. do itttt

[@Herickdiazz]

i'm so in love rn

[@jennyhammond9261]

Thank you for being honest. You better believe these companies only post the good reviews. They will never post a review on their website about how they ignored your medical issue.

[@bernadethhh]

I'm very sorry about what happened to you in the US. Glad you're back home! Would you be wanting to do another exchange program in the future? I recommend looking into going to an exchange program in Canada if that's an option for you. Stay safe, Sofia!

[@sankalpsatpathi7082]

She has improved her editing skills.

[@TheRealMarkS]

I saw that cheer video, and I never thought for an instant that you meant there were specific safety issues with the team or the school. The kind of pressure you experienced from your exchange school is just nonsense, but it doesn't surprise me. To a significant extent, lawyers rule the world in the US, and it's probably fear of a lawsuit that drove them to be idiots. Glad you're home. Stay well! Your tan looks amazing, BTW. 😃

[@Hamburgergirl757]

I went to thag highschool but graduated in 2017 before you went there for your exchange year. You should 100% repost the cheer video and voice your opinion now that it is all over. It needs to be heard. That’s not the first time that school has done that to students to protect themselves.

[@vjaron2730]

Hope you get fine and better soon❤️

[@londonbrea8663]

okay girl my sister went to the high school that you were at and let me say sometimes the way that they handle things especially with sports is not ok. my sister had to leave the basketball team because of some terrible things that happened. i’m so sorry that you had to go through all of this. i love you

[@brianbrown6978]

You did well to stand up for yourself.👍 Speak your mind if you mean what you say. I'm sorry you had a bad experience in the US. If you didn't feel safe you were absolutely right to say so. When young people visit with host families on exchange programs it is absolutely rule number one that kid knows they are safe and will be protected as if they were one of the host parents own children. Speaking what you feel, what you believe is what being in America is all about. Freedom is a beautiful gift. I hope your experience doesn't ruin your opinion of us Americans. I hope we get a chance to redeem ourselves some day.

[@leartabytyqi]

girl ur absolutely gorgeous

[@myleneelisabethsmit]

I went with EF aswell and it is a great company if you are going for a shorter period of time (2 weeks to a month) or stay within Europe. I have only heard bad things about exchange years with EF (problems with host families, the school, etc.). I even had some issues when i went with them for a month to the US, but it was manageable because it was only a month. However, i would recommend going for a shorter period because even that changes you as a person and is a great experience!

[@enchantedacres1955]

Wow...so sorry you had to go through all of that. The US is a really fun place and school systems are different in every state btw. That is so wrong of the company and the school to take away your rights of uploading truthful information. I do hope you do another exchange year though. Just try in a different area with a different company. I mean I don't know anything about exchange years, but I think you would have a great time trying it again. It is obviously your decision and I am sure all of your fans will support whatever decision you make, but sometimes things happen that humans can't help..We learn from our mistakes as well as recover. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. I hope you had an amazing Easter and stay who you are, nobody should be able to change your identity or life just because they don't get everything their way. I love your videos, keep up the great work.. :D

[@NatalieeH13]

Omg I’m early! So excited to finish the video

[@emmalabattaglia]

i say leak the school and let karma get them and everything bc the company and school did you so wrong

[@Ari180_RE]

I recognize the logo but honestly Arizona's schools don't like any kinda criticism like that, I'm used to them taking stuff too far. It's safer to just let them be than get into even more issues.

[@nubesdetulipanes]

I feel like that is going to be worse.

[@stunnaaffs7137]

ik the school lmaooo

[@oldblood_eyes]

I like these videos because they give the ups and downs. not everything is going to be good.

[@tamicalderon3188]

Im sorry hearing this from you :( Hope you are safe and happy now that you are in Sweden

[@zkenz1e]

this is off topic but her accent is going away😭

[@nora1166]

I love your videoes and you seem like such a nice and genuine person💞

[@belenjuarez2295]

For any exchanges I would recommend AFS! For me and everyone I know has been great! It’s also not a company, but an NGO, so the approach is much less corporative.

[@t00thb3t0ld]

Please do a What’s on my iPhone, You make them so well!! And I hope things start getting better for you!! Your channel is great :)

[@melviekoshgarian8911]

I'm so sorry about that injury video, I was a cheerleader and I totally get that cheer is just a dangerous sport and injuries happen but it isn't anyone's fault!

[@ketsiasupreme6008]

i dont see the problem of you posting your injury like your were speaking up for yourself the thing about the US they are always scared to get sued any company you were just speaking out for yourself and i dont see whats wrong with that and they should not have made you took the video down.

[@ivona03]

I'm actually an EF ambassador and i went to san diego last summer to do a language course and it was great but i always knew that EF is bad when it comes to exchange years because of my friends who have experienced it. Unfortunately i'm not able to do an exchange year because i don't have enough money for that (that's why i went to EF san diego only for a month in summer) but if i went i would definitely choose STS as my organisation. I am pretty sure they're great and you can also choose your school if you pay more. At EF you have to pay more to choose the state lol. i recommend EF for short language courses (where you can also live on a campus instead of in a host family if you want to) but not for exchange years and i'm sorry to hear what happened to you. :( btw idk if you're reading this but i love you. ❤️

[@silked6081]

Ivona K i am also an EF ambassador and I went to santa Barbara last summer :) . The language course was amazing ! But i also heard some bad things about the Exchange years.