Things I Wish I Had Done Differently About My Exchange Year | Exchange Students Tips & Advice

Hey guys,
I know that most of the time in life, it does not make sense to have regrets. And I don't have any when I think about my time as an exchange student. My study abroad experience was amazing, however, if I had to do my exchange year in the USA all over again, there are some thing I would do differently. Which is exactly what this video is all about: All of the things I would do differently as an exchange student and about what I wish I had done differently during my study abroad times.
I hope I can help you out and improve your experience as you really only get one chance to be an exchange student at a high school.
If you have any topics you would like me to talk about in more detail or any questions at all, please leave them down in the comments below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
As always, lots of love,
Laura

[@kristynahribalova8264]

Hey Girl, I agree with everything you said in these video,im currently spending my exchange year in Kentucky as I am Czech exchange student:) everything is so true,especially when you were talking about making friends, because something it is hard to build good friendships with other people:) love your videos! keep going!:)

[@honey27003]

Thank you so much that means a lot! I hope you're having a good time so far. I know it can be very tough at times. Hang in there :)

[@badujabar9410]

In defense of 15 old Laura: She was a child starting over & struggling with the culture and language. She's not going to a foreign country to be herself, stand her ground & demand respect, she's going to be part of that world, be one of them, learn from them while they're learning from her. In the process she could get offended or offend others (unknowingly). Ofc future exchange students & host families can learn a lot from this, but : Lady, don't be hard yourself , you did as good as a 15 year old child can do given the challenges.

[@honey27003]

True.... I guess we should never be so hard on ourselves. Especially at such a young age

[@infantryshooter]

That's actually a good guide for host parents to help ensure that their student is well cared for, and that they are doing the things they need to be doing. As a student, you aren't coming here to be a bump on a log and hide in your bedroom! There may need to be some gentle(?) nudging and loving encouragement, always under a watchful eye that the student is dealing with their new environment in a positive way. You mentioned before the responsibilities of the host parents. I think the term you are looking for is *in loco parentis*, which is Latin for "in place of the parents". It is a legal term, but also applies to higher moral law, in that you are taking responsibility for someone else's child, and you've obligated yourself to fulfill a duty of care. In some ways, this has to be a struggle for some parents to let their child go to a foreign land, to live with strangers and engage themselves in a new culture. The element of trust and faith in that host family seems to be overlooked, but must certainly be there. How did your parents handle your absence, and was there contact between parents and host parents? Life is about people, and you learn from your mistakes; wisdom often comes from bad experiences. I hope the students who see your videos understand what is in front of them, and appreciate the gift they are being given thru exchanges, and that they take every advantage of the opportunities afforded them. I certainly appreciate your perspective on these topics. Thanks! Ken

[@honey27003]

Hi! Thank you so much! Yes, it is a huge responsibility to take a stranger in especially if they are still children essentially. I think it was hard for my parents to let me go but they trusted me and we kept in close contact and I gave them updates. They weren't in touch with my host parents too much but still had a good relationship

[@corapeony3853]

Hii, i'm kinda late to this video, but i wanted to ask,,,, I would like to go to exchange year too, as a freshman so at 15/16..and since you were at 15 too, do you think its better to go later? I personally think that going this soon have several pros but idk. everyone are saying they dont recommend going this soon😭😭

[@balancedactguy]

Laura..if tere is one thing you could have done differently would be to do your exchange in Michigan instead of Texas. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Texas. My mother was born and raised in Texas and I have been there many time. Still plenty for me ti see as Texas is SO BIG (as you already know), but I think Michigan would have been better and you could seems some really nice countryside, the Great Lakes and you would not have been far from other nice states as well. NaJa...Jedenfalls I hope you come back to the US to Study, Extensively Travel or live here for a few years or longer!! Tschuess!

[@honey27003]

Definitely will come back to see so much more of this beautiful country

[@balancedactguy]

@@honey27003 Please DO come back Laura! The Red Carpet is waiting for you!!

[@muslimkhan9355]

Friend

[@alessiasarafolean4040]

Hi! Im looking forward to becoming an exchange student in the USA. But i really how no idea what to start with. Can you do a video on how to plan all of this? Ps: do you have ig?

[@honey27003]

Hi :) Of course, I will film it as soon as I can. Do you have any specific questions around this topic so I can help you out even better? Which year are you looking to start your exchange? Unfortunately, I don't have ig anymore because I want to figure out what I want to post on there but I will make one again someday