They come from all over. Not from all over the country, but from all over the world. They are the high school exchange students. It takes maturity, independence, and a drive to be pushed out of your comfort zone in order to embark on a yearlong journey like these exchange students. Not only are they entering an entirely new country, using an entirely new language, and having to make entirely new friends, but they also must incorporate the rigor of schoolwork into their new lives.

With that said, there must be some difficulties and challenges that come with being a foreign exchange student, but many benefits, too. Unlike when American students prepare to go on foreign exchange, students from abroad are expected to already have proficiency in the language (In this case, English). This is on account of the lack of language diversity in America, while most countries in the rest of the world require its students to study English. For example, it would be unreasonable to expect an American student travelling abroad to Sweden to already be fluent in Swedish before departing the U.S. Luckily, for most of the exchange students in Anna High School; they have studied English prior to arriving in America.

“I have studied English for 5 years,” said South Korean exchange student Minah Baek.

During a year abroad, an exchange student is faced with an array of difficulties and challenges other than the language barrier. These can include feelings of homesickness, dealing with the shock of being immersed in a new culture, making new friends, and constantly seeing unfamiliar faces. While these challenging aspects of their year abroad may seem daunting, at the end of their exchange, most exchange students will tell you that the benefits far outweigh the difficulties.

“The language barrier is not really a problem for me, but making friends has been difficult,” said German exchange student, Anja Rupprecht.

The benefits of spending a year in a foreign country are profound. You gain a better understanding of the world, gain cultural understanding and tolerance, make life-long friends, and get the opportunity to represent your country. This is the ‘exchange’ part of foreign exchange, you learn about their country, and they get to live in yours.

“I have become more independent and mature since coming to America,” said Italian exchange student Martina.

While the differences between two cultures and people can seem profound, you may be surprised with how much in common you have with these globe-trekkers. When you open your mind to new ideas, ways of life, and new knowledge, you can learn so much, and serve as a link between two seemingly different cultures.