5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming an Exchange Student

Whether you are thinking about becoming a FES (Foreign Exchange Student), in the process of becoming one, already are one, or you're just reading this because you want to; Hi, my name is Onnie! I was a foreign exchange student in Madhya Pradesh, India in 2014-2015 ( I believe!). It was quite an interesting 11 months and I have to say I wish I knew at least one of these things (especially number four) before I went, so I hope this helps you or at least entertains you!

1. Before I went to India, I would spend hours and hours on countless websites reading up on their ways of life. I wanted to be as prepared as possible. I was given a book about India and I would skim through the book many times just trying to soak up as much information as my brain could take in (In my defense, it was a pretty thick book with tiny print). By the time I was meant to get on that plane, I thought I knew anything and everything there was to know about India, but I was so wrong and I knew next to nothing. However, that's okay and you will figure it all out within time.
2. Time zones hurt! Some countries can be on the same time zone or very close to the time zone of your own country, but that is not always the case! If you find yourself going to bed when your family and friends back home are starting to wake up, you are a victim of the time zone. I remember staying up past midnight just to talk to people back home and for them it was six in the morning! I was always half asleep during classes because of this, but for me talking to them was one of the reasons I stayed for 11 months. Sometimes, you will need encouragement to get through the exchange; However, that is something number four focuses on.
3. Be a chameleon. Don't literally try to become a chameleon, but you need to learn how to adapt to quick change. You can move into a new host family, finally finish unpacking, and have five minutes to repack because your family has vacation plans. I remember when I was staying with a family for just a weekend and as soon as I stepped foot into their house, they were already loading up to go stay at a relative's house for a wedding the next day. It does get exhausting, but this is the life you signed up for (or have yet to sign up for).
4. There will be downs. The program I went through did a pretty decent job on letting the out-bounds (the students who are preparing to go abroad) know that exchange will not be a fairy tale and that this is not a vacation, but most (if not all) students don't expect it to be too bad. Not everybody will have a challenging exchange, but it does happen and it did happen to me. If it doesn't happen to you, then that's amazing! If it does happen to you, don't let it spoil your view of that country or get down about yourself, because I know that can happen. Just remember that you are there to experience a whole new culture and submerge yourself in a new way of life because not everyone can say that they did something like that. If you are going through a challenging exchange, talking to the people who matter most to you back home can always bring your storm to a brief halt. BUT, if it is very serious and you must get out of that situation quickly, please do not hesitate to contact your host counselor, your exchange coordinator, and most importantly, your family!
5. Capture the moments. Journal, take videos, take pictures, post on social media, keep almost everything, etc. This time of your life (whether it has been a challenge or a breeze) will be with you forever and it will be full of great experiences for you to tell to others when you get home. It's 2018 and I still talk about my exchange to people. Being an exchange student is wonderful and something to be very proud of. You will want to look back on these times days, weeks, months, or years after you get home. These are the times you're going to wish you could go back to just for a second.
6. BONUS! You might end up leaving a room full of stuff because your suitcase will be much heavier leaving than it was coming.

Thank you for reading this list through! Stay positive and stay safe. <3