Well….First I have to be honest and tell you that I am not completely done with my year abroad but I am almost there. I have been in Sweden for almost 7 months now and I will be going home in June.
I would just like to tell everyone that is planning to go on an exchange year is that you should really expect a lot of changes in your life. When I first left I thought that, this is a big thing but I can handle it. I was thinking that a year is not that long, I will make a lot of friends, have a great time, meet some cool new people, get to see a lot of different stuff I have never seen before, and much more. All these things are true but you have to be prepared for all the times that you are not going to have the best time of your life. I don’t want to scare anyone I just want them to know what they are getting into.
I am staying in Höör, Sweden and I think that it has been an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. I have learned so much already and I still have 4 months to go. But even if an experince is good or bad you will always learn something from it.
I think that the best thing that I can do is give you all some tips and hope that you will use them to the best of your ability, because I want you guys to have as much fun as I have….and maybe not have to go threw some of the hard times like I did.
1. Try to be as nice as you can to your host family, but remember to be yourself….otherwise you will be pretending for a whole year and that is a long time.
2. Go to school….I know that you are on and exchange and school is the last thing on your mind but trust me…you dont have to learn anything just go to your classes with the rest of the people in your class, you will make friends that way and they will ask you to do more stuff with them….in school and out of school.
3. I think that it has really helped me to have a friend who is also an exchange student…for some people that wont be easy cause you are so spred apart but if you can do. Having that person there that knows what you are going through and how you feel really helps.
4. Learn the language the best that you can and the fastest. If you are able to speak the language that everyone else is speaking then you wont feel so left out and you will be able to talk to your friends and join in on conversations….if you dont learn the language you will only know what is going on if someone tells you and you will only understand what people are talking about if the conversation is directed towards you.
5. Try to get involved with as much things as you can. You can do a sport and an activity that you have already done or you can try something new. The more things you have to do the faster time will go and the more people you will meet. (But don’t do too much where you don’t have any time for fun)
6. Be careful with your money and stuff like that….you dont want to spend all your money the moment you get there….you will get the chance to go and do a lot of cool things and it will really suck if you dont have enough money to do so.
7. Bring a lot of pictures and stuff like that from home. You will most likely give a lot of talks about where you come from and what it is like there…it is good to have something to show people and pictures are a good way to explain the way your life was before you left.
8. Be ready for some culture shock when you get there. I never thought that culture shock would happen to me. I was so ready for a big change I thought that I could handle it but you will find that everything is so different that you will really miss the normal things that you had in your life…and when I say everything is different I mean everything, houses, streets, yards, people, food, mcdonald (I know that most countries have them but they look so different than what you are use to), cars, schools, rooms, beds,.....you get the idea.
9. Keep a journal, I know that you will be so busy but it will be good to have….just write in it a little bit before bed….you will be so suprised when you go back and read it after you have been in your country for a couple of months….I was.
10. Have as much fun as you can!!! Remember this is a once in a lifetime chance and you should try to do as much as you can…do things you like to do and don’t waiste your time on stuff you dont like or that is boring, go out with your friends and party, be honest with what you are doing and dont do something stupid that will get you sent home. This is something that you will remember for the rest of your life so make it worth remembering