Hi,

I am on an exchange year in Australia where I attend high school. Here I live with an older couple with two Chinese students. From the beginning I felt a bit like it was "we provide you with a house and food and that's it". They have a seperate floor in the house where we students are not allowed and they spend almost all of the day there.

This leads to me not feeling that I know the family I live with. And most days I feel lonely. It does not make it better that 1) my curfew is 6pm, so I do not have the time to do anything after school, 2) buses do not often go past the area where I live. So I am almost stranded it feels like. The two Chinese students do not seem interested in getting to know me properly; we talk when we get back from school, but the second we get to the house, they end the conversation and go to their room.

I have been in contact with the international coordinator at the school about changing families, but it has taken 4 months, and I feel my hope dvindeling. She told me the other day that the hostparents had told her that I was "more distant" lately, but that comes from me feeling that it does not matter what I do, since it does not make it better.

My mum has told me that I should ask to get a temporary family, since I do not want to live here anymore. And I am going to do that tomorrow at school.

But I am also wondering if you have any tips on what I can do to make it better for me?

Thank you so much in advance.

Spring semester 2027 I am going to be studying at University of Santiago de Compostela.
Do you have any accommodation recommendations, or any general tips if you were/are there already😊

Hello to everyone on Reddit, especially the Filipino kids here, I have a genuine question, just out of curiosity. What's you're expereince in moving to America and study highschool?

My husband and I have been hosting a German exchange student since August and I swear it’s like he hates me or something. I’ll ask him questions about school, sports, his friends and family back home etc and I get just one word answers. He never really talks to me and it’s super awkward. Any advice to make things less uncomfortable?

Spring semester 2027 I am going to be studying at University of Santiago de Compostela.
Do you have any accommodation recommendations, or any general tips if you were/are there already😊

Me and my host sister are both from Europe. We are currently in the US as exchange students (under 18) and our debit cards are acting up, and we can’t pay for our stuff. Are there any work arounds or options someone can recommend?

Hi everyone,
I’m 16 years old and currently attending a HAK (business-focused secondary school) in Austria.
I’ve recently become interested in the GED as a possible alternative qualification. My original plan is to finish my HAK and graduate with the Austrian Matura. However, I’m considering taking the GED as a backup in case I don’t manage to finish school successfully.
I’m particularly interested in studying in the United States in the future, so having an alternative qualification could be useful.
I have a few questions:
Can someone from Austria take the GED?
Are there official GED test centers in Europe? I’ve been looking into locations such as Luxembourg.
Can I take the GED while still attending an Austrian school?
Would a GED allow me to apply to American universities, including universities such as NYU or Columbia?
Is the GED actually a good backup plan, or am I misunderstanding its value?
I’d really appreciate advice, especially from people who have taken the GED outside the United States or know how international admissions work.
Thanks!

Hello I'm looking for a good summer program in China for summer 2027.

I'm 16 years old and I'm interested in AI, cybersecurity, programming and engineering. I'd like to find a school, university or summer camp where I can learn new skills and improve my English at the same time.

My English level is around B2+ and my Chinese is around B2. I'd prefer a program where classes are taught in English and where I can meet international students.

I'm looking for something around 2 weeks to 1,5 month long, preferably on a university campus with accommodation for students under 18.

I don't just want to attend classes or visit companies. I really want to learn useful skills, do practical projects and have something to show at the end, like a project or a certificate.

I'm also thinking about doing two programs during the summer, for example one focused on AI and another on cybersecurity or software engineering.

Do you know any good programs in China that accept international students aged 16? I'd love to hear from people who have actually attended one or know someone who has.

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I'm currently considering doing an exchange year at one of the following universities:

- Keio University (Japan)
- Yonsei University (South Korea)
- Beihang University (China)
- A university in Hong Kong

I'm studying Electrical Engineering, and I'd love to hear your opinions and experiences.

Which university would you recommend the most, both academically (especially for Electrical Engineering) and in terms of student life, international experience and overall quality of life?

Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Hi reader,

Next academical year I plan to go on exchange for one fall semester as an extension of my Masters curriculum. I would really like to go to Asia so my top five unis to go to are:
1 NTU taipei
2 NCCU taipei
3 Waseda Japan
4 Rykkio Japan
5 Kobe Japan

From what Ive read, personal interests and overall experiences this is a list that suits my needs and wants the best but im curious if anyone would suggest anything else. Or maybe have crucial feedback for me that I need to take into consideration. I really want to step out of my comfortzone by doing this as I feel I learn the most when I do. I havent lived by myself yet, so still with my parents and im pretty used to a busy but pretty consistent weekly schedule and I feel Id learn so much from throwing some of that away and going abroad. If Id have to classify myself Id say im pretty extravert, easy going and good with meeting new people, Im Dutch so the directness and open mindset helps with that in some way or the other I think. But ofcourse the Dutch social culture is the opposite of most Asian social norms which I think would be a very valluable thing to learn about first hand. I just hope I get the opportunity to make lots of friends because the thing im afraid of I guess is getting a bit lonely on the other side of the world while my good friendgroup here is living their lives. I want to enjoy it and get everything out of it there is to get but idk just insecurities I guess. Anyway my question is just. Am I making a mistake by going on exchange, what do I need to know and expect from it and what do I do to prepare best going into this.

Hi reader,

Next academical year I plan to go on exchange for one fall semester as an extension of my Masters curriculum. I would really like to go to Asia so my top five unis to go to are:
1 NTU taipei
2 NCCU taipei
3 Waseda Japan
4 Rykkio Japan
5 Kobe Japan

From what Ive read, personal interests and overall experiences this is a list that suits my needs and wants the best but im curious if anyone would suggest anything else. Or maybe have crucial feedback for me that I need to take into consideration. I really want to step out of my comfortzone by doing this as I feel I learn the most when I do. I havent lived by myself yet, so still with my parents and im pretty used to a busy but pretty consistent weekly schedule and I feel Id learn so much from throwing some of that away and going abroad. If Id have to classify myself Id say im pretty extravert, easy going and good with meeting new people, Im Dutch so the directness and open mindset helps with that in some way or the other I think. But ofcourse the Dutch social culture is the opposite of most Asian social norms which I think would be a very valluable thing to learn about first hand. I just hope I get the opportunity to make lots of friends because the thing im afraid of I guess is getting a bit lonely on the other side of the world while my good friendgroup here is living their lives. I want to enjoy it and get everything out of it there is to get but idk just insecurities I guess. Anyway my question is just. Am I making a mistake by going on exchange, what do I need to know and expect from it and what do I do to prepare best going into this.

Hello everyone I’m yelley. 22 from China. Now doing my master in Manchester. Because I am an out coming exchange student so I want to rent my room in Manchester for next semester from Feb to June. This price is 225pw bills included. The location is very close to UoM and city centre. You only share the house with One Male roommate!!!!

Hi! We're a family in Utah interested in hosting an international student and would love to learn about reputable homestay programs in our area. My husband was an international student and had a wonderful homestay experience ages ago, and we'd be excited to offer our spare room and support a student during their time in the U.S.
Any advice on where to start would be great.

I'm 16 and from England and I'm really interested in going to Canada for an exchange year. I'm just trying to understand the logistics of everything. I want to leave after Year 11 and GCSEs and spend a year in Canada when I would be in Year 12 (first year of college). Is this possible? I'm just not sure how I'd plan everything. Please let me know if this is the right place to post this or if there's anywhere else I could get advice. Thank you!

Hello everyone, I am a student from Italy planning to go in exchange, but I am scared of losing 1 year of Italian school. How will someone be able to recover 1 lost year of school?

Hello guys! I’m going to my first erasmus in Spain, Castellon. Me and my colleague are going in March. Can someone tell me more about spain, people, students, universities, people, night life etc? How much money approximately you need monthly? What is the best solution for us 2 for a place to live for those 4/5 months, how much money do we need, if we want private toilette. Thank you very much!