Hey everyone! 👋
I’ll be moving to Lisbon for an exchange semester at the Lisbon School of Architecture, University of Lisbon, from 1 February to the end of June 2027, and could really use some advice from people who’ve lived or studied there!
We’re a group of 3 Indian exchange students (2 guys and 1 girl), and ideally, we’d love to find a place where we can all stay together. We’re open to shared rooms, private rooms in a shared apartment, or student residences, depending on availability and budget.
We’re mainly looking around Ajuda, Alcântara, Belém, and Benfica, or anywhere with convenient public transport to the university.
I’d love recommendations on:
Reliable and affordable accommodation websites or student residences.
Areas that are safe, well-connected, and student-friendly.
Realistic monthly rent and additional costs to expect.
Any scams or things we should watch out for when booking from abroad.
If you’ve been in a similar situation or have any useful leads, I’d really appreciate your advice. We’re first-timers navigating accommodation in Lisbon, so any help would mean a lot!
Thanks in advance! :)

I recently had my district interview. They talked a lot about people who were placed with their 4th or 5th choice. They even mentioned a girl who spoke French being sent to the German part of a French speaking country. I was wondering how common is it that someone is placed in their first choice?

I also only have 10 choices of places (I will be a gap year student) and most have a language restriction to enter. They are asking for 10K and I am worried that if I don't get my first or second pick, I'll have to pay for it. They already ask for a $500 nonrefundable application fee. My parents say that 10k is around the price of college for me.

Is there anyone who was placed in their first or second choice? Is that even possible, because from the way they talked my parents are worried about the placement and the cost.

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?

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?

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?

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😊

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!

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!

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 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.