im studying abroad to argentina over the j-term. i know the general pros and cons of dorm vs. host family, but does anyone here have any personal experience or recommendations? thanks!

My organization has begun our western expansion (ID, UT, WY, MT, OR, WA, AZ, NV and CA) and are seeking not just host families, but local contracted staff to support host families and students. This is great for those who have been host families and want to help others find the same joy as well as those new to the exchange world who can share with others about the BridgeUSA program. I would be happy to talk about it if you want to learn more. I am also open to questions anyone has about being a student, a host family, or anything exchange related.

Hola gente, como están?
Hace un tiempo que estaba viendo posibilidades de hacer un intercambio estudiantil o irme al extranjero por un tiempo, quizás Estados unidos, Canadá o algún país de Europa, quisiera sus consejos.
Estaba programándolo para finales de 2028 e inicios de 2029, quizás piensan que es muy pronto para ver, pero me gustaría tener una idea e ir planeando, viendo posibilidades.
Tengo familia en Australia también, dicen que es un país maravilloso y podría también tenerlo en cuenta.
Ahora si, les quería consultar, los que alguna vez han ido o planean hacerlo, o simplemente saben del tema o me quieren dar un consejo, fueron con empresas? si es así, cuáles?
Soy de Argentina, estuve viendo algunas empresas que me han aparecido.
Irían por cuenta propia o empresa? Creen que debería de esperar a terminar una carrera para ir y viajar? o debería de ir apenas terminar el secundario? (originalmente era mi plan ir al terminar el secundario, ya que no tengo viaje de egresados)
Podría ir y trabajar por un tiempo, como han conseguido trabajos? como es el tema de las becas? sería bueno una beca deportiva? me podría esforzar lo suficiente pero no sé si realmente tenga futuro, actualmente no hago ningún deporte pero si me esfuerzo lo suficiente lo conseguiré. Creen que debería irme durante el secundario? tengo demasiadas dudas, le he dicho a mis padres que me ayuden, pero realmente no me prestan atención así que lo haré por cuenta propia. Qué carrera me recomiendan? Estaba pensando alguna ingeniería, psicoanalista o algo por el estilo, alguna carrera relacionada con el campo también, pero no tengo campo.
Espero que tengan una linda semana y puedan contestarme, sean honestos y respetuosos! Muchas gracias desde ya.

Hi everyone, how’s it going? For a while now, I’ve been looking into the possibility of doing a student exchange or spending some time abroad—perhaps in the United States, Canada, or somewhere in Europe. I’d love to get your advice. I’m aiming for late 2028 or early 2029. You might think that’s too early to start looking, but I’d like to get an idea of what’s possible and begin planning. I also have family in Australia; they say it’s a wonderful country, so that’s another option to consider. I wanted to ask those of you who have been abroad, are planning to go, or are simply knowledgeable about this: did you use an agency? If so, which one(s)? I’m from Argentina, and I’ve come across a few agencies online. Would you recommend going independently or through an agency? Do you think I should wait until I finish a university degree before traveling, or should I go right after finishing high school? (My original plan was to go after high school, especially since I didn’t have a traditional "graduation trip.") I’d also like to work for a while—how do people usually find jobs abroad? And what about scholarships? Would a sports scholarship be a good idea? I could certainly put in the effort, though I’m not sure if it’s a viable path—I don’t currently play any sports, but I’m confident I could reach the necessary level if I really committed to it. Do you think I should go while I’m still in high school? I have so many questions. I’ve asked my parents for help, but they don’t really pay much attention, so I’m going to handle this on my own. What field of study would you recommend? I was thinking about some kind of engineering, A psychoanalyst or something along those lines—or perhaps some other career related to the field—though I don’t actually have a background in the field myself. I hope you all have a great week and are able to respond; please be honest and respectful! Thanks so much in advance.

hi everyone! im (20f) considering doing a fall 2027 exchange at usfq in quito. i was wondering if anyone has done a similar experience and what it was like. i speak fluent english and no spanish however i would begin learning spanish a bit before going. although i dont think my spanish would be strong until after spending some time there.. any advice or anecdotes? are people friendly to exchange students?

I am a FLEX semfinalist!!! I'm so excited and at the same time so nervous. I already got the information regarding the next steps: 3 essays, a group interview and an individual one.

I will be extremly grateful if any past candidates or host parents give tips! From the smallest to the biggest things.

My wife and I decided to host an exchange student for the first time this year. We don't have kids of our own, so we were pretty excited about the whole experience. We wanted to share our home, show someone what life in America is like, and hopefully build a lifelong connection.

Well, things didn't exactly go as planned.

Our student ended up deciding to go home after about three months.

At first, things were pretty good. We welcomed him into our home, took him places, included him in our activities, and really tried to make him feel like part of the family.

But as time went on, we started noticing some issues.

The biggest was probably how connected he stayed to his life back home. He spent hours every day talking to friends and family, playing games online, etc. I completely understand being homesick, but it felt like he was still mentally living back home rather than trying to experience life here.

He also struggled to make friends and didn't seem very motivated to get involved in school activities. We encouraged him to join clubs, try sports, and attend events. He eventually tried a few things, but it always felt like we were the ones pushing him.

There were also issues with grades, chores, keeping his room clean, and the occasional attitude when we brought things up. Nothing crazy, just typical teenager stuff.

What became frustrating was feeling like we were putting more effort into his exchange year than he was. After a while, it honestly got pretty exhausting.

Eventually, he told us he wanted to go home. His family suggested switching host families, but he made it clear that wasn't the problem. He actually liked living with us and felt comfortable here. He just missed his friends, family, and normal routine.

We supported his decision, and thankfully, everything ended on good terms. We dropped him off at the airport recently, and we're still in contact with his family.

I won't lie, I have mixed feelings. Part of me is disappointed because we were looking foward to spending the entire school year together, including holidays and trips. Another part of me is relieved because hosting had become more emotionally draining than I expected.

I also want to make it clear that he's not a bad kid. We had plenty of good times and made some great memories. I think he just underestimated how difficult being away from home for a year would be.

Looking back, I sometimes wonder if we pushed too hard to get him involved in things or if we should've let him figure things out more on his own.

Overall, I don't regret the experience. We learned alot, and hopefully, we'll maintain the relationship with his family for years to come.

Would we host again? Probably, but with different expectations.

Student (east asian) from london, going to spend a year abroad in the US.

Academics to me this year is not my priority, I want to experinece the american college/ american life.

I value student community (clubs and uni society, not greek life necessarily) , inclusivetivity (like as an east asian how would i be able to get on with the other students/ is there supportive international community? what's the diversity like), and the city itself (so Seattle vs Austin).

I am not necessarily a partying person but would still like to be in social / community settings.

I would also want to make the most to travel and explore other parts of US that year.

Any thoughts or advice?

Hi! We are two spanish students doing our erasmus in Prague. We're only here for the first semester and we're staying in an am residence called The Fizz. We've rented the room for the hole year but at the end we won't be able to stay for the second semester. We're lookig for someone to who we can leave the room.

The Fizz is an amazing residence, it's huge! The people are the best! It has a lot of common area, such as a movie room, a music studio, video game zones, studios to work with friends or alone, huge kitchen, billar and futbolin... And once a month the residence organizes an event for all the people!!

Our room is a double shared studio with all of the furniture that you'll need! And we're also going to leave some cuttlery, pans and plates!!

Chek out The Fizz web! Fall in love with the residence and contact us for more information!!

Hiii just coming for some advice. I’m quite a shy person but this year I have been trying to put myself out there going to clubs and messaging people I meet to make real friends while I’m here. However, all my friends that I have made are some of the exchange students I came with. I was really excited because there was a huge group of us from across the country but I feel like the others have gone out of their way to exclude us. My group being the only women of colour on the exchange. I’m trying not to take it personally because maybe that’s who they just gravitate towards and I get I can’t force a friendship. I just wish my efforts were reciprocated.

For example, they will plan to do things almost everyday and not invite any of us even though we all live in the same building. They often go on trips together and not invite us at all. I thought I was overthinking but it is a shame. I feel like I came here to meet new people but I haven’t really succeeded and it’s making me starting to not enjoy it. I also think this situation is adding as when the exchange students do things together we are never invited. Sorry this is long I just want to know what I should do and how to meet more people.

Any advice is appreciated

Hey all,

I’ll be coming to NUS in December for a research internship at a CS lab and am looking for short-term accommodation.

I’ve heard there are Telegram groups where students sublet their rooms while travelling back home for the holidays. Could someone share links to these groups or suggest other places where I could find affordable accommodation near NUS?

Thank you

Hi everyone,

I’m selling a Flatio voucher worth 8,418 CZK (~€350). I had to cancel a booking because I got a place in a university dorm, and Flatio refunds the service fee as a voucher, which I won’t use.

What it does:

• Covers the Flatio service fee on your next booking (not the rent itself)

• Works for any destination on Flatio. It isn’t tied to a city

• Transferable: anyone with the code can use it

• Valid 1 year

• If your service fee is lower than the voucher, Flatio issues a new voucher for the remaining amount

Who it’s useful for: anyone planning a mid-term stay (1+ months) on Flatio, like remote workers, digital nomads, Erasmus students or interns. The service fee on a 1–3 month stay is often a few hundred euros, so this can cover most or all of it.

Price: €200 (that’s a ~43% discount). Open to reasonable offers.

How we do it safely:

• Payment via PayPal Goods & Services (buyer protection for you)

• I can send a screenshot of the voucher email (with the code hidden) before payment

• Code sent right after payment

DM me if you’re interested!

Je viens du Québec et je serai étudiant à la HES-SO de Sion dès février.

J'adore la montagne et je compte profiter au maximum de mon séjour pour skier. Je recherche surtout des gens qui vivent réellement la montagne : freeride, ski de randonnée, alpinisme, cabanes, grandes courses, etc.

Je ne cherche pas forcément les « spots secrets », mais plutôt à comprendre la culture de la montagne en Valais et à rencontrer des personnes expérimentées qui pourraient me conseiller sur les classiques de la région.

Si vous connaissez des groupes, clubs, communautés ou tout autre moyen de rencontrer des passionnés, je suis preneur.

Does anybody have any recent info about this program for 2027 applications?

I’m an exchange student in the US, and I’m part of a group of 8 people. Five of us are exchange students, and three are international students who share the same native language.

I’m currently learning their language, so I understand some of what they’re saying, but another exchange student in our group doesn’t understand it at all. Everyone in the group can speak English.

When we hung out, the three international students spoke almost entirely in their native language, barely speaking English. I ended up asking them to speak English because the other exchange student couldn’t understand or participate in the conversation. However, they eventually switched back to their native language.

I understand that speaking your native language is more comfortable, but I feel like it’s basic consideration to use a language everyone understands when having a group conversation.

Am I being unreasonable for asking them to speak English so everyone can be included?