thinking about studying abroad... input please?

Question

the idea of studying abroad in italy has been on my mind for the past few years. I'm going to be a junior in high school next year and the ideas that have been putting my travel on hold is
A. is 16 too young? would it be more fulfilling if i wait until freshman year of college to study the language abroad?
and
B. if i stayed with a host family, what would it be like? what if im uncomfortable with them, i dont know what to say to them, its akward or just a bad experience?

would you please give me your thoughts? thank you :)

well, for Larisa P, i'm from michigan.
also, thanks to everyone who has answered! almost every single response has been helpful! im going to leave this open until it is time for others to vote, in case i get more answers. plus all of you who answered gave such good bits of information i couldnt choose a best answer!

Answer 1

I definitely wouldn't wait until college. High school is a great time to go because the academic pressure is way lighter- you can be gone longer but miss less. Staying with a host family isn't bad, and if you have any real problems the school or program can normally find a different place for you to stay. I did a TEFL course in Barcelona, Spain and had a "homestay" situation- the woman told me that she was a non-smoker with no pets, and she turned out to be a dog-sitting smoker! We compromised on the smoking, but she ended up going to her country house to dog sit, leaving me with the apartment to myself on the weekends! It was great!

When I moved to Italy, my Italian roommate was a girl who had done a homestay in Montana during high school, and she really loved it. She still kept in touch with the people from Montana, almost ten years later.

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Answer 2

i'd suggest learning as much of the language as you can although living with a family and going to school will teach you quickly. I teach abroad and didn't speak anything when i came; i live alone and teach English all day so my Chinese is still horrible. Your host family will be teaching you constantly.

I know one highschool student who switched families, not sure why but i think the option is there and you'll have an advisor in your school you can ask anytime. I think that wherever you go some days will be hard and some things will be awkward but it's all about experience and growth. Not always loads of fun but enlightening and culturally enriching. First days are the hardest days with adjustments to food and such. The Belgian who switched families didn't speak any Chinese when he came so he definitely didn't know what to say to them and spent the first month learning cup and spoon. Your host family should understand and do thier best to make you feel comfortable. You can get away with alot just citing cultural differences but i personally don't use or buy that excuse.

Later might be better just cause you'd be more comfortable in your own skin but it depends on the person. How outgoing you are and stuff like that. Italy's a nice developed country so i'm sure you'd have a better experience than we have here (although we're treated like superstars, we put up with alot).

Answer 3

Okay, so you want to travel, but have a few questions. No prob! I spent two months with a host family in Bavaria, so I could give you a bit of advise. First of all, sixteen isn't really that young. The fact is that as you get older, your chance to travel to Italy will get slimmer, so you should take advantage of it. The language thing nowadays can be compensated (almost every country in Europe now speaks English).
As for the host family thing, it is a little jarring to think of the family you could be set with, but I guarantee that they will be genial and attentive to your needs as a student. Most host families involves with school programs or hostels must be interviewed and pre-screened, so they're safe. If you are going without any school aid (like I did), then it gets a bit more difficult. Let's face it, people can be mean, weird or otherwise hard to live with for a time. You could try a hostel (which are usual in Italy) so long as it is frequented by someone other than yourself.
The general rule of thumb for finding a good place is to see if other travellers are staying there too. After all, what better way to prove the place is safe than to have someone else stay there? If this is too hard, then you may have to find yourself staying with a family and ironing out the difficulties you may have with them. Just remember to enjoy yourself and don't dwell on the family so much. After all, it's not like they're comming back home with you.

Answer 4

I assume that you are still in (high) school and not yet at university or college level. If the whole thing is organized through your school there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. You can be sure that the host families are selected pretty carefully. Either it is an exchange program - then very often the families that send a student will host a student - or the host families volunteered to host students. Feel free to ask your teachers how the organization works and how host families are selected. I am German and remember from my school time that we had exchange programs with schools in England and in France. And we had from time to time guest students in class from other countries. The hardest thing for the guest students was always the language. Following lessons in mathematics, physics, chemistry, or any other subject in a language that is not your native language is pretty taxing, especially when you try to answer questions. But on the other hand you will find out that you understand significantly more than you ever thought possible. I can only encourage you to go for it. It will be a great experience and so much more fun than staying at home.

Answer 5

I am Italy... it runs through my veins and will never leave. It's a part of me and I'm more passionate about it than I am about many things in life. It"s one of my true loves for life.

Wanna know how old I was when I first lived there.... 16, well, turned 17 as soon as I got there. It changed my whole life.... Ms. Puppyluv, I'm NOT kidding, changed my whole life. I'll never see life in the same way after that, ever. I could probably talk to you about it forever... ask me anything and everything. Host families are hit or miss, but still worth it regardless, (I had two, first one was a miss, switched and the second one I wrote a letter to for mother's day just last month.... 8 years later!) Language comes if you want it, and if you don't spend all your time with English speakers (I don't recommend Firenze for that aspect).
could go on and on.... AMAZING my dear AMAZING.... everyone's different... but I recommend it times 1000

Answer 6

Hi,

I do recommend you to travel as soon as possible, it is an incredible experience. I have done it several times, in different countries and always get a good experience. Sometimes you´ll miss your friends and family but the new experience will counterbalance this issues.

If you go with a host family and do not feel comfortable for sure ou will find another one for sure.

If not why do not you look for a place for students to live in? you will find there people in the same situation as you, that´ll help.

jm

Answer 7

I studeid abroad in Costa Rica. It is a great experience. I do not think that 16 is too young, that is actually a great time to go, but make sure you are safe. So do not go out by yourself and all of that, I am sure that we all heard that before.

Also, a homestay is not comfortable in the beginning, unless you are a really outgoing person, but in the end you will feel great and you will also have someone that you can mail from out of the country which is fun.

Answer 8

I'm studying abroad as we're speaking, in Italy, perugia.well...is a nice experience!I'm older than you but i don't think age matters.i live in a hall of residence with others foreigners and is nice because you get to know a lot of people.where are you from?

Answer 9

Stop Thinking and Just Do It!!!!!!