benefits of foreign exchange?

Question

I was wondering how i can convince my parents to go for foreign exchange. Like benefits,tips,reasons anything would help.

&any ideas how to raisemoney/get a scholarship?






THANK YOU!!!!! =P

foreign exchange as in foreign exchange student that goes to another country

(im going to do it in highschool) =]

Answer 1

Hi Elyse,

I have already emailed you, but I thought I would supplement my email with a little further explanation here. So, as for convincing parents, that can be hard - I know it was hard for me, my mom did not want me to go. However, I convinced her - I lived in San Jose, Costa Rica for a quarter during my sophomore year in high school and then for a semester in Seville, Spain during my Junior year in college.

Most parents are really concerned about your safety - they think that the closer you are to them (ie living at home) the safer you will be. However that is not necessarily true, you can be perfectly safe in China, Argentina and anywhere else in the world and get hit by a car right in front of your house.
[Side Note: also when presenting these points to your parents, be very diplomatic, present in very factually and don't get mad and make accusations. you want to present an argument that they can't say no to.]
That may be a little gruesome, but it's true. You need to show how safe you can be - first of all make sure you go with a study abroad organization that makes your safety their number one concern - most of those organizations are members of the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel or a member of the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange - I have provided you the websites below. I'll be frank and somewhat biased - AFS has a very safe track record, I can say that cause I work for them. I know YFU is safe as well, they are also members of CSIET and the Alliance as well - but I would prefer you go with AFS ;-)

Also, show your parents that you will be well cared for and show them the country you want to go to is safe. Basically if we send students to study in a country, that means the US State Department deems is safe and your parents should really worry anymore than they already do about you. Check out country information on the State Department's website - see below.

The benefits of studying abroad are endless - USA has one of the worst educational systems in the world, so you are bound to go to a better school than your current school. You'll learn another language, which with the way globalisation is going everyone in the world will have to learn a second language sooner or later. You make friends and have a second family abroad. Also, you are more likely to get into the college you want to go to - in fact some organizations (like AFS) are so reputable that colleges offer scholarships for students who have studied abroad. For example there are a many universities in the USA that offer scholarships just to students who studied abroad w/ AFS. Really, the benefits are endless.

As for the $$ - this is the other huge thing to help convince parents. They are worried about the cost of you studying abroad. So try to get them not to worry about it, by applying for scholarships and financial aid (which AFS can provide if you apply early enough). Get a part-time job and start saving up. Get a sponsorship - talk to businesses in your community, ask them to contribute to your education. Many businesses have to donate money every year, so they can write it off on their taxes. That's another thing be sure to study abroad with a non-profit organization, then when business donate for your tuition, they get a tax write off (btw AFS is a non-profit organization). You can get friends and family and neighbors to sponsor you - figure out how many miles it is from your home town and the town/country you want to go study in, have people pledge a mile (figure out cost of program/#of miles = price per mile) or you can have them pledge a day - figure out how many days you will be gone and the price of the program, again divide and figure out price/day.

Big thing you have to remember - is be sure to give back to the community that helped sponsor you. Send a monthly newsletter while you are abroad to everyone that donated. Or send them post cards - or offer to translate things for businesses when you return, or do staff diversity trainings when you return. The fund raising ideas are endless. (Also, when you apply to go w/ AFS, we will send you a 50 page book about fund raising).

OK Elyse, I hope that gives you some hope and a better idea about how to get started. Best of luck convincing your parents! I hope you go abroad soon, you'll love it!

cheers,
Jeremy

Answer 2

Well I was a foreign exchange student in Spain the summer of my junior year in high school. I loved every minute of it. I became fluent in spanish and I learned a lot about the culture. I had a wonderful family that I stayed with and they owned a tapas bar. As far as scholarships, I did get a full scholarship to study in Spain my sophmore year in college. However, you will still need spending money.... all I can say is study hard.....for me since I was studying spanish, I was in the Spanish Club, did the oral proficiency competitions, did the national Spanish Exams and applied for the individual Study abroad scholarship--and woila I got it... I did ok on my ACT's ( a 25)..... and did nothing else out of the ordinary!!! Good Luck !!!!

Answer 3

Obviously be prepared to have language issues, but most of all, be ready to be frustrated and then get over it. You and your exchange student have grown up in different cultures, so there are bound to be difficulties. I suggest you move on quickly so you can enjoy your time. My school used to do an exchange program, and for the most part, everyone enjoyed it. What everyone liked was getting to know their own town better. I live near Chicago, so there were trips to the city and both the American and French students had a chance to enjoy the sites. Try and get in some research on fun places to go, and your summer should be great!

Answer 4

I was an exchange student in college (from New Zealand to the USA) and here's my advice on convincing your parents:
1. you learn another culture and way of life
2. you become independent because you have to find your own way around (this includes doing your own housework, which parents tend to love!)
3. you learn how to do basic adult things like managing finances, shopping around for insurance etc
4. you (potentially) learn another language
5. you can learn new skills that aren't available at your home school (I joined debating clubs and edited a literary magazine)
6. you make friends who will be willing to put you and your family up at their house if you want a holiday :)

As for fundraising, try going around to local businesses (especially those with a connection to your family or school) and asking them to sponsor you. You could ask for a quarter a day, for example. Or contact the local community newspaper and offer to write a short column each week, as a 'local kid makes good' kind of thing. Plus, check with your school to find out what scholarships are available. In my experience there are lots that aren't advertised, so you have to ask.

Hope this helps & good luck!

Answer 5

It makes you grow as a person, helps you learn a different language, and teaches you about the world.

I went through Youth For Understanding, and I got a full scholarship. There are several available.

Answer 6

There are risk elements involved in speculating in Forex. One needs to keep track of the economy of that particular country to determine if its a Sell or a Buy! As for scholarship, you will need to have good grades to qualify for consideration. Have you consider working part-time to supplement your income?