Don't get me wrong, I'm not a brat, and I respect my parents. I just want to present this in a way that they will understand why I want to go. If you have done something similar, and it helped you please let me know.
2007-04-13 13:30:45 · 8 answers · asked by ARMY Babe 4 in Family & Relationships ➔ Family
I was an exchange student for a year to The Netherlands when I was a senior in high school. It was probably one of the best, most educational experiences I've ever had in my entire life. When I arrived I didn't know one word of Dutch and when I left I was fluent and nobody knew I was American! You will learn the language in 3 months, guaranteed!
I feel the best thing for you to do is to first ask your parents about hosting a student through a non-profit organization such as YFU (Youth For Understanding). This will allow them to "get their feet wet", understand what the exchange experience is all about and will give them some time to prepare (both emotionally and financially) for you to go. See if your family will consider hosting an international student this summer or next year themselves and then the summer or year after that it can be YOUR turn to go! :-)
YFU will probably send a volunteer exchange counselor to meet with your family or will invite you to participate in one of their local informational meetings where your parents can get all the information needed and think it over. The family also usually gets to select it's own student - as a family you will be asked your preference regarding the gender, nationality, religion and age of the prospective exchange student so families do have a lot of control over who lives in their home. While hosting a student you will have access to support services and the foreign student will be assigned a local counselor. Your family will be shown photos of student prospects and can select a student you find most interesting and who best fits. There are, of course, some rules and regulations that have to be followed ...
It is scary for parents to let their children go away from home to a foreign country for a summer, semester or even for a whole year, but when they know and trust the program, their fears will subside.
Good-luck and go for it!
2007-04-13 13:46:06 · answer #1 · answered by americansneedtowakeup 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get all the documentation on the program together, make sure you understand it thoroughly--like where you'll be staying, who'll be supervising, what money is involved, etc. Just think up all the questions you're parents are likely to have, go get the answers now, then have them sit down at the table, make it very business-like and serious and don't get giggly and "limp"--you're trying to show them that you are responsible and mature enough to go away without them--and present them with this wonderful program, why you want to go, how it will enhance your learning (if it might be applied to whatever future interest you might have), etc. Let them look at the color pictures and read brochures from the program. Then ask them what questions they have (so you can give them legitimate, sane answers). And if you can, make friends with an adult in the program that your parents can call to talk to about it. Ask your parents to look into it themselves to make sure it is the kind of program that will look out for your safety and welfare (often parents will have clearer insights and intuitions about what's not quite right). But first you have to do the preliminary research to make sure it is legit and that all the details have already been worked out by the program directors. Don't wait until the last minute though--give your parents enough time to do their own research and for them to get used to the idea. And if they say no, don't turn into a baby and pout or get angry; take it like an adult but ask them why and remember to ask if maybe next year you might be able to participate. Some foreign exchange programs are better than others--I had a niece who went to one in Paris to learn to speak French and she was almost raped by a gang of men because the program housed her with a family on the outskirts of Paris so she had a convoluted commune involving walking through some not nice parts of town; the family she housed with was too poor to provide meals (which they were supposed to) so all they ever offered her was water and boiled pasta (no sauce). If you get to go and after you arrive you find things not up to par, make a BIG stink, don't just go with the flow. Your intuition will tell you what feels right and what needs to be changed. Hope you get to go; foreign exchange can be such a great mind opener, such a good growing up experience and definitely something that will affect the rest of your life (in a good way).
2007-04-13 14:07:13 · answer #2 · answered by Inundated in SF 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's good you respect your parents......so you shouldn't have a problem being able to sit them down and discuss this with them. Let them know you want to participate in being a foreign exchange student and travel somewhere for a length of time to learn more about that way of life .......depending on how old you are...depending on your grades at school, and depending if your parents can foot the bill for you flying there etc.....and i'm sure they would want to know bout the family you would be visiting.....they will have alot of questions to make sure this is a SAFE thing to do.........Make sure you have all the facts* about the process of becoming a foreign exchange student.........you never know......your parents may agree to it.........Have Faith* and present all your facts and the reasons y ou are interested in doing this. Take it from there......see what they have to say*~ GoodLuck*
2007-04-13 13:37:55 · answer #3 · answered by friskymisty01 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get assistance from the exchange person in charge to learn all of the important educational opportunities a foreign exchange will provide you, specifically. Also, I imagine the charge person will be able to help you prepare your suggestion to your parents.
2007-04-13 13:40:20 · answer #4 · answered by blue check 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've always found this to work with my parents...whenever there is something that I want or want to do I make a powerpoint including the pros and cons of what it is that I wanna do. It never hurts to try that.
2007-04-13 13:35:44 · answer #5 · answered by country4u05 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ok if you want to do tell them that you really want to learn about where you are going and mabye somday you could get a job doing somthing really good, i have never done this but i have had a uncle that cam from germany and he was there for my birthday when i was two and i still consder him my uncle.
well ok you can tell them that you really want to do this.
you think that is a good idea.
good opertunty to do it.
and learn new things
i hope i helped.
2007-04-13 13:53:00 · answer #6 · answered by cherish r 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you know your parents right and that time to talk to them try and make them to understand that you want to learn more from other people and that you need to meet new people and have information about where you want to go
2007-04-13 13:38:27 · answer #7 · answered by overhills 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Call them once you arrive in France.
2007-04-13 13:34:18 · answer #8 · answered by Hypocrite Hunter 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋