What should i do? what would YOU do?

Question

Hi.. I have a question and it might be a little complicated/long.. but please read it and try to help me.. you will be doing me a huge favor by helping me!! : )

Ok so I don’t live in the u.s… but ive been selected to go to the u.s. for one year and live with an American family and attend a u.s. highschool.. Im going in about two weeks.. and the program still didn’t tell me which area im going to and which family I will be staying with… Theres two weeks left and I still have no clue which state in America I will be living in for ten months… If you were in my place.. what would you do? Remember, ur leaving ur culture and ur home and family and school and friends … and going to a whole different environment.. and once you go there.. theres no coming back [until 10 months] Oh, and im going to tenth grade if that helps..

almost all my friends told me not to go.. but theyre just saying that cuz they want me to be here next year.. so i just wanted to ask u guys cuz u dont know me and arent close with me.. u get what i mean? :p lol...

its a us department of state funded program or something like that... but this guy who works in the american embassy where i live (dads friend) said thats its not a good idea to go.. and my cousins friend who works there said they arent very good at picking families.. but so far 5 people in my country (there are only 7 in the program) got families and they were all good.. and u CAN come back home if its an emergency.. or if u want to quit.. but its really hard to.. the proceedure is very long and complicated

sorry for posting so many details.. to the girl who said something about researching it online.. i have.. they do have a site.. oh, and it is supposed to be legitimate.. they put it in the newspapers.. and the people in the program got to meet the president of the u.s. last year.. and we had a coctail party in the u.s. ambassadors house last month.. so im guessing it is legitimate?

Answer 1

I would be very concerned. What organization is this with? American Field Service (AFS?) or something else. How reputable is the organization? Do they do background checks on all the families? Do they have a family picked out yet? What is the typical delay before you know where you're going? I would think that any reputable exchange student organization would give you time to get to know the family first via email, phone, letters, etc.

I would have your parents get on the phone with the organization and figure all this stuff out. If anything seems fishy to you or them, I would not go. Better to err on the safe side. What do your parents have to say about this?

P.S. The more I think about this, the more I'm leaning for you not to go. There's no way to come back if there's a problem? What if the family is abusive? What if someone at home is sick? I'm not sure this organization is on the up and up.

Answer 2

I would not go! I would miss everyone and everything at home. Though if I had no choice because of certain circumstances then I would go but make sure I had a way to communicate with my family somehow and I would first try to somehow find out if the family I would staying with is nice and all. But seriously I think I would be totally scared if I had to go away from the U.S. for ten months and live in a totally not familiar country.

Answer 3

What is the name of the program and who sponsors it? If you don't know these answers and can't research it easily on line then it is probably not a legitimate program.

I would not want to pass up an opportunity of a life time, but I would want to be safe. So far, you have not indicated anything that wold put my mind at ease.

Answer 4

You do not say where you are from or anything about yourself, so I cannot help you. Be more clear please.