By Madeleine Casteel, High School Abroad Ireland Fall Semester 2024
Being a high school exchange student in Ireland is an adventure filled with constant drizzle and warm conversations. It is a chance to step out of your comfort zone and create memories you’ll carry forever—but only if you play it right. Based on my experience, here are some dos and don’ts to make the most of it.
Do Say “Yes” When someone invites you to join a Gaelic football match, take a weekend trip, or try black pudding for breakfast, say yes! These experiences, the spontaneous ones, are the ones that will stick with you long after you leave. I was hesitant at first because I like planning things all the way out, but pushing myself to participate opened doors to friendships and so many moments I would have never had otherwise.
Don’t Overcommit That said, don’t feel pressured to do everything. Taking time for yourself isn’t “wasting” your experience—it’s keeping your battery charged. Some of my favorite days, and actually most of my days, were spent in my host home, drinking tea, journaling, and letting myself just be. Balance is key.
Do Step Outside Your Comfort Zone Ireland is the perfect place to try new things in a low-pressure environment. Whether it’s striking up a conversation with someone in the shop uptown or volunteering to read aloud in class, lean into the unfamiliar. My shaky attempt at a speech in my American accent wasn’t perfect, but my debate team loved the effort, and I loved the support. Take advantage of the fact that your time is limited and you won’t see a lot of these people again! Use your free-will as much as you can.
Don’t Hold Grudges Living in close quarters with new people can sometimes create tension. Let go of small annoyances and don’t waste your time holding onto petty drama. I learned that forgiving quickly keeps things positive and helps you make the most of your relationships.
Do Dress for the Weather Irish weather is a character all on its own. You’ll need a solid raincoat and waterproof shoes. Forget umbrellas—they won’t survive the wind. People might tell you that the locals don’t wear raincoats but it’s completely untrue. If it’s raining, everyone has clothes for the weather. Being prepared meant I could enjoy Ireland rain or shine (but mostly rain).
Don’t Forget to Document the Journey The days can blur together, so find a way to remember them. Journaling is a MUST and it’s a great habit to have when you get back home. A random, mundane memory about walking home in the rain or a joke about your host sibling will feel like finding gold when you look back later.
Do Connect with Other Exchange Students Of course, getting to know locals is important, but don’t forget about the other exchange students around you. They’re going through the same ups and downs, and there’s something comforting about being able to laugh (or vent) with someone who really gets it. Those friendships can become some of the strongest bonds you’ll make.
The Bottom Line Being an exchange student in Ireland is about more than the postcard-perfect views. It’s about all of the in-betweens and everyday choices you make. You decide what your study abroad will be. It’s not always easy, but trust me, it’s worth it!
Every year, Greenheart makes scholarships available to First Time Travelers. These scholarships are intended for those who have never traveled out of the country and want to immerse themselves in another culture. Here are just some of the winners of the 2024 First Time Traveler Scholarships and their thoughts on travel!
Name: Clara
Program: High School Abroad in Sweden
Why is the opportunity to travel for the first time exciting for you?
It opens a whole new world of experiences and opportunities, immersing myself in different cultures, trying new foods, exploring breathtaking landscapes, and meeting people from all walks of life. I’m getting a chance to break free from familiar everyday life and embrace the unknown. I’m excited to be in the shoes of a Swedish teenager and experience everything that comes with it. I’m hoping to be able to explore and soak up everything around me.
Name: Alana
Program: Teen Language Camp in Japan
What does Greenheart Travel’s Mission, “Travel for a Change,” mean to you?
“Travel for a Change” to me, means the opportunity of becoming more aware of other places and cultures in the world. It signifies the internal change that one will go through while experiencing all these ways of living life that are unlike our own. With the opportunity of traveling and visiting new places, you will learn new cultures, food, fashion, languages, and more. While you travel and come across all these experiences, you will gain a broader understanding of the world. The places you visited will leave an imprint on who you are and who you will become as a person therefore, changing you from who you used to be into someone with more comprehension of cultures and lifestyles.
Name: Naomi
Program: High School Abroad in Argentina
What does Greenheart Travel’s mission, “Travel for a Change,” mean to you?
To me, “Travel for a Change” means that travel breaks down barriers and prejudices between the traveler and those being visited. Furthermore, travel also builds bridges in the places of those barriers and prejudices. These changes that occur while traveling ultimately allow our world to be a more loving, accepting, and connected environment. As people begin to be more accepting of other cultures through travel, the world becomes a better place.
Name: Sadie
Program: High School Abroad in Italy
What does Greenheart Travel’s Mission, “Travel for a Change,” mean to you?
To me, traveling for a change also means you evolve who you are as a person and your perspective on what may be considered ‘normal’ because it provides the opportunity to see how others live! That’s why I want to actually live with a family in Italy. To live and invest in relationships with others around the world is a truly rewarding experience. Travel also forces you to grow as a person by stepping outside of your comfort zone, learning to handle responsibility, navigating different forms of transportation, learning about different currencies, language and relating to others with different backgrounds and traditions. I think travel has the capacity to help teens like me grow and gain so many more tools than what may be possible without the experience of travel.
Name: Madeleine
Program: High School Abroad in Ireland
Why is the opportunity to travel for the first time exciting for you?
Ever since I was young, my main goal has been to see the world. I’ve always recognized that there is much more to explore beyond my backyard. From the gorgeous hills of Ireland to the seaside cities in Greece so many call home, there are countless people to meet and endless astounding views. To not only get to travel outside of America for an extended period of time but to also be fully immersed in the day-to-day experience of the citizens there, is a first-time, life-changing experience. I am excited to connect to new people and to be able to return to the United States with a new outlook on my life!
Name: Kennedi-Grace
Program: Teen Language Camp South Korea
What does Greenheart Travel’s Mission, “Travel for a Change,” mean to you?
“Travel for a Change” implies traveling with the intention of being a forever learner. To learn how to make a change in your community by learning the values of the different cultures around the world. To make a difference in the communities we are a part of, we need to be able to see ourselves from a different perspective. To learn what it means to be a community and learning to come together despite our differences.
Name: Zev
Program: Teen Language Camp Spain
What does Greenheart Travel’s Mission, “Travel for a Change,” mean to you?
For me, travel symbolizes more than just visiting new destinations; it’s a transformative odyssey that promises to shape my worldview, enrich my understanding of diverse cultures, and foster a profound sense of empathy and connection with the world. Stepping beyond the borders of familiarity, I anticipate encountering unfamiliar landscapes, immersing myself in vibrant cultures, and forging meaningful connections with people from all walks of life.
Name: Jade
Program: Teen Language Camp France – Saint-Malo
Why is the opportunity to travel for the first time on your own exciting for you?
I have never gotten on a plane by myself to a foreign country. I’ve never needed to navigate my way to a destination, nor been forced to figure out how to find my way – no less all by myself. The idea of living in a foreign city, with a new family, and leaving my home family and friends behind is something I’ve never done before. While it is all a bit intimidating, it is at the same time exciting, interesting, and adventurous!
Name: Anna
Program: Teach Abroad Thailand
What does Greenheart Travel’s Mission, “Travel for a Change,” mean to you?
“There is a famous quote that says, “The sky is the limit, but there are footprints on the moon.” Like the Greenheart mission, this saying means that we create our own limits. We are not constrained to one location, aspiration, or situation unless we force ourselves to do so. Traveling can be intimidating, but it can also be the most rewarding accomplishment of a lifetime if we allow ourselves to have it. We are the creators of our own destinies, so only we have the power to step outside of the boxes in which we confine ourselves.”
You are googling high school abroad. You are scrolling through Instagram to see all the inspiring travel photos. You are preparing a powerpoint to easily present this crazy idea to your parents – they may even have said “Yes!!”. You’ve watched all the Youtubers you can and you are ready to go!! What is stopping you? In case you need even more inspiration to take that leap – here is a helpful list of the ways you will be forever changed if you do decide to go on a high school abroad program.
Be part of a select group.
Did you know only about 1,200 students go on a high school abroad program every year? That is for the entire United States! You will be one of the select few students who actually becomes an exchange student in high school.
Develop practical language skills.
There is NO better way to gain fluency in another language. I get asked all the time if it would be better to study abroad in college and don’t get me wrong that is wonderful BUT the problem is you don’t usually get the same level of language and cultural immersion. How you can settle in and learn about the daily life of your host country and how can you have any hope of gaining fluency in the language if you are with international students and speaking English all day.
Have roots on the other side of the world
The host family you stay with will be your family for your whole life! How beautiful is that? You essentially become their son/daughter, you do life with them and that is a bond that lasts. Ask anyone who was an exchange student in high school and they will tell you that even into adulthood, they stay in touch with and visit their Host family. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for a sincere connection with a family abroad. Not to mention your local friends.
Experience being independent
If you study abroad in High school, there is nothing that will intimidate you. If you can leave your comfort zone and spend three months, a semester, or (eek!) a year of high school abroad. You will become SO much more confident, independent, and mature. It’s amazing and you are learning a million things that you could never learn if you stay home.
Prepare for the future
You’ll get much more out of your college years if you study abroad in high school. So many students go to college and have no idea what they want to do. I sure didn’t! Living in another country and seeing another part of the world really helps you understand yourself better and move into your college years with more confidence and clarity.
I hope this list was helpful. If you are still unsure, I’d be happy to talk discuss the options with you or your parents or you can reach out to past and current participants in our Facebook group. Here is my calendar, find a time that works for you and we’ll talk soon!
So you just finished your Teen Summer Language Camp. You’ve embraced life with a host family, sampled your new favorite foods, accelerated your language skills and met other teens from all over the world. But the summer is coming to a close, and you wish you could do it all over again, or at least stay abroad a little longer.
Now, let’s not get confused. Teen Summer Language Camp is NOT just a short version of High School Abroad. The two programs are totally different but go hand in hand.
Here are some of the similarities and differences broken down:
High School Abroad
Teen Summer Language Camp
School
Local high school
Language school
Accommodation
Host family
Host family or residence hall
Length
Summer (1-2 months), trimester, semester, or academic year
2-6 weeks
When
Summer, Fall, Spring
Summer
Both Teen Summer Language Camp and High School abroad offer full language and cultural immersion, but the lengths and experiences are vastly different.
After successfully completing a Teen Summer Language Camp, you’re ready for the new experiences, joys and challenges that come with studying abroad in a local high school for a longer period.
Greenheart Traveler Alexander Obenchain always knew he wanted to study abroad in high school in Japan. In Summer 2018, a Teen Summer Language Camp in Tokyo was the first step to help him prepare for his academic year high school study abroad in 2019. Easing into the language and culture of Japan in Summer 2018 allowed Alexander to hit the ground running when he landed in Japan for his high school program.
“Coming for a smaller amount of time helped me prepare for the difference in atmosphere between here and the states,” he explains. “It was certainly a good thing to have studied the language a little bit more in-depth beforehand. I can also compare my skills from now to then.”
And navigating the Japanese train system? He figured that out a long time ago!
But you don’t have to return to the same country you went to for your Language Camp. Maybe you went to Salamanca, Spain in the summer, and now that you know you can handle being far from home, want to explore Sweden!
So is studying abroad in a local high school right for you? With improved language skills, you’ll be ready to learn subjects like math, science, and drama in another language. After living with a host family for a few weeks, you can anticipate how much you can learn about a country and its culture through observing (and living) day-to-day life abroad. You’ve proven to your parents that you’re independent, capable and problem-solving.
When you’re a parent sending your child abroad, you know there’s a lot they must prepare for: culture shock, homesickness, and language barriers. But your children aren’t the only ones experiencing a life change.
“This was definitely a learning experience for the parents as well!” says Lisa Hall, mother of high school in Sweden alum Matilda. “It was very hard to not be there to help when things were tough.”
So what can you do? Miles away from your children, how can you still support them? We asked parents of Greenheart Travel alumni share their insight on how you can best support your child while they’re abroad. Here are their tips.
Before they go abroad, talk about life when they return
“Prior to him leaving for the 6 months, we did discuss what he wanted to do at his school in the US during his junior year. He decided he would try to run for student council office while he was overseas. And unbeknownst to his dad and I – he did run, campaigned via Instagram and won the vice president spot for the upcoming junior class here in the US. The lesson to learn…. make goals with your child and then let your child be the captain of that ship while he is away.” -Bonnie Green, mother of high school in New Zealand alum Graham.
Agree on a weekly time to talk – and stick with it
Schedule a time and way to communicate in advance, that way you are both on the same page. For example, decide that they need to check-in on Sundays around 7:00 pm their time via WhatsApp. This way, you don’t need to send them texts throughout the day because you’ll already have a set time to catch up.
Mary Scott, mother of language camp in Spain alum Emmy, explains why it’s so important to give space. “While she was abroad, we made sure we weren’t constantly bombarding her with texts and skype calls which at first was difficult. However, we knew she would have a more enriching experience if she wasn’t having to think about us back in Michigan the whole time. We wanted her to be able to completely devote herself to speaking Spanish and learning about her new environment.”
For Hall, being far from her daughter was “hard in a different way when she was having so much fun, there was hardly any contact! But that was the best kind of growth for us all.”
Olivia McCollum at her high school while studying abroad in Japan
Recognize that YOUR life is going to change
Your life at home is undoubtedly going to change. For Bonnie Green, she and her husband experienced being empty nesters for the first time.
Her advice? Take this opportunity and focus on you.
“Make a list of things YOU want to do while your child is away. My husband and I took dance lessons, had adult only (no children) dinner parties, accomplished house updates, traveled to visit our children who were away at college, visited aging parents, put in extra time at work and started hiking more.”
And that leads us to our next point…
Don’t say how much you miss them or how much you want them home
Your child will most likely be homesick at some point, and it can be really hard to go through that while hearing pleads to come home. Being asked to come back and hearing about what they are missing at home can make a hard day so much worse.
Instead, tell them that you are so excited to hear about their adventures when they are back.
Jacob Dane Chilton with host family in Spain
Encourage them to reach out to local staff and take initiative
Part of why going abroad builds confidence and leadership skills is because travelers are expected to speak up and handle themselves. Instead of telling your teen what to do, or doing things on their behalf, allow them the opportunity to be independent. This is especially important when handling the pre-departure logistics so that they don’t feel totally lost when stepping foot in the airport. “When a problem comes up, discuss the different ways it can be solved instead of jumping in and telling them what to do.” says Scott.
The best thing you can do for your teen is to let them practice communicating with adults and learning how to manage themselves. It can be hard to trust your child to do everything right but giving them that space to grow will make them better prepared for their program (and life).
“I think it is vital that while your child is aboard that he/she become a part of their new community,” says Green. “While he did stay in touch with friends in the states, he made friends in NZ. The small town even had a send-off for him and took him to the airport.”
Read about their country and take interest when they share new knowledge
A great way to get involved intheir experience is by learning more about the culture in the country in which they’re going.As you learn about your child’s new home, take note of what your child is excited about. “I was sure to listen to all the positive details, no matter how small!” says Hall.
You could practice making a tortilla españolaor start listening to the music of traditional Austrian brass band and surprise them with your newfound knowledge.
Greenheart staff member Allison Yates’s mom started learning Spanish when she studied abroad in Argentina. “She knew that Spanish was a huge part of my life, so it meant so much that she wanted to learn it too! It helped her feel like she understood my experience more,” says Yates.
Students attending high school abroad in the Netherlands
Educate yourself on what they might be feeling – and how you can help from afar
A great way to get a sense of the mental and emotional experience of studying abroad is by completing the Greenheart Travel Atlas along with your child. This is tool for before, during, and after the cultural exchange experience that includes personal and professional development, cultural understanding and environmental awareness.
For example, if your normally independent child calls you multiple times a day when they first arrive in the country, you’ll remember it’s likely initial culture shock. You can remind them to follow the Greenheart Travel Atlas tools to overcome this stage and focus on meeting new people and spending time with their host family.
Halls says she supported Matilda by “making sure she knew I was there to talk about things, whether they were positive or negative. I tried to give her as much time as I could, but not to have it be open-ended or all the time.”
While your first instinct might be to check in more frequently, increased contact with friends and family back home only exacerbates culture shock.
Rest easy – they’re in good hands
“We had to give up our control and trust in the goodness and professionalism of others. We did our research, chose a great partner in Greenheart, and raised a strong daughter,” says Laura Foster, mother of high school abroad Costa Rica alum, Eleanor.
As parents and former exchange students, Greenheart and our in-country partners know what it’s like to be far from your family, and we work to equip students with the tools they need to succeed.
If you’ve ever gone abroad before you have most likely had to fill out some sort of international documents and paperwork. It’s a drag. Who wants to fill out what seems like form after form when you could be creating a travel itinerary of all of the places you are dreaming of going! However, this paperwork plays an important part in keeping you safe and accounted for while traveling abroad. More often than not, your duration and reason for travel determine how much paperwork and planning you have to do.
This blog will serve as a guide to my experience with obtaining a Student Visa at the Spanish Consulate in Chicago. Currently, I am nearing the end of the process of applying for a Spanish Student Visa. I will be studying at the Universidad de Sevilla in Seville, Spain next year for nine months and couldn’t be more thrilled!
To be honest, I’ve never really minded filling out paperwork, especially when it came to cultural exchange; I knew it meant that I was one step closer to getting off that plane and interacting with locals. However, I’m going to be frank and say that this application was no walk in the park. Because I will be studying in Spain for over 90 days, I needed to apply for a student visa, and because I would be staying over 6 months, there were additional documents I needed to obtain.
Before I could even start on all of this paperwork, I needed to figure out where my closest Spanish Consulate was and make an appointment no sooner than three months before the start of my university classes. Since I live in Michigan, the closest consulate was in Chicago, a place where I luckily know quite a few people (Greenheart Travel 💚). With my appointment date set, I got to work on the long list of things I needed to acquire.
National Visa Application
I got this from off of the consulate’s website and filled it out with some help from my program coordinator. This form needs to be completed in capital letters and with DD/MM/YYYY format. Once it was filled out, I glued one of my passport photos to it and made a copy.
Money Order
For the Chicago Spanish Consulate, the current fee for a student visa was $160. They do not accept cash or check so I went to my post office to get a money order. I paperclipped this to my application form.
Prepaid/ Pre-addressed USPS Priority Express Envelope and Disclaimer Form
This envelope is a bit pricey ($30 ish) but guarantees that your documents will be delivered quickly and safely. I put the consulate’s address on the “From” and my home address on “To.” The disclaimer form is found on the instructions form from the consulate and states that you are allowing the consulate to mail your passport with the visa back to you.
Original Passport and ID
A passport was something I luckily had already so there was no extra paperwork there. Keep in mind that generally, a valid passport is one that will not expire for at least six months after the date you leave the foreign country. I photocopied my passport as well as my university student ID, and my driver’s license. Be sure to bring your actual passport and cards to the appointment as well.
Two Passport Photos
I got these taken at the study abroad office on my university’s campus for $3, but you can get these taken at a lot of places like the post office or Walgreens.
Original Hardcopy Acceptance Letter, Evidence of Funds, and Proof of Health Insurance
Since I am going through a study abroad provider, this was all taken care of and sent to me.
All three of these needed to be in Spanish or have a translation. The acceptance letter was to prove I was enrolled as a full-time student, the evidence of funds was to assure that I would be able to pay for my program, and the proof of health insurance was to cover any medical fees I might obtain during my stay. I made a copy of each of these forms.
Medical Certificate (For stays over 180 days)
On the consulate’s website, this is one of two additional forms to print out for stays over 180 days. I just made a normal appointment for a physical and brought in the paper. This form states that you are in good physical and mental health and do not have pre-existing conditions. There was a little confusion at my appointment as the form had a Spanish translation of what it said in English that needed to be stamped and signed as well. Because there wasn’t a translator in my doctor’s office that day they wouldn’t stamp it (surprising for a town that has a significant Hispanic population), so I had to come back the next week when the translator was in. I made a copy of this form.
FBI Background Check with an Apostille (For stays over 180 days)
This document was definitely the most frustrating and tiring of them all. It began by going through a service called Accurate Biometrics (there are a few to choose from) to get my fingerprints scanned and sent to the FBI to run the background check. This was relatively easy as I made an appointment online then went into a FedEx office for the scan. It cost about $40 and took just about ten minutes. My results were sent to me the next day through my email.
This is when it became difficult. I needed to get an Apostille of the Hague Convention (this is a kind of “stamp” that makes the document internationally recognized) issued by the US Department of State in Washington DC. I hadn’t received any direction on what this was or how to get it so I emailed my program coordinator and went on the government website. Since I had a little over a month until my appointment at the consulate, I decided not to go through an expensive apostille service and just send it to the Office of Authentications myself. In my envelope, I needed to include my FBI background check, an apostille request form (called a DS-4194), a check for $8 (that was the fee for my document), and a pre-paid addressed USPS envelope for them to send me my document back.
I had read that this would take about 10 or 12 days. When it got to be around that point, I called the office to check my document status. After waiting about 20 minutes on hold, they told me that I was not in the system and that it must be in their mail room still being sorted. I knew I should’ve gotten tracking for this envelope… I called back multiple times over the next couple days and got the same response every time. I started to panic a little as my visa appointment quickly approached. With an urge from my study abroad coordinator, I swallowed my pride and contacted an apostille service. Because I didn’t have much time left before my appointment I was forced to get the “rush” service which was about $300 altogether.
With $300 drained from my bank account, but a bit more peace of mind, I waited for my last document to arrive. It came by mail with 3 days before my appointment. Because this also had to be translated into Spanish, I went through the company One Hour Translation. With my FBI background check and the Apostille, it was around $45 and was sent back to me within 50 minutes. After I received these last forms, I compiled everything into an envelope and waited for my appointment.
But you’ll never guess what showed up in the mail the day before my appointment…
My ORIGINAL FBI background check with Apostille. Yes, the one I DIDN’T have to pay $300 for… My only advice is – buy tracking for your envelopes.
The Appointment
On the day of my appointment, I woke up pretty early to catch a train from Michigan City, IN to Chicago. I got to the consulate a bit early; because there wasn’t a sign in sheet, I sat down and waited to be called. Once called up to the window, I handed over all of my documents and passport. The official checked them all and handed back the originals (to be used while in Spain) and kept the copies. All that was left to do was give him my envelope and disclaimer form. This appointment took no more than 5 minutes. He even thanked me for being so organized and following the instructions!
To be honest, this process was probably one of the hardest and most mentally taxing things I’ve ever had to do. However, I know I truly am one step closer to experiencing new changes; changes that will introduce new people, insights, and ideas to my life.
This post is an example of a student’s perspective of applying for a student visa. This is not a step-by-step guide for applying for student visas. Each country (and each consulate) has different requirements. While Greenheart cannot apply for your visa for you, we provide detailed application instructions and support during the application process.
When deciding whether or not to study abroad as a high school student your mind is likely full of questions like “Will I make friends!?” or “What if I’m lonely?” While we are here to can support you as much as possible through things like the Greenheart Travel Atlas, nothing can beat hearing first-hand from two Greenheart high school study abroad students about their experience.
But the truth is, high school study abroad isn’t only about emotional and personal growth. It also positively impacts your college applications, including how you explain why you’re choosing your major, applying for specialized scholarships, and proving you’re the right candidate for the school.
Snorkeling in Ningaloo Marine Park, Australia.
I know what you’re thinking: but what about the gaps on my transcript, or if I don’t get credit for the classes I take abroad?! (pro-tip: read this blog post if you’re worried about transferring credits!) Well I’ve got news for you! It’s okay. And those gaps are easily explained in essays and open-ended questions on the application.
Here are the top 4 ways studying abroad in high school positively impacts your college application.
1. You’ll Make Your College Application Stand Out
When I spoke to Kyle, an admissions officer at the University of Chicago, he said, “Anything that makes your application stand out is a good thing.”
Student surfing the Australian coast.
Study abroad in high school takes guts – and that’s a good thing. We’re not afraid to tell you it’s going to be hard sometimes, especially when it comes to facing language barriers, making new friends, and navigating a whole new culture and host family. But what do struggles mean? Growth.
When life gets hard and we learn to solve problems and overcome challenges, we reap the benefits across the board, but we also have a great story to tell – a story that is sure to help you write a heartfelt, powerful admissions essay.
Student on a bridge in Malmo, Sweden.
Plus, your high school study abroad shows you have the maturity, independence and adaptability to hit the ground running when you get to college, and there’s nothing that pleases an admissions officer more than feeling confident you’ll make their school shine.
“A lot of schools are looking for a diverse perspective, and international experiences lend themselves to that,” Kyle said.
2. Scholarship Applications and Interviews Will be A Breeze
After studying abroad, you’ll have some specialized and specific knowledge – and probably language skills – that will allow you to find specific scholarships for what you’re looking to study.
Two students in Salzburg, Austria.
For example, Sierra Winters, a current full-ride Robertson Scholar at Duke University, found her passion for food systems and refugees while studying abroad with Greenheart Travel in Austria, and came back to the U.S. to fundraise for the Syrian Refugee Crisis efforts. “It was a challenging experience, and it was one that I was passionate about, and it lent me the genuineness for which colleges and scholarship programs are looking,” she says.
Plus, after you’ve spent a semester studying abroad in a high school where you don’t know the language and have had to make presentations in front of tons of students…. Speaking about your experience to an interviewer will be a breeze!
Student with homestay parents in Spain.
3. You’ll Know What You Want to Study
Studying abroad in high school opens you to a world of possibilities that you’ve probably never thought of. Seeing what’s out there will help you hone in your skills and passions before you start college. The average college student changes their major several times before graduation and, while we love exploration, it’s better for your pocket and time to already have a clear sense of what you want to study.
Students in the mountains in Argentina.
Greenheart Travel High School Abroad in Argentina alum Erin Clark went to Argentina in 2013 thinking she wanted to study business. Once she got to Argentina, she realized she was far more interested in the travel industry. She decided she wanted to study hospitality and tourism, and “that changed what universities I was looking at, and that’s how I found Niagara University,” she explains.
Imagine how different her life would be now if she hadn’t studied abroad!
4. You’ll Have the Confidence to Say Yes to New Opportunities
You might have already heard the phrase “travel bug.” It means that once you get a taste, you want to eat the whole cake! All of us at Greenheart Travel have the travel bug, and we see that as a good thing.
Latern festival on a street in Japan.
Once you see the life-changing experience of studying abroad in high school, you’ll be inspired to seek out more new and different experiences, like volunteer trips, internships, discovering new places and meeting new people.
Climbing the waterfalls in New Zealand.
“[Study Abroad] put my foot in the door for any job I want – I’m always the first to apply for jobs and I’m very driven, and I go out and get things done,” says Clark.
That’s an attitude that will positively affect every aspect of your life!
For a lot of people, a big part of cultural immersion programs means practicing a new language. Language barriers can be great learning experiences, but they can also be very intimidating.
I’m an English-speaking American, and for many reasons, learning another language was not a priority when choosing my study abroad destination in college. I ended up going to England and visiting places such as Bath, London, Oxford, Cornwall, Glastonbury, Salisbury, and more! Before arriving, I had anticipated a lot of similarities between England and the United States. After all, they are both English-speaking countries, how much of a “cultural immersion” was I going to get?
I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I really didn’t know what to expect. That’s why I’m going to share with you a list of eight things I learned while abroad – none of which were a new language.
Prior Park Landscape Garden in Bath
1. Pace
People move a little slower. That’s not to say there is no hustle-bustle (hello, London) but there is this overall mentality to take time to enjoy life.
2. History
My public school education basically taught me what Hamiton accomplished in two hours. I’m totally kidding, but my history knowledge was limited to that of the United States. England has been around way longer, which means they have even more history that I barely knew.
Here I am posing outside of the Bath Abbey
3. Food
Not only did I not know what a pasty was, I pronounced it wrong for weeks. I was also suspicious of something called ‘black pudding’ which turned out to be one of my favorites. I realized that everything I knew about food was constructed from American culture. Turns out, beans are great for breakfast!
The UK also has different nutrition regulations, so some of the brands you know and love taste a little different.
4. Slang
Having watched every episode of Skins in high school I thought I was prepared with all the lingo, but I barely scratched the surface. Did ‘cheers’ mean thank you? Goodbye? Congratulations? I had to ask the meaning of a handful of words that I thought I already knew.
5. Media
You might be thinking, “Hey, why is every channel BBC?” or “Is that nudity on a kids’ show?” Although a large amount of content is made in Hollywood, England has its own programming and rules to go along with it.
This bust of The BBC’s John Reith doesn’t match my enthusiasm
6. Humor
I didn’t quite get what people meant by ‘British Humor’ until I arrived. I still don’t know how to describe it except to say it’s subtle and ironic. Take note of the differences in the British version of The Office and the remake of the series.
7. Travel
An hour flight in Southern California will get you to Northern California. An hour flight in Bath will get you to Ireland, and lots of other places.
Just popping over to Dubin, BRB
8. Fashion
My Midwestern upbringing taught me that jeans and sweaters are a LOOK. On the other hand, England is a few steps ahead. Sure, a lot of people follow my Jean and Sweater™ vibe, but I saw more than the usual amount of fashion risk-takers while in the UK. The style was bold and very put-together.
Some of the things on this list are obvious, but the point is that I didn’t think these things would impact my overall experience as significantly as it did. There is plenty to learn about a different country’s culture; the language is only a part of it.
Cheers!
Interested in going abroad to an English-speaking destination, like the UK? Click the link below to find out more information!
Returning home from studying abroad in Ireland involved a lot of emotions. On one hand, I was thrilled to be going back to see my family and my friends, to be back in my house, and all that sort of stuff. On the other, I was leaving some amazing people and a place I had grown to love.
The night before I left my friends in Ireland I had a bonfire. Saying goodbye to them was rough. Unlike saying goodbye to my friends in Indiana, I don’t know when I will see them again. I usually take a long time to make really good friends, but somehow I was able to make great friends in a very short time-span.
The next morning I said farewell to my host parents, which was very sad. But, they gave me a key and made me promise to return! So, that helped. I also have a strong dislike of airplanes and airports, so that also meant I was nervous for a good part of the day. And then, of course, I finally saw my family in person for the first time in nine months! All in all, an emotional day.
Kayla with her Irish host parents.
Forever Changed
Now that I’m back, everything feels slightly different. You miss a lot in nine months. For starters, all of my siblings are a lot taller now! And they have all grown and changed in other, more subtle ways as well.
Studying abroad has undoubtedly changed me. The experience has taught me to be more relaxed, to look at the big picture instead of the tiny problems, to celebrate small victories.
I feel more confident, more secure in myself, and I have more self-esteem. I don’t know what I want to do in life, but studying abroad showed me that I want to see the world, meet new people, and experience other cultures. I know I want to study abroad again in college, and this experience has given me the courage to maybe go to a country where English isn’t widely spoken.
Long story short, after an experience like this one, I’m pretty sure my life will never be the same again.
Kayla with her family at the airport.
What’s Next?
So what now? Well, I have one more year of high school left, and I’m excited to see what I make of it. I graduate next spring, and go to college next fall. Reverse culture shock has not really affected me yet, beside things like forgetting how to work the shower here and where we keep the plates. But, I imagine that once I start school again it’ll hit me.
As I mentioned earlier, I now know that I really want a career that allows me to live around the world. This has helped me narrow down my college search and explore new possible majors. Likewise, I will also make sure the colleges I apply to offer affordable study abroad programs.
Kayla on a hike while studying in Ireland.
A Newfound Confidence
Right before I left for Ireland, I had an online orientation with a few other American students and a program manager from Greenheart Travel. One of things we did was read aloud different pieces of advice from former study abroad students.
My favorite was something along the lines of, “Say ‘yes’… Say ‘yes’ to everything”.
This is the phrase I constantly reminded myself of while studying abroad, and it allowed me to find the courage to do new things and explore new opportunities. Doing those things has allowed me to build my confidence.
Now, thanks to this newfound confidence, I find myself able to say ‘yes’ to anything! Applying to jobs I wouldn’t have considered previously, finding opportunities to shadow careers I never thought about, trying new things I would have bypassed earlier, and so on and so forth.
Kayla Trowbridge is 16 years old and lives in Zionsville, Indiana. Her goal during her study abroad program is to “create relationships that will continue throughout my life and develop a new understanding of the Irish culture.” Follow Kayla’s adventure in Ireland on her blog post updates throughout her program.
