Students who come to the US have
a lot of different expectations of how everything is going to be, but mostly
they think it will be like in the movies, because that is what they know about
the US. There are movies like American
Pie or Mean Girls that show the
head cheerleader dating the quarterback, students bullying each other, and also
students forming cliques who sit together at lunch. Everything is expected to
be really big and people eat hamburgers all the time.
Once they arrive in the US they
will soon realize that their stay will be nothing like those expectations.
Sure, there will be cliques of friends, and some of these might be on the
football team together, and some groups will simply not let you join them,
because they are simply not interested in different cultures or meeting new
people. In general a lot of American students are very open to different
cultures, but some are just too shy to talk to you or may wait for you to make
the first move. This is why it is important to be open-minded and to start
talking to fellow students on your own, maybe even starting with the person
sitting next to you before class starts.
Exchange students do not only have
expectations regarding school life, but also towards their new home. Some might
expect a rich family with a big, beautiful house, others maybe a family with a father,
mother and two children. A lot of different kinds of homestays are possible,
and each of them could be a very good experience and the perfect fit. One
should not expect their host family to be like their family back at home,
because they come from a different culture and background.
When students apply for a year abroad, they are all excited and can’t wait to get on the plane. A few weeks
before they leave their home, they get nervous, because no matter what they assume,
they actually do not know what to really expect. They are traveling to a
country without knowing anyone and they will spend a long time there, with
people who speak a different language. This can be scary!
Expectations are good, but they
should be realistic. Most often expecting less, and thereby being open to the
possibilities, is better and will make your stay even more exciting!
-- Sarah Wondratschek
