Boxes upon boxes shipped. Hours upon hours spent on a plane. Days and days of preparation. Moving across the country, or even across a state, can be a very intense and lengthy process filled with stress, paperwork and constant back-and-forth scheduling. However, moving continents is an even more intense experience, especially for a high schooler.
“I moved across the world for my parent’s job,” senior Kai-yen Chang said. “It literally was a totally new world for me, so everything seemed fresh. I’m from Taiwan, and Taiwan is a pretty small country, so basically the whole country looks like a connected city-area. But in Houston and Cypress, everything is more separate.”
Chang, who began living in America in 2019, chose to continue her education in Texas even after her parents moved back to Taiwan. She intends to attend university in Japan following graduation and notes that receiving the unique opportunity of studying in another country has helped bring her closer to this aspiration.
“The friends I have here and the education sources I have here, compared to Taiwan, are better,” Chang said. “[I’ve gotten a] different education from most Taiwan students, and this got me more of a chance to explore myself and my interests instead of [sitting and studying] for the whole day. I get to do stuff I’m passionate about like color guard. Graduating in the U.S. also gives me an advantage over others in Asia, and it is also less [academically competitive] here [compared to Taiwan].”
Arguably less academic rigor, flexible scheduling and various extracurricular opportunities are all factors that may attract students to study abroad in countries like America. However, depending on the circumstances, it can be a very lengthy process to be able to study abroad in the first place. Stella Gronek, who is from Germany and was an exchange student at Bridgeland High School during the 2021-2022 school year, details her experience.
“[I chose to study abroad because] I wanted to experience something new and be away from home,” Gronek said. “I went with the organization Ayusa Intrax, and I had to take an English test and write an application with a video so that host families could look at it and choose if they wanted to host me.”
Living with a host family, language and culture differences and more are all adjustments that foreign exchange students overcome to be successful not only as a student, but as an individual in their new environment. It is irrefutable that studying abroad and truly experiencing what it is like to live and learn in another country can be a very life-changing and eye-opening experience.
“After living in America, I became more independent and confident,” Gronek said. “The whole experience was very inspiring, and I got a new perspective on how people live and think. It was absolutely amazing since I found great friends. The whole thing felt like a high school movie. It really was just one of the most magical things I have ever experienced, and I am beyond grateful that I got to experience all of it.”
