Foreign exchange student?

Achilles 1-1 · 31 Aug 2024

So, I've been thinking about being a foreign exchange student in Japan in my Junior year of High School. Any suggestions on where it should be? And is it a good idea?

Grandpa Frank · 31 Aug 2024

Some things to think about. Can you get into a program in your area that arranges exchanges? Can you deal with almost all meals being Japanese day in and day out. Can your folks afford spending money for you and airfare to and from? Depending where you are at , you may be stared at like a man from Mars. Getting used to the language will be difficult for a while. You probably will have to look into a phone & program to use it there. Will you be living with a family or in a dorm might be good to know. Might be worth finding a month long program or 2 week trip to see if you really want to do a year. Also might check if your school system will accept your year in Japan as OK or would you have to do your junior year all over in the US. I'm sure someone will have more answers for you if you give it a few days.

Achilles 1-1 · 31 Aug 2024

Thanks!

mdchachi · 31 Aug 2024

derekiscool said:
So, I've been thinking about being a foreign exchange student in Japan in my Junior year of High School. Any suggestions on where it should be? And is it a good idea?

I don't think you'd regret it. Location doesn't really matter. You will likely have a unique/great experience just about anywhere.
Consider if it would disrupt your education here though. For example my son took 4 AP classes his junior year. He would have lost out on the credits if he had gone overseas and may have been behind his senior year. There are also summer language-oriented programs to consider if you don't want to take time out of the school year.

Mikawa Ossan · 31 Aug 2024

The best time to explore the world and take chances like this is while you're young. As @mdchachi points out, there will always be trade offs involved, so think it through. Speaking for myself, I would regret not spending a year in Japan much more than not taking one or more AP classes. I say this as someone who has both lived in Japan and taken AP classes.

mdchachi · 31 Aug 2024

Mikawa Ossan said:
The best time to explore the world and take chances like this is while you're young. As @mdchachi points out, there will always be trade offs involved, so think it through. Speaking for myself, I would regret not spending a year in Japan much more than not taking one or more AP classes. I say this as someone who has both lived in Japan and taken AP classes.

Well it's true, the parent might regret the lack of AP credits more than the student, if the parent is the one paying tuition.
It's not just that though. He was on snowboard cross and tennis teams and built a pretty strong core of friends in that time period.
The summer before senior year I sent him to Spain to study Spanish. (I had considered Japan but that would have been more of a vacation than a learning experience. He got a 5 on the Japanese AP test without ever having taken a class.) Ironically he got a poor score on the AP Spanish test his senior year so those three weeks didn't really help with that but he had a great experience nonetheless.

Mikawa Ossan · 31 Aug 2024

I do not have children of my own, but from a theoretical standpoint, I would think that ideally the goal is for your child to maximize his or her growth potential. From that light, I think you made a good decision based on the information at hand at the time.

My thoughts on AP classes as a bitter adult is that they definitely have value. But they don't give the student anything that they can't gain at a later point by taking the actual class in college except for perhaps a head start. I went back to school in my late 30's, and I already had a full bachelor's degree. An extra semester of school isn't the end of the world.

Karlington · 9 Sep 2024

derekiscool said:
So, I've been thinking about being a foreign exchange student in Japan in my Junior year of High School. Any suggestions on where it should be? And is it a good idea?

Try checking with your school counselor if they know of any organized programs or scholarships. You can also check local community organizations; I know that Rotary, for example, have some. A friend of mine went to Japan in HS on a Rotary scholarship.

mdchachi said:
I don't think you'd regret it. Location doesn't really matter. You will likely have a unique/great experience just about anywhere.
Consider if it would disrupt your education here though. For example my son took 4 AP classes his junior year. He would have lost out on the credits if he had gone overseas and may have been behind his senior year. There are also summer language-oriented programs to consider if you don't want to take time out of the school year.

Mikawa Ossan said:
The best time to explore the world and take chances like this is while you're young. As @mdchachi points out, there will always be trade offs involved, so think it through. Speaking for myself, I would regret not spending a year in Japan much more than not taking one or more AP classes. I say this as someone who has both lived in Japan and taken AP classes.

mdchachi said:
Well it's true, the parent might regret the lack of AP credits more than the student, if the parent is the one paying tuition.
It's not just that though. He was on snowboard cross and tennis teams and built a pretty strong core of friends in that time period.
The summer before senior year I sent him to Spain to study Spanish. (I had considered Japan but that would have been more of a vacation than a learning experience. He got a 5 on the Japanese AP test without ever having taken a class.) Ironically he got a poor score on the AP Spanish test his senior year so those three weeks didn't really help with that but he had a great experience nonetheless.

Mikawa Ossan said:
I do not have children of my own, but from a theoretical standpoint, I would think that ideally the goal is for your child to maximize his or her growth potential. From that light, I think you made a good decision based on the information at hand at the time.

My thoughts on AP classes as a bitter adult is that they definitely have value. But they don't give the student anything that they can't gain at a later point by taking the actual class in college except for perhaps a head start. I went back to school in my late 30's, and I already had a full bachelor's degree. An extra semester of school isn't the end of the world.

It's also worth noting that AP is generally viewed favorably in college admissions, so missing out on AP will make the student a less competitive college applicant.

Achilles 1-1 · 10 Sep 2024

Karlington said:
Try checking with your school counselor if they know of any organized programs or scholarships. You can also check local community organizations; I know that Rotary, for example, have some. A friend of mine went to Japan in HS on a Rotary scholarship.

It's also worth noting that AP is generally viewed favorably in college admissions, so missing out on AP will make the student a less competitive college applicant.

Cool thanks!

Karlington · 10 Sep 2024

derekiscool said:
Cool thanks!

No problem!

Buntaro · 10 Sep 2024

Here is a video of an American high school girl in Japan on a Rotary scholarship. (If the video does not open in a window in this thread, click on the link in that window which takes you directly to YouTube.)

Foreign exchange student?

Achilles 1-1

Destined Among Shadows: The Indama Chronicles.

Grandpa Frank

Sempai

Achilles 1-1

Destined Among Shadows: The Indama Chronicles.

mdchachi

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Mikawa Ossan

いかんわ！

mdchachi

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Mikawa Ossan

いかんわ！

Karlington

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Achilles 1-1

Destined Among Shadows: The Indama Chronicles.

Karlington

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Buntaro

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