Things I have Learned as an Exchange Student

• Washing your whites and darks together in the washing machine will not kill you.
• You only truly need 3 pairs of shoes.
• That strange foreign food that looks extremely questionable will not give you food poisoning.
• Frequent contact with your family will not cause you to lose touch with your life on exchange
• Being an exchange student doesn't make you feel any different, you're still you, just living in a different country.
• Unfortunately, you will not have best friends within 2 weeks. Not even 3 weeks.
• Accept the weight gain, it is inevitable.
• Riding the train and bus alone is no big deal.
• You can't always do things according to your schedule. Other people have plans too.
• Sometimes you must do things that you dislike in order to benefit you in the long run.
• Sometimes you have more in common with a group of adult immigrants who are from all over the world than you do with people your own age.
• The United States education system needs to step it up. Every student in Europe can speak at least 2 languages.
• Defining a culture is impossible. You can't fully understand until you live it.
• Take every opportunity. You never know what doors it might open up.
• If you think everything will be taken care of for you, you need to step into reality and accept responsibility for what needs to be done. Your Mommy will not always be there to make sure everything gets done.
• Exchange is what you make it. You can make it the best year of your life, or the worst.