![Benjamin Williams and Reese Sherman, social studies teachers, explain department information a guest. "This [open house] was, for me, a great opportunity to meet family in the district that will soon be attending the high school," Williams said.](https://www.utimesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/DSC_9117-1200x800.jpg)
To be an exchange student, one has to be brave and has to be curious about the world. Also, one has to be open-minded enough to understand that the world is bigger than your neighborhood and there are a lot of differences between the cultures.
On Aug. 15, I started my journey from Goiânia, Brazil, to University City. After I got off the plane, my host family took me home and I could see some of University City for the first time. Beautiful city, full of trees, awesome architecture… and then I saw the high school which I would be attending in three days.
When classes began, they were completely different classes from the Brazilian ones: Newspaper, General Foods, Law and You; and all these floors, the teachers, this school is so big! It’s a lot of information in a little short time. Fear was all that I could feel. I wanted to return home, back to my routine. What I was doing here?
Calm down.
Obviously, the students didn’t look like the students at my school. Beautiful African-American people. Nice clothes, cool hair, beautiful skin. And they were so loud, it filled the whole place with energy. “You just have to let yourself in,’’ I said to myself.
At first, I felt a cultural shock. I missed home, my parents, friends and boyfriend. But in a few days, I got used to it. Except for the food. This one I’ll never get used to. In the end, it will be all worth it, and the food, lockers, cafeteria, classes, teachers and friends will all be part of your experience.
Being an exchange student isn’t about just traveling to another country, living a few months, improving your language, making some friends and going back to your country. You’re going for a little bit longer. You will know your limits, know what you are capable of, know people that are different than you, know how to respect each of your friends and host family. You’re living in somebody else’s house. You have to respect them. And, when you come home, you’re going to be a different person in some aspects, and you’ll remember this experience for the rest of your life.
Ms. Adkins • Sep 22, 2014 at 7:33 AM
It is so good to have you with us at University City High School. Thank you for sharing. Your article was well written and interesting. May this school year bring many happy memories.