How do I go about being a foreign exchange student?

How can I convince my parents to let me go to Germany for a foreign exchange student program?

• I'm taking a German class and the other day we had a teacher from Germany come in and talk to us about exchange programs. I can go to Germany for 3 months next summer and live ...show more

• Answer:

  like the other suggested, get more information about the program. if you know stuff like where it will be, how they assign families, and especially what support you have (from coordinators, traveler's insurance, etc) it would likely help, so they aren't afraid of the unknown. look at the application so you know what it involves to fill it out. and do try and go. I went to Russia, my friend went to the Ukraine, and my other friend went to China and we all loved being abroad, it's amazing. try explaining what it would me, how you would take it responsibly, maybe even show it by getting a job or doing errands around the house (I did a lot of errands around my house to "earn" money from her for my trip". if they have a better idea of what will happen when you are abroad they will likely be less worried, and if you show you are responsible and trust-worthy they will believe you will make the right choices. show them how you are working hard (hopefully) in german and how much you really want to put it to use. show them how it will help you later in life. for example: you will be learning how to take care of yourself on your own, and this will prepare you to be less anxious and to accept the responsibilities of college if you go to college. If you break it down into pieces that might help. Ask them what their concerns are and try to find good answers to it. And try to not let them push it off for too long. My friend almost didn't get to go to the Ukraine because her parents kept pushing it off. I really hope you get this going, it's an amazing experience! (i'm also going to germany this summer and I'm so pysched ^^ seems like an amazing country). good luck!