Pourquoi?

So, you might be wondering, “Why do you want to go to a foreign country where you will fail at school, embarrass yourself daily, and get incredible headaches from speaking in a different language all day?” (Besides the fact that it is an amazingly fun and exciting opportunity.)

My program suggests that I make a list of the top 10 reasons of why I want to be a foreign exchange student to exactly answer those questions.

1. Enhance my language skills

            We discussed this one before, but I really cannot wait to see my French improve. It is so useful and fun to be able to speak another language and it will open me up to an entirely new world. I think that French is such a beautiful and old language with so much history. French is useful all across the world as well, in not only France, but in Canada, Haiti, Senegal, and many more amazing and interesting places I hope to visit one day.

 2. Learn about yourself and gain independence

            I will gain so much more freedom while traveling abroad and will be given the chance to live without my parents for several months.

3. Travel/studying abroad is a life-altering experience

After I return I will be a changed person. I will have new wishes and desires for what I want to do in the future and I will have a different perspective on life.

4. I will see the world with a new perspective

I will have had more world experience and will be able to see the world through a more realistic lens.

5. Make lifelong friends

I cannot wait to make friends that will last a lifetime! I will not only have people to communicate with in French to keep my language up, but I will be able to come close to many different people that without this experience I would never have been able to meet.

6. Mature as a person

I will become a much more mature person and I will be more equipped to overcome barriers in everyday life when I return home.

7. Experience a new culture

French culture amazes me and I cannot wait to learn more about it and place myself in the middle of it.

8. Get out and see the world

I know this is kind of obvious- but it truly is important. I will be given the chance to see lots of historical monuments and hopefully give myself a taste of travel that will leave me wanting more.

9. Create connections in other countries

Along with making friends I will be able to make connections with people that will be incredibly useful if I ever were to return to France or possibly live there for a longer period of time.

10. Experience new ways of learning

Last but not least, I will be able to see how the school system in France works and I will be able to compare it to the American system.

There are, of course, many more reasons about why I want to become a foreign exchange student, but I think these are the main ones. I cannot wait to journey to France, and while abroad, I am sure I will discover many more reasons about how the trip will benefit me that I have yet to discover.

Salut! Je m'appelle Zaria

            I don’t speak French. No, I am not one of those people that say that they don’t speak a language but are secretly fluent and just feeling like lying to you so that you have low expectations before they awe you with their amazing language talent.

            No, sadly, that is not I.

            I have taken French for 3 years and on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being nothing, and 10 being you have lived in France all of your life) I would give myself a solid 3. Or 4. Lets go with 4.

            My name is Zaria, I live in Alameda, California and go to Alameda High School. I speak English (and a 4 level of French). You may or may not know that I will be journeying to Vannes, France as exchange student with the study abroad program AYUSA for several months of my junior year of high school in the fall of 2012. AYUSA has set me up with a class to help prepare me for my overseas voyage. This program suggests that I set up some sort of blog to document the 3 stages of my journey:

                      1. Before I embark on my adventure

                      2. While in I am in France

                      3. And after I return home

            So that is what you will get here, the complete experience!

            Several summers ago I traveled to Europe with my family. We journeyed to Paris, London, Berlin, and Prague. I fell in love with France and their culture and language. I cannot wait to return and experience that love again!

            For some unexplainable reason I hardly have any fears about going abroad. I think that my excitement is so overwhelming that I hardly have any time to be scared. I, of course, do have those standard anxious feelings that everyone holds when going somewhere new- “What if nobody likes me?” “What happens when I get homesick?” And some new feelings that come with going to a foreign country- “What if I can’t understand anything?” “What if I get stereotyped for a stupid American?” I am trying unbelievably hard not to think so in depth about these things (save that for later) and just trying to enjoy my excitement as I am still trying to comprehend “Is this really happening?!”

            During my study abroad experience, I hope to learn a great deal about French language and culture. I also want to become a more mature person while studying abroad. When I return home, I hope to have had the experience of a lifetime and met people and had gone through things that I will never forget, all while trying to bring that French 4 up to a 7 or 8.