Program Reviews

This was the absolute best year of my life! I'm from Los Angeles , but my experience was different because I was placed into a farm in Northern France. My friends are my everything and my life is so much better because I've decided to go abroad for a year! I would totally recommend anyone who wants to share life connections to travel abroad!

Studying abroad to Ireland in the summer of 2015 is a trip i will never forget because besides the staff's extremely friendliness the people i attended the program with made my experience even more special.

I never would have imagined when I boarded my plane to Italy that I would come back to the US a year later a totally new person. From day one, my host family took me in as one of their own. They were amazing. I really do feel like I have a second family that would be there for me at the drop of a dime. My experience was extremely interesting too because I was the first exchange student at my high school, ever. They did everything they could to help my immersion into the Italian culture and language as easy as possible. I had private language study time with teachers, I was able to jump around classes so the material would be easier to understand. By Christmas my Italian was better than I would have ever imagined. (It was 100x better than my French, which I had taken 3 years of between middle and high school). Come February, I was able to translate for a group of American students that were in my valley for a week exchange program. I would never trade this for anything. I grew so much as a person too, while I was there. I grew into someone I do not think I would have become without this experience.

My year abroad to Germany is something I could do over and over again. The events I've witnessed, the scenery I've admired, the people I've crossed paths with, the food I salivated for, the family that became a permanent pillar in my life--an experience like that can't be replicated in any other way.

I was placed in a village in Northeastern Germany. On weekends, I'd bike an hour through the countryside to reach an ancient castle, amidst a garden. I would proceed to eat cake and drink tea and enjoy the nature and history around me. Other times I would take a train to a different city or part of Germany and absorb everything it has to offer.

I plunged into the culture and it accepted me. When living in a different country, you have to let go of your morals, your traditions, and misconceptions. When you let the country's culture overtake your own, you will be treated as part of the community. It's a wonderful, satisfying feeling.

Leaving home at a young age made me learn a lot about myself and how capable I can be in certain situations. A trip abroad will change a person. If someone denies this, they haven't truly immersed themselves in their new life.

I would strongly reccomend going abroad. Especially to Germany. I've been to several countries, I've lived in a few. But my heart belongs to Germany. The people are hearty, warm, and strong. They work but they like to enjoy life too.

AFS was hands on, always there if you needed them. They constantly interacted with the students and helped them see more of Germany.

I know I'm writing about AFS, but I must mention that I recently came from a year exchange in Japan with a different organization. It was horrible. I didn't appreciate AFS as much as I do now. They stay in touch with you even after the program ends and give you opportunities for activities and travels beyond that.

Hello! My most memorable story from when I was in Japan was whenever we went to my host mother's mother's house for a family reunion they were having. At first, it was a little awkward because I didn't know what to say to everyone after the greetings were done. And I think these were one of the experiences that in a way made me feel closer to my host parents. They knew it was a little awkward for me meeting all these people at once, and I felt that they really did begin to treat me as a part of their family from that moment on because they sheltered me and protected me as if I was a daughter of theirs and tried to make me feel a little at home just by being around them. My host father bragged about me to his father in law about me being bilingual already and how I was trying very hard to learn Japanese and was doing well in his opinion. And my host mother introduced me to her nephew who was closest to my age ( I was 17 and he was 19) and we went out to the garden her mom kept and all three of us looked at the different vegetables and flowers she grew and my host mother's nephew (keita) and I caught a few grasshoppers for fun. They both had their own way of making me feel comfortable and relaxed and I enjoyed the time we spent there. Once we got back home, their daughters Midori (14) and Akane(16) invited me to go to their rooms and we looked at the posters of anime they had and of Jpop stars they liked. On that day, I felt that the family began to open up to me. And I think a reason that also contributed to this was the fact that I always tried to spend time with them and talk with everyone. Even though I was no where near fluent, I didn't let that stop me from trying to make a connection with them. From them seeing this, it made it quicker for them to be able to open up to me and treat me as one of their own instead of just a guest everyone had to walk on eggshells around. That's what I believe is the key to getting a full experience, giving it your all no matter how frustrating the language learning process can get and actually caring about your host family because they aren't opening up a hotel for you, they're opening up their home to you.

The road continued to twist and climb higher and higher, as I sat surrounded by a language I barely understood and people I felt like I had known forever. It was my first day with my host family as we weaved up the snow capped Alps and I watched as I became a giant compared to the small world below. My host sisters and I were traveling to a camp high up in the mountains to stay the night, I had figured some camping was in store but I was in for the geatest surprise of my life. We arrived just in time for mass and as I sat amoungst the grandiose jutting rocks and sparkling waterfalls, falling down a peak right above my head, I felt as if I were in God's arms. Night fell and that's when the actual fun took place in Italy, the children all huddled outside and we prepared to play games. The counselers hid from the children as they searched to receive enough keys to be uncuffed from one another. I hid in the grass near a stream and looked to the sky and in that single moment saw nothing in the world except the dazzling stars that lit the night sky of the Italian Alps. The world that I lived seemed so minute to the twinkling eyes that watched from above. My study abroad trip not only opened me to a new culture but allowed me to view the world in a greater perspective that has honestly changed the way I see the world and its inhabitants.

My experience abroad in New Zealand through AFS NZ was amazing and educational. I was paired with a lovely host family and I had a constant stream of support, meeting with an advisor at least once a month over coffee to discuss any issues, and attending weekly AFS Chapter meetings that allowed me to meet other students.

I went to Argentina not knowing any spanish, and really having no clue of what i was getting myself into. I came in an average high school student, and came out a Castellano speaking, argentine model/rugby player with new FAMILIES around the city. I recently went back after six years, and felt more at home than anywhere I've even been! If it weren't for AFS, i wouldn't have met some of my best friends and favorite "relatives" in the world! :)

My time spent in Costa Rica was the best summer of my life! I was lucky and got an amazing host family. The people in Costa Rica are so friendly and excited to share their culture and learn about yours. I fell completely in love with the country and people. I became so used to the new culture that I had a hard time coming home. I didn't expect reverse culture shock to hit me so hard. I still communicate with my host family at least every week. I learned so much in 6 weeks and the support I got from my AFS volunteers was really great.

When you sign up for an AFS exchange program, you'll go through lots of orientations. And at every orientation, they'll tell you over and over how AFS is a life-changing experience.

After returning from a summer exchange in Argentina, I can 100% guarantee that's true. There's almost no way I can express how important this exchange was without sounding like a Hallmark card; because of my time abroad, I became more confident in myself, more culturally aware, and I've even made friends that I'm sure will last a lifetime.

I can't stress enough how amazing my time abroad was, but I think everyone should try living abroad at least once in their life.

Thank you for everything, AFS!