Program Reviews

I have been placed with a fantastic family who suits me perfectly. Jiyeon was crucial in guiding me through the entire process, She was patient and prompt and kind and reassuring. She helped me make sure i had all of the documents necessary and was fully prepared to move to another country. The only complaint I can voice is that Jiyeon contacted someone (I am not sure who handles this portion) multiple times regarding the Working with Children Check, and no one ever followed through with information for me. I arrived in Australia without it completed, but it was an incredibly easy process to complete so it was not a huge concern. Also, when I paid my initial fee to use Interexchange and Smart Au Pairs a $1000 scholarship/grant was available, but when I went to apply for it, it was no longer offered. I had counted on those monies to supplement my stay so that was rather disappointing. I felt as though they should honor it for those who had signed on when it was available still.

My favorite memory so far (and I've only been here for 3 months) would have to be kayaking to Cathedral Cove, which is where they shot part of the second Chronicles of Narnia movie. I was with a bunch of my friends and the experience was just really surreal. Once we got to Cathedral Cove our guides gave us cookies and made us hot chocolate.
No joke. So there I was, chilling on this beautiful beach, drinking hot chocolate, surrounded by friends. Even when I tell this story it doesn't feel like my life but something I dreamed. I think what made this even better though was that none of us took our phones and we'd been to Cathedral Cove (via hiking) the day before. So when we got there we were able to just enjoy it and not worry about updating snapchat or taking a million photos.
Another fun one is this time I went camping with some Dutch friends and we actually got locked into the campsite and had to search for cell service so we could get the code to get out.

As an introverted person, this journey helped me become more relaxed and connect with people I would've never met otherwise. I was quite reserved at first, but I it quickly dawned on me that I share interests and hobbies with many other people, regardless of nationalities. Being able to connect with others in another language was rewarding in its own way, and knowing that there are kind people anywhere you go is also quite comforting. I was able to meet many people outside the school that have brought me memories I won't soon forget.

Overall, my experience was quite pleasant. I got to see and tour a lot of Italy. The school was very nice and the teachers were nice. My school was close to the train station, about fifteen minutes which made for an easy walk. The school was also a short walk from the town center. I also enjoyed meeting many different people and getting to know locals at local hang outs, such as Maga Cacao. I enjoyed exploring the ancient history of the town, Macerata, that I was staying in. The food and wine was really good as well.

I was looking for a connection abroad and Interexchange provided that for me. It was an overall amazing experience. I recommend it to anyone with a little money and a few months to spare. I was able to travel to six countries besides Germany. I was nervous before I left, but I got along wonderfully with my host family and adjust quickly. Living with natives offers an authentic insight into the German culture and way of life. For anyone looking to go to Germany, it is a very comfortable and safe place to stay, located ideally in the heart of Europe. My advice is just do it!

I was so nervous to leave my country and go off alone. I must have contacted Interexchange at least 4 times and talked with them before making the decision to go abroad and I'm glad that they were there to coach me and talk me through it. Of course now that I'm here I realized I probably could have done it all by myself, but it has been really nice to know that I have someone I can call within the country to help if I have a problem. Beyond that, interexchange's in-country partner has been tremendously helpful in their resources for finding work and for helping me decide which adventures I wanted to partake in while I'm here. So glad I have had access to these resources!

Okay, so you probably have read a lot of these reviews, and they all probably say about the same thing over all "InterExchange is like every other program out there, there is good and there is bad." And honestly, I believed it until I really got going with them. I have to say though, they are AMAZING! Not once did I feel like I couldn't reach out to them or talk to them about what was going on. They kept in contact with me and made sure that I got to where I was going. InterExchange was there every step of the way. Most of these bad reviews that you find aren't even about InterExchange when it comes to Teach English in China (6 month program). Sadly people do not separate companies when it comes to this program. This is something I wish I had known before I applied with InterExchange (though it wouldn't have changed my going with them). InterExchange is a third party company (at least with the program I'm on), they helped me with the paper work and were essentially my go to middle man between me and the company I now work for. The company that I work for...yes, could be a bit better, but that isn't InterExchange's fault, nor should it be. They have asked about the company I work for and have had me review them and tell me my concerns or my happiness with them, which I think is wonderful of InterExchange to do! I can't speak for their other programs, but this one I would highly recommend to ANYONE who wants to try out teaching English in China. Oh...also, did I mention how prompt they are at answering you? My recruiter has at times gone so far as to reply to my emails AFTER HOURS! Of course, don't expect this all the time, but it is very much appreciated when it does happen and makes you feel like they really want to help you, which they do. InterExchange is a wonderful company. I hope to see more interns though them in the coming months/years. As I'm actually staying in China for another semester at the school I've been placed at.

When I left for my year abroad in France at the end of August 2014, I had enough background with the language to believe that I would adapt easily to my life there with a French family and a new culture. It was intimidating, but I felt confident getting on my plane out of Cleveland. My first few weeks with my host family were challenging, but they were consistently helpful and understanding of any difficulties I experienced. I was invited to parties with extended family, and everyone else was extremely accommodating as well. It took me about 6 months until I got comfortable enough in large groups to be at ease with my speaking and comprehension abilities. By the time I went to my host dad's birthday party in May 2015, I was convinced that I would be able to communicate with anyone I crossed paths with there. I was right! I was able to hold my own whenever necessary, understand multiple conversations at once, and respond to anyone as naturally as I would in my own language, English. I felt like I belonged there as everyone was so accepting of my place there and so kind to me throughout the evening. Now, I had plenty of opportunities to take part in tourist activities throughout Paris during my stay there, but the highlight of my whole journey was this party. It felt great to know that I had improved in my communication far better and faster than I thought possible. This was certainly all due to my magnificent host family. I will forever be grateful to them for accepting me into their home like another family member and helping me advance in so many areas of my life during my time there. I will definitely go back to see them again soon! I never dreamed that I'd have a second family in France during my lifetime!!

When I was trying to decide how to spend my summer, I knew I wanted to do something that combined my love of traveling as well as my career goals to one day become a teacher. InterExchange was able to provide just that! Once I began the application process, I was immediately contacted by Shadi, who gave me more information, and was a huge help along the way, from the first day to the last. By the time I was heading to the airport, I felt very prepared. Once I arrived in France, everything just fell into place! My host family was incredible, and so welcoming. I truly felt like a member of their family. There are a lot of different layers to an experience like this one. Tutoring wise, my situation was a little tricky, since I was helping a 6 year old, a 13 year old, and a 15 year old, who were all at completely different levels. But the challenge was fun! It's a good way to get creative and start practicing for my future - there are so many ways to incorporate fun into learning. One of my favorite memories was looking up lyrics to the kids' favorite songs and learning new vocabulary from that, and then singing karaoke (note to readers: trying to explain some of the words in Nicki Minaj songs gets real funny, real fast). Besides the tutoring aspect, it's also so great to be a part of a family - I loved staying up late and playing card games or watching movies with my host siblings! In addition to that, it's impossible to forget that you are in France. My host family was really flexible - as long as I gave them advanced notice, I could go into Paris whenever I wanted, and they were happy to take me to the train station. They also were excited to show me some places themselves, so we all went to Versailles and an amusement park, too! Overall, I had a really great experience, and would 100% recommend this program to others!

Working through interexchange opened up so many opportunities that I would not have had if I never decided to go to Australia. One of my most memeorable moments was getting to set up the Lord Mayor's New Years Eve party. After setting up the party I was allowed to attends the party free of cost and got the meet the Lord Mayor before the party.