Going on international student exchange is an exciting way to experience the thrill of adventure, meet new people, learn about other cultures and languages, and step right out of your comfort zone.
Matthew Flinders Anglican College proudly facilitates international exchanges for students in Year 10 and domestic exchanges for students in Year 8 as part of its global certification as a Round Square school.
This year, 29 students in Year 10 were hosted at leading schools across the world, including in Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, United States (California, New York, Boston, North Carolina), Switzerland and the United Kingdom (Isle of Wight and Essex).
Evie O in Year 10 successfully applied to experience exchange at the Athenian School San Francisco in California over five weeks in Term 1 in February.
Evie then hosted her Athenian School host buddy, Sohavi, who spent four weeks at Flinders on the Sunshine Coast in Term 3.
We asked Evie and Sohavi to share their respective exchange experiences of school life and travel.
What inspired you to travel as an exchange student?
Evie: I have never been out of Australia, so the chance to experience daily life and attend school in another country was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. I was so excited to see cultural, social and food differences and meet new people from across the world. I must admit, I was excited to hear the American accents that I had only heard on TV.
Sohavi: I’ve always been a big traveller and my family travels a lot. Learning to appreciate other cultures is a pillar of my school's ideals and I really did want to see what it is like to live outside of the States. I’ve lived there all my life. The reason I chose Australia is because I wasn't sure if I'd ever have the opportunity to come out here again. The culture, natural wonders, and other appeals of this country made it somewhere that I wanted to visit. I have had family members visit and I have an aunt in Brisbane, so through those connections, I realized what a beautiful place it is here.
Did you have any concerns before embarking on your exchange?
Evie: Yes, I get very anxious on planes, so a 14-hour journey on a plane felt like one of my worst nightmares. It was also daunting to land and meet people I had only seen on a computer screen. I had some calming strategies that helped me through the whole airport process. Once I was on the plane, I was fine; the 14-hour air travel time crawled by but was so worth it. As for meeting my host family, that was a silly concern because I was greeted at the airport in California with a welcome sign and giant smiles and hugs, which instantly helped me to feel comfortable.
How did you grow from the experience?
Evie: I have grown in confidence, curiosity and, most importantly, as a good friend. Meeting new people has grown my confidence as so many people made the effort to introduce themselves to me. I made friends that I still text regularly, and it all started from a simple “hello”. This has taught me the importance of reaching out to new students here at Flinders; a simple conversation can mean so much to someone who is new to the school. My curiosity has also grown since discovering and adventuring in new places. This has made me want to see more of the world. I have the travel bug in me now. I have created friendships that continue to grow even kilometers apart and have really taught me how to be a better friend and what it takes to maintain long distance friendships and to invest more into my friendships here at home.
Sohavi: I had the most wonderful experience. Thank you to my host family, host partner, and all the other teachers, peers, and people who made this experience everything it was.
What were some of your favourite subjects?
Evie: I adored subjects like American History, Astronomy and Theatre Tech.
Sohavi: I enjoyed the Psychology classes. They were interesting as I’d never taken a psychology course and the way they were structured was really cool, learning about all the methodologies. I also really enjoyed Biological Science.
Favourite co-curricular activities?
Evie: I loved the swimming club! It was such a fun and friendly experience, even with my lack of skills they happily let me join in giving me a cap and allowing me to do races with them at swim meets! The whole team was so kind and my favourite part was cheering all the other swimmers on with the school's chant. I also really enjoyed the eye-opening experience of helping out at a homeless shelter in the heart of a shady area of San Francisco; it allowed me to see how lucky I am and to make a real difference; a simple meal for these people meant so much. To be a part of that was really special.
Sohavi: I’ve been enjoying witnessing the world of netball because we don’t have netball! It’s such a cool experience learning the rules and going to games and seeing how big of a culture it is here. It’s been really fun!
What were some of the highlights of your exchange?
Evie: I enjoyed the school environment. As soon as I stepped foot into school I was greeted with smiles, hellos and questions. The students genuinely wanted to get to know me and if I ever seemed lost they would magically appear at my elbow ready to help me out. My favourite places to travel to were mundane places, like the grocery store and to shopping centers and even just walking to and from school everyday. For the students who live there, it was everyday stuff but for me it was fascinating. I enjoyed Thursday night grocery shopping with my host parents. I was particularly infatuated with Costco—much to the delight and humour of my host family.
Sohavi: The beach was incredible to me because I live in an inland suburban area. My main highlights were visiting Rainbow Beach, seeing the animals (and petting a kangaroo!) at the Australia Zoo,\ and spending a lot of time at the beach near where my host family lives. Also, just spending time with the friends I’d made at Flinders was so rewarding. The people I met were so welcoming and considerate towards me, to the point where my "transition" felt more like I just fit right in!
Did you share some of your special talents or skills while on exchange?
Evie: I did the sacred tradition of making the whole family a very Aussie brekky of vegemite toast. It was so much fun and filled with laughter and a few grossed-out faces. I can also proudly say that my whole host family now knows the difference between “arvo” and “avo” as well as what “trackies” and “brekky” is!
How has your student exchange experience shaped your perspectives and future goals?
Evie: Yes because now I’m desperate to study AND see the world to experience all that there is to offer. Travel has become a passion of mine and I’m already trying to save up to go travelling again. I am looking into a career in the mental health sector, specifically child psychology, but I am considering the potential of studying or doing work experience overseas to continue travelling. I’m definitely going back to visit my exchange family once I graduate!
How was school life different from your school at home?
Sohavi: Firstly, my school is significantly smaller than Flinders. That was a shift for me, but I enjoyed meeting a lot of new people and hearing the diverse perspectives in all of my classes. Secondly, Flinders' teaching style is quite different to that of my school, but I've learned the merits of both our and your way of doing things. They cater to different kinds of learners. Other things, like the uniforms, the ATAR system or only having classes with people within the same grade as you were also different for me, but I've learned to appreciate the pros and cons of both the Flinders and Athenian systems.
Your advice to other students who are curious about going on student exchange?
Evie: Just sign up and say “yes” to adventure. The whole experience is so worth it, even if you are unsure or scared ( as I was). I ended up having the best experience of my life. Be open and willing and just immerse yourself fully in the experience. You get out what you put in, so just go for it!
Sohavi: It’s such a great experience afforded to us and I think to take advantage of it and to request a place that you are not so comfortable with and push yourself a little bit. And when you are there to really make an effort to connect with the people that you are with. Because even the person that you randomly sit next to in class and chat with is going to be one of the best experiences. I’ve met so many great people being here and I’m really enjoying the social aspect of it. So my biggest piece of advice is to really engage with the people you are with, especially your host family too, because they will be a big part of your life.
Learn more about the Flinders Round Square exchange program and read our students' reflections here.
Photos from Evie and Sohavi's Round Square Exchange
