First Hopes and Ultimate Doubts: Journey to Study Abroad

Have you ever had a moment that changed your life forever, without you knowing it? For me, it was a casual scroll through Instagram on a sunny June day in 2022. As I sat on my couch, being bored, little did I know that a simple Instagram ad would give me the opportunity for a lifetime adventure. 

Out of nowhere, an ad from the German organization Experiment e.V. appeared, offering a school exchange program in the USA through their website. My heart raced with excitement at the thought of a whole new world waiting to be explored, as it had never crossed my mind before. I was only in school before and was about to finish 10th grade, continuing to study afterwards. But this was the option to take a break from the German school system.

The Idea Takes Shape

Six months, or even a whole year, abroad? The concept was mind-blowing. It wasn’t just about visiting a new place; it was an adventure of self-discovery. I envisioned myself immersed in a completely different culture, pushing boundaries, and rediscovering myself. They say you learn the most about yourself in challenging situations, and this felt like the ultimate test to discover my real self.

But before I let my imagination run wild completely, a reality check was needed. Instagram, after all, isn’t always the most reliable source. Despite my skepticism, reviews and further investigation confirmed the legitimacy of the program by Experiment e.V. My desire to explore and grow burned bright, and hesitation wasn’t an option. I immediately applied there.

Navigating the Application Process

While informing myself about Experiment e.V., I got the key information I needed. The application deadline was September 20, 2022, to participate in the school exchange starting in summer 2023. You could choose either a one-year or half-year period. Another option was to apply for the exchange in winter 2023, which lasts half a year.

Although the program focused on the USA, you could choose your preferred destination. As a huge anime fan, Japan instantly came to mind. The image of learning a completely new language and experiencing a culture vastly different from Germany was incredibly exciting.

While filling out the application, I realized a crucial detail. My bank account was far from overflowing, but scholarships were available. Undeterred, youthful ambition kicked in. I went for the highest scholarship amount, securing teacher recommendations and highlighting my good grades. Application sent, the waiting game began.

The Challenges and Support

The process seemed pretty easy, but let me tell you, it was a struggle. Filling out the form took me a month, where I needed to collect various documents, write a two-page letter for the upcoming host family, answer questions to see how I fit into the program, and be interviewed. Fair enough, some parts are for sure necessary.

In addition, it was also hard to convince my family, as we struggled with finances. Nevertheless, I was pretty stubborn and just continued to fill out the form, being cautious to keep myself a backdoor open to cancel the program if I wouldn’t get a scholarship. Here, I need to praise the managers of the program at Experiment e.V., as they were supportive and reduced the pressure by showing empathy with my situation.

Reflection and a Change of Heart

After the application process was completed on July 20, only the waiting game remained. It led me into my reflection phase. All the while, I had to listen to some family members’ worries and skepticism; they were heartbroken at the thought of being apart from me. Not only that, but it was also unimaginable to them how I could afford it. 

This was the point where it really hit me, as in my rush to do, the emotions stacked up and exploded into cold sweats. Only then did reality strike me with all its might, and I was compelled to confront where I was going, informing myself more about my destination.

In short, I was bombarded with video recommendations on YouTube all around Japan, which raised my doubts. Here is the conclusion: I don’t want to live in Japan for a year or half a year. Why? Well, to put it simply, living there is pretty hard, but vacation is beautiful.

A New Direction

The reason for me deciding on Japan in the first place was the vacation mindset, as I didn’t know how daily life was there. It turns out, it is pretty strict, as society, for example, is mostly not welcoming to tattoos and is very performance-driven.

Stories were all talking about how tough and strict it is, changing my mind and putting up a lot of doubt. All that wasn’t fitting my expectations, as I wanted a break from the performance-driven structure in schools.

I almost regretted my choice and was ready to cancel it when I got a response at the beginning of August. But guess what? The program I signed up for was only for the USA. So, I got an email response, giving me the choice to apply for another program or go to the USA. Phew, I got away good.

Choosing New Horizons

Now I needed to decide, do I want to go to the USA or try my luck elsewhere? Well, I didn’t want to go to the USA, as my family was too worried about it, because of the gun policy and more extreme things happening there, leaving me only with the option of applying for another program.

Looking through the second program, I recognized that it was way more established and bigger, as it offered more countries to go to. Either way, now I needed to choose the countries I wanted to go to, as you could choose four countries in order of interest.

While choosing, I had some funny discussions with my best friend, who was helping me, as I was pretty much lost in geography and the options I could pick from. The countries I had heard of before and that caught my interest were Ireland and “Island” (Iceland).

Second Application

You can see the theme I was looking for. Both were islands, like Japan too. In addition, nature and beaches were a big part of my decision. Funny enough, while choosing, I wanted to choose “Island” (Iceland), but it was named differently as “Estland” (English: Estonia), and I thought this was Iceland, just written differently because of the German translation. 

Turns out, “Island” (Iceland) and “Estland” (Estonia) are two different countries, my friend told me, making it clear that Iceland wasn’t an option to pick from.

After my best friend clarified my mistake, he told me a bit more about the country. I got to know more about Estonia, and it was kind of fitting what I was looking for. It had great nature, an interesting language, and was a half-island with beaches. In addition, the digital infrastructure of Estonia gave them the title of the most modern country, catching my attention, as I am interested in IT.

Final Decision

I tried also to stay in the EU, to not be too far away. So, after some more research, the final decision was: 1. Ireland, 2. Estonia, 3. New Zealand, and 4. France, as I wanted to fill out the fourth option. Then the whole applying process repeated itself. Thankfully, it went way quicker, as I already did most of the work once before.

I picked again the best possible scholarship from Experiment e.V., and now again, the waiting game started. I had an interview on September 14 with the organization, which went pretty well. While waiting, my skepticism kicked in again, and I started to wonder about the scholarship. So, I texted the organization, as they were pretty supportive, and asked them how the application for the scholarship works.

I thought they would send them my details, as I filled out their form, but it turns out it works differently.

Stay Tuned for the next part, My Scholarship Research Journey!

This realization was just the beginning of my deep dive into the world of scholarships and the possibilities they offer. Navigating through various opportunities, finding the right fit, and understanding the application process was a journey in itself. In my next post, I’ll share the steps I took, the challenges I faced, clarify prejudices on scholarships, and share tips I discovered along the way to secure a scholarship for my exchange year.

Conclusion

The first step to my exchange year was pretty stressful, as I dealt with ups and downs all over the place just for the application. But every struggle also has an opportunity, which I imagined throughout the process, keeping me going. It also wasn’t quick, so expect that when making decisions like these. In the end, it was all worth it, but you will get to know more as the journey continues!

Share Your Thoughts!

Have you ever considered an exchange year or faced similar decisions about studying abroad? What are your biggest concerns or questions? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences! Drop a comment below, and let’s start a conversation about the exciting yet challenging journey of planning an exchange year. In addition, you can check out my other blog post about decision-making.