Foreign Exchange Students Share Their Experiences
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a foreign exchange student at Central? Max Mai and Sanne Kool give their thoughts.
September 1, 2022
Could you imagine moving across the globe to a new country with new faces and even a new school? International students are students from other countries who traveled to America to get a glimpse of what American education is like. Sanne Kool is a senior at Billings Central Catholic High School from Staphorst, a town in the Netherlands, and Max Mai is a junior at BCCHS from Frankfurt, Germany. Kool is 17 years old, while Mai is 16 years old. Both Kool and Mai said that the main difference between their home countries and the United States was the sense of community and how everyone supports one another.
“In Germany we normally have 12-13 different classes and here we only have 7,” Mai said. Could you imagine having to balance 13 different classes? That must be exhausting! The language barrier was a major challenge; the only time they had spoken English before coming to America was in class at school. Throughout their time in the United States, Kool and Mai have both enjoyed spending time with their host families and hanging out with their friends.
Mai said that he had a relatively good idea of what to expect. “I knew how the school system works, that we have a lot of space here in Montana, and a few things about the political stuff, because I’m interested in it,” he stated. However, moving across the country for 6-8 months isn’t all fun and games. “I was most nervous about being homesick,” said Kool. Kool and Mai had to leave a lot behind in their home countries, including family and friends. Don’t be fooled, though: there was also a sense of excitement for these two students. Kool looked forward to the different sports, clubs, and activities that she didn’t have back in the Netherlands, while Mai was excited to experience everyday life in the US. Mai also wanted to learn more about other cultures and said that you can learn a lot about yourself during your time abroad.
“Basically everything is different here, from the cars and houses to how you can spend your free time. So I am basically just trying to get used to the differences,” Mai explained.
