Celina went on high school exchange to Germany

Celina from Brazil spent a school year in Germany.

I was on exchange in Germany for ten months. I chose Germany because it is such a different culture from Brazil.

School and friends

My German school was very accommodating and welcoming. It was fairly easy to make new friends in Germany, although they were a bit reserved at first. But with time we got along well.

My host family

My host family and I got along very well, they even came over to Brazil this year. They made me feel like a part of the family. My host parents are very patient and since I had two host brothers who also did an exchange year we got along very well and became friends in no time.

Learnings

As a Brazilian my main learning from my time abroad is to be punctual and to be very organized with my time. The difference between Brazil and Germany that impacted me the most, and that I had the most trouble with, was the weather. I had mentally prepared for the cold, but the winds were brutal!

My expectations were all exceeded

I had high expectations for my exchange year, and they were all exceeded. I felt that the STS team really cared for me, and they were doing their best so that I could have an amazing year!

Overall, my year was great and I made friends from all over the world. I also made tons of awesome memories. One that sticks out the most was my first time painting easter eggs. They didn’t turn out very pretty, but I had lots of fun.

Recommendations

I would recommend everyone to go abroad, it changes your worldview, and it can open many doors in the future. Some advice for those who are going is to try out a bit of everything and don't be afraid to go. Throw yourself into the new culture, trust me you’ll learn a lot from it!

Find out more

• Read more student stories from Germany
• Read more about a high school exchange in Germany
• See all our high school exchange destinations