Eva studied abroad in Switzerland

Eva from Italy spent a semester at high school in Switzerland.

Why did you choose to go on a high school exchange to Switzerland?

I went to Solothurn in Switzerland, for six months because I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, make new friends, improve my German skills and start to learn French. But above all, I wanted to live and adapt to a new reality for me and prove to myself that I can do this.

Why did you choose to go to Switzerland?

I read that Switzerland, apart from its natural beauty, has a very good school system that seemed perfect for me. Also, the fact that in Switzerland many languages are spoken played a big role in my decision, as in I wanted to learn more about bi- and tri-linguism and start to learn French. At home, I also live in a bilingual area.

What do you think about the school?

The school was a dream – it was everything that I didn’t have in Italy. A giant school, with many labs, classrooms, a big library, lots of sports fields and many gyms and big spaces to hang around with friends, both indoor and outdoor.

What did you do in your spare time? Any new hobbies?

In Italy I practice athletics, but that wasn’t possible in Switzerland. Instead, I tried to find some new hobbies and I’m so glad that the school offered free sporting activities in the afternoon. I decided to pick up boxing and volleyball, and honestly it was one of the best decisions I made. I also managed to continue to play the guitar, because the school gave the opportunity to study music.

Was it easy to make friends?

At the beginning it was tougher than I imagined – in my class there were mostly boys, only two other girls. But the two girls in my class were very friendly and we became friends almost immediately – one of them especially, we became really close. After that I started also some new hobbies and there I met a lot of people.

How was it to live with a host family?

It was very different. You have to get used to people that you don’t know, and I had a positive experience, but there were also difficulties. At the beginning everything seems perfect, but spending months there, you get to know better each other – both strengths and weaknesses. But the most important part of it is to overcome them and learn to live adapting to that.

Was your exchange year like you expected?

Not at all. I didn’t really know what I was expecting either, because it is something so big and so new and you can never know what will happen. But whichever my expectations were at the beginning, the exchange year definitely was better and I couldn’t imagine having a better time abroad.

What are your main learnings from your time abroad?

Apart from getting better at German, I learned the importance of being openminded, having no prejudices and I hope that now I’m a better person. I also gained loads of soft skills, learn how to be on my own, how to adapt to a new family and society and school. And at the end, I learned that I should take nothing for granted and create my own, new reality in another place.

What are the best things about your exchange?

My friends. They made my whole experience awesome, and I would say that the time with them is the best thing I had. I had many friends at sports I was training, but also in class. Then I also met some other exchange students and with them I had the nicest excursions in Zurich, Bern, Basel and other beautiful places in Switzerland.

Can you recommend going on a high school exchange?

Yes. It’s a wonderful and unforgettable experience. It really changes your point of view, you will learn a lot and especially how to be on your own, problem-solving skills, adapting and getting eager to try everything, learn new languages and become part of a new culture.

How do you think your high school exchange will affect your future?

I think I’ve changed in a better way. I get to see things in another light, comparing experiences from Italy and Switzerland and that gives me much more open-mindedness than my friends or classmates. I would really like to study abroad at university, and this experience showed me I can do it.

Are you happy with STS?

I really liked that STS has an office in Switzerland, so the communication was very straight-forward. Also, the staff, from the first meeting on, were very professional and always there for us. STS Switzerland also invited us to various trips. My local coordinator was extremely nice. We had lunches planned monthly to catch up and as a goodbye meeting we went skiing together. Awesome!

Find out more

• Read more student stories from Switzerland
• See all our high school exchange destinations