Neo was on an exchange year in China

Neo Mossbäck from Sweden went to China for his 10-month high school exchange.

I went on a high school exchange for many reasons; to improve my Mandarin, practice independent living, and make contacts across the world. But perhaps the most important reason is that I always thought that China was a very important country to understand.

Adapting to a new environment

Me and my fellow exchange students quickly adapted to the new environment and rules of the school, and very soon it started to feel like home. The school was a lot bigger than any school in Sweden, but upon arrival, it did not feel daunting at all, since everyone was very friendly and curious. Me and my fellow exchange students grew incredibly close bonds since we were all trying to figure out this new country we'd thrown ourselves into. We often had to rely on each other to make the most of it.

Life in China

The most surprising thing about life in China was how it was not nearly as different as I thought it would be from life in Sweden. However, upon arriving in China, the environment feels so unique and so different from any other country that I've been to before. During the first couple months, I could spend hours just walking around looking at various neighborhoods and streets, tasting some local foods along the way.

I think I'm an exception in that the exchange year went almost exactly like I expected. I got to do and experience exactly the things that I had planned to do. That does not mean that I didn't have any challenges; for example, I had to change host families twice due to their timetables changing. However, I'm ultimately quite happy with how things transpired, since I got the chance to get close to families that I otherwise wouldn't have, and I got to experience living in different neighborhoods.

My learnings

The most important thing I learned during this year was to be myself. Being a foreigner in China, I stood out quite a lot when I was in public. However, after just a short amount of time, I got used to standing out, and I started to feel comfortable like never before. I then automatically started to apply this feeling to other aspects of my life as well.

A favorite memory

One of my favorite memories is when all exchange students performed in front of the entire school. The audience consisted of over 7000 people! I look back very fondly at our time of preparing, performing, and celebrating our success afterward. And, I haven't felt stage fright since.

Could you recommend an exchange?

I would absolutely recommend anyone to go on an exchange. It has been one of, if not the most, developmental experiences of my life. Studying abroad is great if you want a reality check on what other countries and other cultures are really like. The thing you will cherish the most however is the people you meet.

Find out more

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