Hi! I’m Matteo from Italy and I’m 19. In August 2022 I started my exchange experience in Germany. I stayed until June 2023, so it was an entire school year.

I chose Germany because I used to study German as a foreign language at school and the exchange program was the best opportunity to improve my language skills and my independence.

The school I attended was very welcoming and I immediately felt part of it, although it was not easy to make friends.

The best thing of my exchange year was my host family. We enjoyed our time together and we used to visit new places and cities, such as Hamburg and Bremen. A very nice memory is the 18th birthday party they organized for me: it made me feel special.

At the very beginning it was very difficult to adapt to the German lifestyle because the culture shock I experienced was unexpected, but thanks to the things I’ve seen and done it was easier to fit into the new routine.

At the end of my exchange year, I felt so complete, and I knew I was a better person than the one I was before. So, it is obvious for me to recommend going on a high school exchange because it is an incredible chance to get a new perspective on life and become a mature person.

I will always be grateful to STS for letting me experience all this. They were always ready to satisfy my requests and to make me feel at home (the welcome party was the best way to get to know other exchange students).

To the people reading, I just want to say that you should not be afraid of trying something new like the exchange year is. Make as many experiences as you can, because they will be part of your personal growth and they will help you to understand what you really want to do with your life.

So come on, let your exchange year begin!

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