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Exchange Student Essay

Decent Essays

A good exchange student should possess many qualities, including respect, independence, and a true interest in the other country’s culture. I would consider myself to be a great exchange student because I have these abilities and am able to adapt to new situations with ease. If an exchange student just wants to travel to the exchange country because it is a vacation, they are completely missing the point of this experience and consequently won’t gain any benefit from it. Because of this point, I would never invest my time and my parents money in something that I am not whole-heartedly behind. So in my opinion the most important quality an exchange student should possess is reverence for the target countries culture, but that doesn’t trump …show more content…

Since this trip is international, personal interactions need to be a little more calculated until you are more familiar with the cultural differences. A topic of discussion in the US could be completely taboo in Germany, so before you make an interaction with a person you don’t know in a certain country, you should make sure you understand the do's and dont’s of that country's culture. Once these cultural differences are learned, you shouldn’t be afraid of talking to people, because the best way to get knowledge of the culture and life of Germans is to ask them yourself. Also it the host country would be appreciative of you trying to learn their language, so speaking in german sometimes is also a good way to interact. I have many values, the most important of which are; loyalty, open-mindedness, and passion. Loyalty is important to me, as it shows you who your real friends are in times of struggle. Loyalty to someone isn’t defined as always hanging out with them, it is defined as being there for someone when they are at their worst, not just their best. When going through life it is important to stay open-minded because everyone leads a different life, and it is ignorant to always look at life through one lense. When faced with new situations, I stay open-minded because trying new things is what makes life interesting and not one constant buzz. Lastly I admire passion as a value, as it promotes success and adds excitement to life. For

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