One year abroad – useful or pointless?

Going abroad for one year or doing an exchange year is a decision which affects your whole life. You can go to the USA, the land of unlimited opportunity, or to Canada, for instance. But what are the advantages and the disadvantages of going abroad for one year?

When you decide to do a year abroad, you have to look for an organisation who will look for a host family and a school for you.

You can always choose which state you want to go to, but if you want to choose which city you want to live in, you have to pay a lot of money. A normal exchange year costs about 10 to 15 thousand euros. It is very expensive, so you have to know if it is worth going abroad.

You also have to be aware of the fact that it is sometimes very hard to live without your family and your friends. It is normal to be homesick, although this is one of the worst feelings.

But an exchange year has also advantages. You meet new people, you learn about a new culture and you can improve your language skills.

It is also very good for your working life and for job applications.

At some schools you have to repeat a year if you go abroad for one year because you are going to miss a lot of subject material.

The most important thing is to get information about an exchange year. I think it is very exciting and you earn a lot of respect if you do this year.

Do you want to do an exchange year? And where do you want to go?
Let me know in the comments.