1. Step out of your comfort zone
I always compared doing an exchange year with being in the military: you are (more or less) on your own, you have to handle tasks by yourself, the contact with your parents is minimal, and when you return you won’t be the same person anymore. It is truly something that will make you step out of your comfort zone and teach you some valuable lessons you don’t necessarily learn in school.
My experience: Fair to say, that I was my parents’ little boy. They helped me in a lot of things so I could never really learn how to sustain myself. When doing my exchange year in Vienna, Austria I learned that there was no one who cleaned the room for me, no one who went to the pharmacy and the list goes on. The most difficult thing, however, is to go up to people and try to make friends. I imagined that because I was an exchange student, everyone would be curious about me, about where I am from, and why I am here. I could not be further from the truth… No one really approached me, I had to go and introduce myself to them. And because I wanted to speak only in German with them, this turned out to be extremely difficult.
2. Learn a new language
In my opinion, there is no better way to learn a language as quickly and effectively than by spending an extended period of time in the country where they speak the language you want to learn. Go to Spain to learn Spanish, go to Austria/Germany to learn German. However, there is a catch: you cannot switch to English. Yes, it will be difficult but I can assure you, that by sticking to this rule you will be fluent in no time. Another important thing to keep in mind is to just talk. It does not matter if you make grammar mistakes, people will understand you regardless, and it is a bonus if they correct you. Do not take that as a failure, they just helped you to get better.
My experience: I took German classes months before my exchange to make sure I had a good base to build upon. Then after arriving in Vienna, I said no words of English to my host family or to my classmates. Other exchange students were an exception because they did not speak the language either. By following my golden rules mentioned earlier, I managed to be somewhat fluent in 6 Months. Because I am an ethnic Hungarian living in Romania, I only learned Romanian in school. Interestingly enough, when I became fluent in German, I forgot Romanian almost completely. I will never forget that moment when I met one of my Romanian friends and I could not say a single word to him. It was a little bit embarrassing, but also a funny memory.
3. Broaden your perspective
As a young person, it is very important to expose yourself to different worldviews and unfamiliar situations, because it can help you create your own view of the world.
My experience: I come from a small Romanian town. Not so many people had the opportunity to go to a different place and see how things were done there. When I came back I gained knowledge about how to think about the world
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