Interview with exchange students

(The answers from the interview are their own words)

Sophie (Germany):

Why did you especially choose to spend your exchange year in america?

It is interesting and different, but I can’t think about a certain thing I could complain about.

Did your host family showed you some places/traditions with/of american culture or explain you something about it?

Yes, many traditions like christmas are the same.

What do you think about the american government?

I feel like the people are behaving the exact same way.

Are people here different than in your home country?

I feel like the people are behaving the exact same way.

Are you happy with your decision to come to America?

Yes, even though I think one year is too long for me. It doesn’t have anything to do with America, it is just that I miss my family a lot.

Do you think you want to come back, if yes why?

Yes, I definitely want to come back. I think America has many sides. Right now I only seen one and I play on going to different states.

Do you think that the U.S are still a land of freedom and this pioneer dream/spirit?

I do think America is still free. I am honest, when I have heard that Trump is going to be the new president I was celebrating over not going to America. I was afraid that he is going to change a lot of things. As far as now he didn’t change a lot of things and I don’t feel threatened by anything so I guess America is still the same.

Are there alot of things that are “american” that you can also find in your home country?

Christmas, school, sport...

Marina (Spain):

Why did you specially choose to spend your exchange year in america?

Because, I have always wanted to go to America, it is such a big country and I have always wanted to visit it, there is a lot of things to see. Also my family was here, and it was a good idea to spend a year closer to them.

Did your host family showed you some places/traditions with/of american culture or explain you something about it?

Yes, I mean sometimes they just do things without explaining them to me, but with these things I really don’t need them to explain everything, they are doing, I can’t just learn these things by myself..

What do you think about the american government?

There is a lot of things that I don’t agree with the American government, but there is a lot of smart things that they do better than other countries...what happened this year with Donald Trump (doesn’t mean that I agree with his ideas), shows that every opinion in this country is the same valued and everything is possible when we are talking about same valued ideas.

Do you find parts of your culture here in America?

Yes i do. I mean it is not that we are really different from each other, we are just from different countries, that is all.

Are people here different than in your home country?

Oh yes! I don’t mean that people in my country are the worst,, but I feel people here are so much nicer. There is not as much social pressure and people are less “fake”.

Are you happy with your decision to come to America?

I am so happy of being here. I love it.

Do you think you want to come back, if yes why?

Oh yes! I will! I have made a lot of friends here, and I don’t know, I feel so good here, I feel like “free”.

Is school different to what you are used too?

School is so much different, it isn’t as practical as here. Everything is coping, it really sucks.

Do you think that the U.S are still a land of freedom and this pioneer dream/spirit?

Yes.

Are there alot of things that are “american” that you can also find in your home country?

Yes, We copied a lot of “american things”.

I personally are really happy that I chose the U.S. for my exchange year. Everyone was really friendly and welcomed me when I was new and struggled with the language. It was really interesting to see what other students from other countries think.