Rotary youth exchange year, anyone have any experience?

Discussion in 'Living Room' started by moridog, 3rd Mar, 2017.

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  1. moridog

    moridog Well-Known Member

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    My DD is quite keen to explore the Rotary program where young people, between 16-18 spent a year or thereabouts overseas, looks like with four different host families. I think it sounds an amazing experience, she is keen to spend a year or so in London at University so this might be a good pre cursor to something like that. The cost is around 10 K and I wondered if anyone had any personal experience they could impart? Thanks! Mori.
     
    moridog, 3rd Mar, 2017
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  2. hammer

    hammer Well-Known Member

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    I did it. I went to France. It changed my life. Worth every penny.

    I didn't realise how much it helped until many years on though....such is youth!

    I had four families. 2 were awesome, 2 were terrible! That's part of the experience...

    I saw another world, learnt another language and most importantly discovered that the way of thinking which I had grown up with, wasn't necessarily modus operandi for the rest of the planet.

    I made lots of mistakes, lots of friends and learnt another language via osmosis....which is to this day one of the most bizarre experiences I have ever had....

    I woke up one day 6 months in frustrated and angry that I couldn't speak French. I was in the bathroom, cleaning my teeth and talking to myself in the mirror getting quite flustered. Then I realised I was doing all of this in French....

    In terms of setting me up....well the language has been useful. I've gotten a number of Jobs from it and it opened my mind to what is out there. So much so that I spent ,5 years travelling and working all over the planet. I didn't bat an eyelid to working overseas due to my French experience.

    But that's just me. Everyone who's ever done it has had a different experience. Not all of them positive....but I wonder what they'd all say now a few years on.

    Hope this helps?

    Bonne chance!
     
    hammer, 3rd Mar, 2017
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  3. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    I did this in 1971 so things may be a little different now. I went to the USA, near Seattle, when it was a backwater before anybody knew about it.

    It was a fantastic experience for me. I learnt heaps, and it has been a lasting influence. It gave me self confidence, and gave me a lot of lessons in life.

    It was very rare back then. Exchange programs, even private ones, are a lot more common now. Communication back home was almost exclusively by snail mail, phone calls were expensive and rare.

    Back then an Australian was somewhat special. I spoke at a lot of events- around 50 for the years.

    I've been back several time, and still connect by Facebook with a few of my friends and family.

    The first time i went back was 15 years later. It was while i was on that trip that i met the lady i married.

    At that stage the available destinations were USA, Japan, Philippines and Thailand. The choice was not ours.

    I spent the year with five families. That was a good number. I got on great with four of them, one was difficult. Students coming here had 12 families, that was too many. Another organisation did one family for 12 months. Good if you get on with the family but ...

    We hosted an exchange student once. It didn't work out at all. Sometimes it happens.

    If she doesn't get on the program then she should take a gap year travelling.
     
    geoffw, 3rd Mar, 2017
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  4. JazZing

    JazZing New Member

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    I had the best time going on a rotary exchange to Thailand for 12 months in the 80s. I stayed with 3 very different families and still believe it was one of the best things I have ever done. My own children haven't done the same but I think it has given them the courage to travel alone around the world as soon as they could save the money. Wish her well and good luck - what a wonderful opportunity. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in travelling and immersing themselves in another culture. It's the best education and can alter your outlook for life.
     
    JazZing, 19th Mar, 2017
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  5. moridog

    moridog Well-Known Member

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    Thank you for this valuable input. Applications close 31/3/17 for departure next January. There is a pretty comprehensive selection process so not a given she will be chosen but she is keen to try!
     
    moridog, 19th Mar, 2017
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  6. Joynz

    Joynz Well-Known Member

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    A friend of mine is in Rotary and took a couple of Rotary exchange students around the surf coast during their stay around 8 years ago (they were hosted by another couple of Rotarians).

    One of the students came back to visit - with her Mum - a couple of years later (a few of us had a great day being wined and dined in another Rotarian's private box at the MCG, watching the footy!)

    My friend also visited this family in Sweden on a later trip to Europe and the Rotarians here continue to hear how the students are going in their lives via Facebook.
     
    Joynz, 19th Mar, 2017
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