essay about exchange student

Student Exchange Program Essay: Examples, Topics, & Tips

It is not a secret that for every open slot at a prestigious college, there are from 10 to 15 eager applicants. They often seem equally qualified academically.

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However, it is often the college application essay that sets one lucky applicant apart from the others. While writing is very personal, and styles can vary, the college application mistakes that students tend to make are common. So if you want to find out 10 college application mistakes to avoid, just read this article by Custom Writing experts!

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• ✅ What to Include
• 👣 Writing Steps
• 💡 Essay Topics
• 👀 Essay Sample

🔗 References

✅ student exchange program essay: what to include.

The following information should be included in a good student exchange essay.

To make your essay really strong, try our hints for writing motivation essays and a personal essay .

👣 Student Exchange Program Essay: Writing Steps

Outshine the other applicants by writing an excellent student exchange essay that demonstrates your ability to think intelligently and express yourself in writing! The process of writing an impressive exchange application essay is not as complicated as you might think.

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

Here are the writing steps that will help you write a thoughtful, convincing, and concise exchange application essay.

💡 Student Exchange Program (FLEX) Essay Topics

• Many students have experiences, identity, or talent that define their character and life. Their application for FLEX would be incomplete without it. Please share your story if it sounds like you . You can find an exchange student essay on this topic below.
• Our success in studies, personal life , and career owes to the lessons learned through overcoming obstacles. Have you ever faced a failure, challenge, or setback that made you stronger and smarter? How did it affect you, and what conclusions did you make?
• Recall a hard problem you had to solve or the one you are still struggling with. For example, it can be a complicated assignment, an intellectual challenge, or an ethical dilemma. Why is it so critical to you? Which steps did you take or could take to find a solution?
• Reflect on a belief or idea that you felt was wrong. Why did you question it? What result did you reach in these thoughts?
• Our accomplishments and realizations spark a new understanding of life and personal growth . Tell about a similar event that changed the way you perceive yourself and others.
• Describe an idea or topic that is engaging enough to make you lose track of time. Why is it so captivating? What actions do you make to learn more in this field?

👀 Study Abroad Essay Sample

Every person has a talent. It takes a while to discover it, but life becomes similar to an engaging strategy game once you know your vocation. My parents never insisted on my selecting a path. I tried many hobbies and activities, but none of them lasted longer than a year.

Four years ago, I attended my first botany class. At that moment, I understood that it was something I would like to study deeper. So many plants surround us, and we are ignorant of their names and life cycles. This knowledge gives us an opportunity to understand our role on the planet and explore how we can help nature.

This year, I asked myself: what do I want to do in my future life? It didn’t take long to answer. I would like to become a pharmacologist and develop new medicines. But at the moment, I need to study hard. I expect that the study abroad program will allow me to learn more about American culture and make me more open-minded.

As an international student, I will have a chance to perfect my biology knowledge at an American school. I can tell a lot about trees, flowers, and grass, as well as the animals and birds that live in them. That is why I will always have a topic to discuss with my host family and peers. I am looking forward to meeting new people and experiences.

Your student exchange application essay can be the deciding factor for your selection and participation in the student exchange program. There is no doubt that your student exchange essay can be a good indicator of your personality. Make every effort to communicate your enthusiasm for studying abroad and let the student exchange program officials learn about your unique qualities. Also, don’t be shy to use every bit of help that you may require. For instance, try a summary helper if you struggle to finish up your writing properly, get someone to proofread your writing in case you’re not sure if it’s perfect, and so on.

Remember that studying abroad is a life-changing experience that will impact your college career. Don’t miss this chance to invest in your future. Start your journey today with a strongly written and carefully proofread student exchange essay. We promise it will make a difference!

✏️ Student Exchange Essay FAQ

If you write an application for a scholarship, it is crucial that your study abroad essay tells about your personal motivation to participate in the exchange program. Otherwise, you may focus on the general pros and cons of the experience.

When you start a personal statement, keep in mind that it is the way admission committees get to know you. Make sure to provide relevant info about your goals , passions , examples of personal accomplishments , etc.

If it is a welcome letter to a foreign student, express how glad you are to meet them. You may give some advice on how to adapt to the new environment, share your thoughts about the exchange program, and ask about the student’s feelings and impressions .

Some advantages of becoming a foreign exchange student are: broadening your horizons , getting off your comfort zone, making new friends, practicing foreign languages (if applicable), gaining new skills/knowledge. Overall, it is an excellent opportunity to experience something new and valuable.

• 25 Reasons to Study Abroad | Top Universities
• Exchange Programs | U.S. Department of State
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• Student Exchange Programs | EF Foreign Exchange
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• 8 Student Exchange Programs for Teens | GoAbroad.com
• How to apply – International Exchange and Study Abroad
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Really valid and sensible . Great work. I hope it will help alot

Thank you very much, I also wanted to participate in flex program, but I didn’t understand much about Essay and I understood a lot after seeing this sample

Hello, I am from Uzbekistan. I want to participate in the student exchange program in the USA. How is this test administered? Online or face-to-face and where? And what knowledge should be acquired to participate in the program

This was an useful blog for our institute

How long should a exchange essay be?

Your essay should be up to one page in length if not otherwise required by your professor

Hello. Please help me with my essay. I can not pay. Can you send me some sample essays, please?

It is very helpful thanks.

Good techniques

Home — Essay Samples — Education — Higher Education — Exchange Student

Essays on Exchange Student

The importance of writing an essay on exchange student.

Writing an essay on exchange student is important as it allows you to reflect on your experiences, share your insights, and provide valuable information to others who may be considering a similar opportunity. It also serves as a way to document and preserve your memories and lessons learned during your time abroad.

When writing an essay on exchange student, it's important to consider the following tips:

• Start by outlining your experiences and the key moments that had an impact on you.
• Reflect on the cultural differences you encountered and how you adapted to them.
• Discuss the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
• Share the friendships you formed and the connections you made with people from different backgrounds.
• Highlight the personal growth and development you experienced during your exchange program.
• Provide practical tips and advice for future exchange students, such as how to navigate cultural differences, handle homesickness, and make the most of their time abroad.
• Conclude by summarizing the impact of the exchange program on your life and how it has shaped your perspective.

By following these tips and writing an essay on exchange student, you can not only capture the essence of your experience but also inspire and inform others who are interested in embarking on a similar journey.

• The Benefits of Being an Exchange Student
• The Challenges of Being an Exchange Student
• My Experience as an Exchange Student
• Cultural Differences: My Exchange Student Experience
• The Impact of Studying Abroad as an Exchange Student
• The Importance of Cultural Immersion as an Exchange Student
• Overcoming Language Barriers as an Exchange Student
• Making Friends as an Exchange Student
• Adjusting to a New Education System as an Exchange Student
• The Role of Host Families in the Exchange Student Experience
• Exploring a New Country as an Exchange Student
• My Favorite Memories as an Exchange Student
• Dealing with Homesickness as an Exchange Student
• The Value of Independence as an Exchange Student
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Global Citizenship
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Cultural Understanding
• The Challenges of Reverse Culture Shock for Exchange Students
• The Long-Term Benefits of Being an Exchange Student
• The Financial Considerations of Studying Abroad as an Exchange Student
• The Role of Support Networks for Exchange Students
• Balancing Academics and Cultural Immersion as an Exchange Student
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Personal Growth
• The Role of Exchange Students in Breaking Stereotypes
• The Importance of Intercultural Communication for Exchange Students
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Career Development
• Overcoming Adversity as an Exchange Student
• The Role of Volunteer Work in the Exchange Student Experience
• The Impact of Technology on the Exchange Student Experience
• The Role of Language Learning in the Exchange Student Experience
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Global Diplomacy
• The Influence of Host Country Politics on the Exchange Student Experience
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Environmental Awareness
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on International Relations
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Peace and Understanding
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Cross-Cultural Understanding
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Leadership Development
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Social Change
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Career Opportunities
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Personal and Professional Development
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Global Awareness
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Interpersonal Skills
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Tolerance and Empathy
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Language Acquisition
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Cultural Competency
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Global Citizenship
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Intercultural Communication
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Academic Achievement
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Cross-Cultural Understanding
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Personal Growth and Development
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Global Engagement
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Cultural Awareness
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Career Development
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Social and Emotional Skills
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Global Awareness and Understanding
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Personal and Professional Development
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Interpersonal and Communication Skills
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Cultural Exchange and Understanding
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Language Proficiency
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Intercultural Competence
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Global Citizenship and Engagement
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Leadership and Teamwork Skills
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Personal and Social Development
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Cross-Cultural Communication and Understanding
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Global Competency
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Career and Educational Opportunities
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Cultural Diversity and Inclusion
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Personal Growth and Well-Being
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Cross-Cultural Competence
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Global Awareness and Interconnectedness
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Language and Cultural Proficiency
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Intercultural Sensitivity
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Global Engagement and Collaboration
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Leadership and Communication Skills
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Personal and Professional Growth
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Cross-Cultural Understanding and Empathy
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Global Citizenship and Responsibility
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Intercultural Communication and Adaptability
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Cultural Exchange and Appreciation
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Language and Intercultural Competence
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Global Competency and Awareness
• The Role of Exchange Students in Promoting Cross-Cultural Engagement and Understanding
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Cultural Diversity and Inclusion
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Language and Intercultural Proficiency
• The Impact of Exchange Student Programs on Intercultural Sensitivity and Adaptability
• The Influence of Exchange Student Programs on Global Competency and Awareness

Studying Abroad: Its History and Aspects

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An Exchange Student at 17

It almost feels like as if it was just yesterday when I was on my own on a plane not really knowing what to expect but excited for what the future had for me. Now I'm back home with a ton of memories, e-mails to answer, and a lot of stories to share. I don't even know where to start now that I'm writing about my experience of being an exchange student in Appleton, Wisconsin for a whole school year.

Well, I've wanted to be an exchange student my whole high school life. I read about summer programs in a brochure from IFS, and I thought then that living somewhere else for a while and having friends from another country would be the coolest thing in the world. I would be on my own, have my own Indiana Jones adventure, and fulfill my dream of having something different. Pretty soon, at the end of my senior year, Mama and I were applying to IFS and we decided that a whole year would give me so much more immersion and would make the experience so much better. I had meetings in the weekends about rules, how to survive, homesickness, etc. Then I got an email. I had a host family! Next thing I knew, I had a flight booked.

I was so excited and happy and I was telling all my friends about it. I was researching about Wisconsin in books and in the Internet. Compared to what I saw on TV and what I experienced when I traveled to places like Los Angeles, California with my family, Wisconsin was different. It was more of farmland and countryside. I lived in Appleton and its population was around 70,000 and I thought it was a small town compared to our Manila. There was no traffic, they only had one major mall, and everything was in close proximity. I didn't even know what to think of the cold weather. I just brought cotton long-sleeved shirts with me. But when winter came, I needed to get a coat. During the winter, the sun would set at 4pm and it wouldn't go up until around 9. There were days when the temperature would go below freezing and I was wearing around 6 layers of clothing just to keep myself warm. I never even blow-dried my hair before. I had to do it every morning after I took a shower because if I didn't, my hair would FREEZE. The thing I liked best about the cold and the snow was being able to ski. People were so excited for me and telling me all their snow stories (since we don't have it in the Philippines). I have never skied in my life either, so I was excited and proud to learn.

I was placed with the greatest host family in the whole world. They treated me like their own and they are like real family in another part of the world. I had a host mom, a host dad, a brother and sister. Ben would always be sweet and give me hugs and kisses. I loved every minute of it because I never had a younger brother before. It was fun seeing Katie grow up since she started to be a teenager and we would always tell stories in the bathroom we shared. Through e-mails we established that I was going to call them Mom and Dad since I was never used to calling older people by their first names. I felt super loved. They made sure there was tuna in the pantry (since it was my favorite), hugged me when I needed to be hugged, let me stay out late at night with my friends, and even let me have parties in the basement.

I went to an American co-ed public high school and that was a big adjustment coming from an all-girl private Catholic school. The school was new, everyone was different and it was so diverse. I have never met so many kinds of people in just one place. I was scared during the first day of school. I didn't know anyone, I got lost since the school was huge, and people didn't think I knew how to speak in English every time my teachers would say, And here's Elaine she's a foreign exchange student. But pretty soon I started to get comfortable. It was funny how people always got surprised by how good I was at speaking in English. They're like, Wow, you even speak better English than me. I loved answering people's questions like, So, what do you do in the winter? or Where is the Philippines? Isn't that near South America somewhere? or What's it like to have a coconut tree outside your house do you have coconuts everyday? I had the chance to take fun classes like Spanish, photography, and art so I met people with similar interests as me and got to go to field trips. My favorite was going to Chicago to see my favorite painting Starry Night by Van Gogh. I was an honorary member of the International Club and there was even one time I was giving a talk about the Philippines for the school's Global Awareness Week and someone asked me to say something in Filipino. So I said, Magandang Umaga, ang pangalan ko ay Elaine. They thought it was so cool and people started clapping and giving me a standing ovation. Just for saying my name in Tagalog!!!

I made a lot of friends and met so many people. I joined a church youth group, volunteered for a group for teens with cognitive disabilities, an indoor soccer team during winter and the girls track team during spring. Friends took me out to movies, hockey games, restaurants, road trips, rock shows and concerts. Someone even took me to see the Incubus concert! I got to do my first American prank, which was writing on boys cars with lipstick. Everyone was warm, open, and never hesitant in giving hugs. I would say that as much as I missed my family and friends at home, I never really got homesick because I had friends who made sure I was okay. They were all always there for me and helping me with all the adjustments I had to make, like school, getting rides, hanging out, shopping, going to prom, learning slang terms, everything. I will forever remember all the fun times I had with them.

One of the things I had to get used to and eventually enjoyed was how people picked up on my difference. Girls would always tell me how lucky I was to have a year-round tan and ask if I went to tanning salons! I haven't even heard of tanning salons since I got there! Some boys would ask me how I got my hair to be so black. I was shy and surprised by how forward some guys were. Unlike here, guys do not court girls. It's more casual. Eventually, though I got used to it. I realized that guys all over the world are the same. I became excited to be actually hanging out with all these cute boys, getting calls, and going out. Hugging with someone from the opposite sex wasn't even a big deal, and it was something I enjoyed. Going out opened my eyes to more similarities and differences in the American culture. It was one of the times I was so proud of being Filipina. I was different, exotic, and new.

Every month, I met with other exchange students in our area. I made friends with people from Germany, Brazil, the Netherlands, England , Hungary, etc. It was fun when we were together because we saw how language, skin color or height didn't matter. We were all the same. We even got to bond right away because we were all going through the same thing as exchange students so we talked about the differences at home, school, and out countries. I learned so many things about other cultures, and even got to share my own. I remember cooking the adobo for a Christmas party. I was stressed about it but everyone loved it!

Being away for 10 months and living alone in a completely different world has taught me a lot of things. I have grown and my perspective has changed in ways I never would have imagined. I now can say that I am independent, appreciate my family and friends here more, open to new ideas, aggressive, and more confident about myself. Having my own adventure has proven to me that anything is possible and that I can do anything. It was the best time of my life and I will always remember how choosing to go out and discover what the world has in store for me was life-changing and will be something I will always cherish.

Article provided by Exchange Student News

By Elaine Abonal

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What Are the Benefits of a Student Exchange Program?

Student exchange programs are hugely popular across the world but how do they benefit students? Are they really that good?

Not only do students get to experience travel to other countries but also students who participate in student exchange programs exhibit higher degrees of awareness, acceptance for cultural diversity and an increase in their cultural capital .

The social impact of student travel is well-known. This is the reason why it is such a popular method of learning and stimulating intellectual curiosity in young minds.

These programs have been designed to enable student learning at a whole different level. But the main goal is to get them out of their comfort zone so that they not only experience enhanced learning but also personal growth.

However, despite its many benefits, people falsely believe that the exchange programs are solely for the benefit of learning a new language. While that is definitely one of the ways, it is not the only aspect of this program.

One has to acknowledge the cultural element that increases their global perspective and also broadens their knowledge of the world that exists outside their homes.

If you are Looking For Student Exchange Program , then this article will tell you all there is to know so that you can make a well-informed decision.

What is a Student Exchange Program?

Let’s first start with the basics – what is a student exchange program?

The exchange program is a reciprocal travel program where the students get to travel abroad and be hosted by a partner institution. In return, they have to host the same school at a later stage.

It is a highly recommended program for students because it gives them an opportunity to immerse themselves in local culture. As you live with your host family, you will get to experience their local lives, their customs, and live like a family member during the duration of your program.

The Benefits of Student Exchange Program

As a parent, it may be daunting to send your child abroad at a young age. However, you need to understand that these are their formative years and any learning at this stage will shape their lives in the future.

If you are still contemplating the decision, then perhaps these benefits will help you make your mind.

Student exchange programs increase tolerance for other cultures:

One of the biggest advantages of an exchange program is to give your child a worldview.

It helps them see things more objectively and become more tolerant towards cultures and their customs. Some of these programs also offer an academic credit that can be used back home to further your grades.

As a result, more and more people are now open to the idea of sending their children abroad for an exchange program.

Students get global exposure:

With the global exposure, your child learns ways of the world that opens up their mind and makes them capable of thinking out of the box.

Mingling with people of different cultural communities gives them an international perspective that can add on to their college applications.

It also helps them communicate with people across cultures confidently.

Students can master the local language:

The best way to master a language is to practice it with native speakers. If you are planning to brush up your Spanish, then a cultural exchange program in a Spanish speaking country will advance your skills significantly.

Since the academics will also be in the local language, you will also be able to improve your writing and reading skills.

They develop self-confidence in students:

Needless to say, when you live away from your home in another country, you will soon build up your confidence and develop cultural sensitivity.

These are life skills that will help you fit into the global work environment with ease and also make you feel confident when interacting with people from a different culture or country.

While it may be daunting at first, it is only a matter of time when you will be able to develop your self-confidence.

This is why it is advised to learn in a new environment so that the students can develop these skills at a faster pace.

Prepares students for university:

Student exchange programs can be a life changing experience.

At the end of it, you will come out feeling independent, confident, and capable of taking on life’s challenges. As a teenager, when you go abroad to study, you will automatically become more equipped to handle your university life and other future endeavours.

As more and more employers as well as universities look for a global experience, the student exchange program will certainly make your CV look brighter.

Read all these points thoroughly and research some more about the student exchange programs before taking the plunge. It is crucial that you do this with an open mind so as to make the most of your experience.

So, if you are looking for ways to enhance your CV for college applications, then this is one of the most effective ways.

Student Exchange Program Videos

Student Exchange Program FAQ

A student exchange program is a reciprocal travel program where the students get to travel abroad and be hosted by a partner institution. In return, they have to host the same school at a later stage.

Students exhibit higher degrees of awareness, acceptance for cultural diversity and an increase in their cultural capital . Students also get to experience other countries, they can master the local language, develop their self-confidence in students and help prepare themselves for university.

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Essay Samples on Exchange Student

Uncertainty with study opportunities for foreign students after brexit.

The UK is known for their highly ranked universities that attract yearly thousands of foreign students to enrol into them. Hence the rising fear after the 2016 referendum in the UK, regarding study possibilities turned nerve wrecking and confusing. Politicians seem busy discussing their trade...

• Exchange Student
• United Kingdom

Personal Reflections of My Exchange Student Experience in Sweden

On 20 May 2019 to 31 May 2019, I, together with 7 classmates, was honored to join the international student exchange programme held by the School of Nursing, the University of Hong Kong. In this exchange, I went to Jönköping University (JU) and attended a...

• Studying Abroad

Struggles Exchange Students Have to Go Through in a Different Country

Introduction Ever wonder what goes on inside a foreign exchange students mind? If so, you might be thinking, how are they able to adapt? Or what challenges might they face while studying abroad in a different country? For this qualitative research assignment, we decided to...

Three Sessions That Were Applicable In Hong Kong To Learn From Australia

An exchange is a way for me to learn from other foreign and get the knowledge back to Hong Kong. In these 15 days in Queensland, Australia, it made my eyes opening. As I have not been to Western Country in the past, it is...

Best topics on Exchange Student

1. Uncertainty with Study Opportunities for Foreign Students after Brexit

2. Personal Reflections of My Exchange Student Experience in Sweden

3. Struggles Exchange Students Have to Go Through in a Different Country

4. Three Sessions That Were Applicable In Hong Kong To Learn From Australia

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7 Reasons to Host an Exchange Student

Each year, International Student Exchange unites exchange students from all over the world with volunteer host families. While in the U.S., exchange students experience a new culture, enhance their language skills, make lasting relationships, and ultimately return to their home countries with a positive impression of life in the U.S.A.

Their host families make international diplomacy a personal affair. By accepting an exchange student into their lives, they often find that their families, schools, and communities are enriched in ways they may not have anticipated. If you are thinking about hosting an exchange student, consider these added benefits below:

Encourage connection in your home, community, and the wider world

Student exchange programs such as ours were created after the world wars in an effort to prevent them from recurring. ISE believes that the connections built through an exchange can create a more peaceful global community. In order to understand one another, we have to open up and share our daily lives. By hosting an exchange student from another part of the world, you promote friendship, understanding, and cooperation. These exchanges allow us to better understand our differences and appreciate our similarities. This is one of the most important lessons we can learn and teach through cultural exchange.

Broaden your Horizons  

Ever wanted to travel to a faraway place? Speak to the people there…hear their language…learn their culture? By hosting a student, you are able to do it all without the expense of travel. You can bring the world to your family and community – and experience all the excitement that comes along with it. You’ll try new foods, learn new words, see new places, and create lifelong relationships with people you otherwise might never have crossed paths with.

Liven up your daily routine

When hosting an exchange student, everyday occurrences that you may take for granted suddenly take on a new life. Restaurants, movie nights, shopping tips, even housework become adventures when experienced through the eyes of your new family member. Experiencing your daily life from this fresh perspective can bring new energy and excitement.

Enhance your Communication skills

There is no better way to learn a new language than to practice with a native speaker, however communication goes far deeper than that. When you host an exchange student, you learn how build relationships with those who are different with you. By learning to relate to those who may have had an upbringing that varies greatly from your own, your ability to connect, communicate, and collaborate with others is greatly enhanced.

Develop Understanding

One of the most valuable lessons learned when you host an exchange student is that we have far more in common than we realize. By allowing a student from another culture into your daily routine, you cultivate a deep appreciation for the fact that despite living thousands of miles apart, speaking different languages, following different sports, and entertaining ourselves in different ways we are – at our core – very much alike and capable of building genuine, meaningful relationships withone another.

Cultivate life-long friendships

The greatest by-product of cultural exchange is the web of lifelong friends that spans the globe. Students regularly keep in touch with their host families years after their program ends and it’s not uncommon for host families to travel to their student’s home country to visit, experience their culture firsthand, and meet their families. By welcoming a student into your home, you open the door to an exciting new world of relationships and experiences.

Know You’re Doing a Good Deed for your Family, Community, and World  

Consider for a moment what it would be like to send your own child thousands of miles from home to a country where no one speaks his or her language and where they might do things quite differently than you’re used to. Now think of the family you hope would welcome them during their stay. If you host an exchange student, you know that one student is in good hands and is in a position to leave with a positive impression of your country.

By hosting, you do the student and his or her family a huge favor. You are giving them the gift of experiencing a new culture and way of life while feeling safe, supported, and a part of a family. You would probably hope someone would do the same for you and your child in a similar situation. We believe that the leaders of tomorrow are the children of today and that we can all play a part in raising them to be strong, curious, and kind individuals

HOST A STUDENT

Global friendship starts with local action. Volunteer to host a student today!

JOIN OUR TEAM

Change the world, one family at a time. Apply to become an ISE Area Representative!

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Best Education Essay Examples

Student exchange program.

600 words | 3 page(s)

I signed up for a student exchange program with the University of Cape Town, a decision made with mixed expectations and feelings. Receiving an acceptance letter for a six-month student exchange program was very good to me and turned out to be one of my happiest moments. We were in a group of ten students, but we were not sure of what to expect in South Africa. However, we looked forward to our arrival in Africa with ours structured project being understanding the HIV/AIDS menace in the slums of South Africa.

Our arrival at the University of Cape Town was one of our best experiences. We had to stick to our plan and we started immediately on the exploration of the HIV/AIDS menace and the disparities that are associated with the condition. With the guidance of our supervisor, we were able to visit different slums in order to get firsthand experience of the challenges facing HIV/AIDS patients. The historical injustices in South Africa were portrayed by the cultural and ethnical composition of the slums. This was exhibited by the fact that most of the occupants in the slums and the population with HIV/AIDS was dominated by the blacks.

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The student exchange program had a large influence in various aspects related to our educational, cultural and social perspectives. Education was the main objective of advancing the exchange program. This is because this experience equipped me with multifaceted and alternative approaches to learning. One of the major revelations that came out of the international educational initiative was the understanding of the communal and cultural orientations in South Africa. On the other hand, I was able to enhance my analytical skills. This is because we were able to critically analyze the data that we collected from the slums and made inferences based on the facts. This promoted my global knowledge on issues related to HIV/AIDS because this was my first international learning experience.

On a personal level, the exchange program presented a perfect opportunity for personal development. This is because I was able to meet people from different cultures. Our collaborative interaction with these people boosted my self-esteem. In the field, we encountered various challenges. The most common include facing some resistance from some victims, but my ability to handle issues outside the familiar support network has enabled to have a heightened social poise. The host family and students enabled me to expand my social contacts. The friendship and relationship that we created assisted me to appreciate various cultures. Therefore, the completion of the six-month student exchange program was the beginning of a new person in my character. This is because the experience taught me various values such as having focus on goals and promoted my ability to make informed decisions. This program also gave me the chance to learn local South African languages and traditional cultures.

The exchange program has various long-term implications. This is because my participation has enhanced my practical experience. As a result, it has strengthened my professional resume, and thus I am able to acquire part-time jobs while out of session. Most employers recognize an individual’s ability to live in new places and adapt to new cultures. My social skilled have improved significantly. This is because I am able to make friends in different environments, an experience I gained through my need to communicate with people outside my comfort zone. The completion of the six-month program has also enhanced my local interaction networks. This is because I am able to embrace flexibility in various circumstances while maintaining focus on the social changes.

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International student exchange (Corrected essay)

Some teachers think that international student exchange would be beneficial for all teenage school students. Do you think its advantages will outweigh the disadvantages?

WRITING TASK 2

Write about the following topic.

Some teachers think that international student exchange would be beneficial for all teenage school students.

Do you think its advantages will outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

SAMPLE WRITING TASK 2

There is a common belief that international student exchange programs would bring benefits to all participants. Despite some obvious disadvantages of this projects, I believe that there are outweighed by the advantages.

On the one hand, there are several major drawbacks when teenagers go overseas. Firstly, those exchange programs cost a considerable amount of money, which a handful of students may be inaccessible. For example, students who come from developing countries would find difficult to apply student exchange programs in industrial nations because of the financial burden. Secondly, even with preparation and knowledge about the new environment, adolescents could still experience culture shock, which can affect them in different ways. Another potential drawback is health issues that can occur during the stay in a foreign country.

On the other hand, I believe that the benefits are more significant than such disadvantages. One reason for this notion is that international visitors would have a shinier resume which is valuable for them in the years to come. By working in foreign organizations, they will gain many practical experience that make their profile more competitive. Another reason is that teenagers would have a chance to experience culture exchange. This broaden their mind, and also helps them make new friends for a lifetime. Additionally, after finishing the program, overseas students tend to obtain more opportunities to find good jobs because they have a strong network of friends.

In conclusion, I would argue that the advantages of international student exchange programs are more significant than the disadvantages.

Corrected Writing Task 2

There is a common belief that international student exchange programs would bring benefits to all participants. Despite some obvious disadvantages of this projects those programs’ disadvantages , I believe that there they are outweighed by cannot undermine the advantages.

Avoid using adjectives or adverbs that show high levels of certainty, such as “obvious” or “evidently”.

The word “outweigh” is already used in the topic question. “The disadvantage undermines the advantage” is a good collocation.

On the one hand, there are several major drawbacks when teenagers go overseas. Firstly, those exchange programs cost a considerable amount of money, which a handful of students may be inaccessible the expensiveness of various exchange programs makes them inaccessible to many students . For example, students who come from developing countries would find difficult to apply student exchange programs in industrial nations because of the financial burden difference in living standards between nations . Secondly, even with preparation and knowledge about the new environment, adolescents could still experience culture shock, which can affect them in different ways . Another potential drawback is health issues that can occur during the stay in a foreign country Health issues occur during the stay in a foreign country is another common problem among exchange students .

While joining two sentence clauses into one sentence by using “which” is a good strategy in the Speaking test, it isn’t necessarily effective in writing contexts. Try to change the original complex sentence into a short, simple sentence.

The third sentence in Paragraph 1 is kinda unclear and redundant. The idea of “financial burden” is already expressed in the previous sentence.

“Different ways?” Which ways are you referring here? Try to explain it more to make the paragraph longer and more cohesive.

Try to use the connectives (firstly, secondly, another…) more skillfully. If you keep putting a connective at the start of a sentence, then your writing can be very dull. I advise you to change the structure of the last sentence to make the connective (“another”) appear in the middle of the sentence instead of at the beginning.

On the other hand, I believe that the benefits are more significant than such aforementioned disadvantages. One reason for this notion is that international visitors students would have a shinier attractive resume which is valuable for them in the years to come. By working in foreign organizations, they will gain many practical experience that make their profile more competitive. Another reason is that teenagers would have a chance to experience culture exchange cultural diversity . This broaden broadens their mind , and also helps them make new friends for a lifetime . Additionally, after finishing the program, overseas students tend to obtain more opportunities to find good jobs because they have a strong network of friends wide social circle .

“such “ is an informal word. Use “aforementioned” instead.

“An international visitor” means “a tourist”, not “an international student”.

“Shiny resume” isn’t a collocation, “attractive resume” is.

“Experience” is an uncountable noun, so don’t use “many” here.

You don’t make a “lifetime” friend that easily.

The above conclusion is unconvincing and too short. Either you write one more sentence, or remove the part “would argue that”.

--------------

While it’s okay to write a 252 words essay in a real test, try to write longer when you are at home. You should write approx 270 words, so even after you have trimmed some redundant words, your essay still have more than 250 words.

Overall score: 6.0

Task Achievement: 6

✓ addresses all parts of the task although some parts may be more fully covered than others.

✓ presents a relevant position although the conclusions may become unclear or repetitive (your conclusion is just a paraphrase of Paragraph 2’s first sentence)

✓ presents relevant main ideas but some may be inadequately developed/unclear (the part “which can affect them in different ways” is clearly an undeveloped sentence clause)

Coherence and Cohesion: 7

✗ logically organises information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout. (the ideas in each paragraph aren’t listed in a coherent way) ✓ uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/overuse. (on the one hand, on the other hand; firstly, secondly, another, one reason, another reason, additionally)

✓ presents a clear central topic within each paragraph.

Lexical Resource: 6

✓ uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task (overseas, financial burden, culture shocḳ) ✓ attempts to use less common vocabulary but with some inaccuracy (broaden the mind, to experience cultural diversity) ✓ makes some errors in spelling and/or word formation, but they do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 6 ✓ uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. ✓ makes some errors in grammar and punctuation but they rarely reduce communication

----------------

OTHER SAMPLE WRITING TASK 2

In my opinion, that sounds cool to have a new friend in my classroom especially the foreigner. The exchange students from the other countries confront with the another people and places. There are many differences between host countries and newcomer countries including language, accent, foods, custom, law, culture, and also people ,Yet it would be a good thing for learning these difference from the friends. We could share the story what we do in daily life or a point of view in any topics such the football world cup matches, the president of U.S. speech or the brand new movies release. It is a chance to learn about living adaptation and communication skills, Besides travelling guide experience when you lead your friends to journey the local attraction is significantly exciting. On the other hand, attending the new people, For some people it is hard situation to compromise with the newcomers. However, time can relieve the distance and harmonise the relationship. The racism is still patent in some countries, It is like the burden to have a connection among the classroom. Therefore, the teacher plays a key role in mediator to prevent the problem if not the unwanted situation may occur. In conclusion, the exchange student has a lot of advantage in almost cases. The opportunities to interact with the foreigner make a lesson to adapt yourselves and gain life experience along with the new friends. The experience makes you stronger and worldliness. None the less, There are only some case having problem about racism that is the sensitive difficulty.

(Written by ณัช เกษม )

----------------------------

Below is the corrected essay

In my opinion, that sounds cool to have a new friend in my classroom especially the foreigner. The exchange students from the other countries confront with the another people and places. There are many differences between the host countries local people and the newcomer countries foreigner including language, accent, foods, custom, law, culture, and also people . , Yet , it would be a good thing for learning to learn these difference from the friends. We could share the story what we do in daily life or a point of view in any topics such the football world cup matches, the president of U.S. ’ speech or the brand new movies release release of a brand new movie . It is a chance to learn about living adaptation and communication skills , . Besides , travelling guide experience when you lead your friends to journey the local attraction is significantly exciting having a local friend along when traveling as a foreigner is exciting and reassuring .

Next time, try to separate the introduction from the firsty body paragraph. By missing a clear introduction, you will lower your Task Response grading a lot.

The first sentence is not only informal ( “that sounds cool” ) but also does not directly answer the topic question. If you write “ a new friend in my classroom especially the foreigner ”, the reader may think that your essay’s main focus is just “a new classmate” in general, not a “foreign” one.

The second sentence is very unclear. Try to join the first and the second sentence into one only.

While South East Asia languages are topic-prominent (the grammar isn’t important, but the topic behind the sentence is), English is much more rigid in terms of grammatical structure. In case of your third sentence, what you are talking about is not the different between two countries , but that of the people of two countries .

The correct idiom here is not “something for doing” , but rather “ something to do/to be done ”

Your last sentence sounds ungrammatical and foreign to a English speaker.

There are many punctuation mistakes presented.

On the other hand, attending regarding of the new people appearance of foreigners , For for some people , it is a hard situation when you have to compromise with the newcomers. However, time can relieve the distance and harmonise the relationship with time, the cultural barrier will be reduce . The racism is still patent prevalent in some countries, It it is like the a burden to have a connection be overcomed among in the classroom. Therefore, the teacher plays a key role in mediator to prevent the problem if not the a unwanted situation may occur.

I guess that you often misuse “ a/the ” since there is no article words in Thai. But that is something you must overcome.

Pay attention to collocations. English native speakers don’t use word pairs like “ relieve the distance ”. “To harmonise the relationship” is fine, but I am doubt it should be use in this context.

In conclusion, the exchange student has having a foreign exchange student in the classroom brings out a lot of advantage in almost cases . The opportunities to interact with the foreigner make a lesson provide a chance to adapt yourselves and gain life experience , along with the new friends. The experience makes you stronger and worldliness more mature . None the less Nonetheless , There there are only some case s having problem about when racism that is the sensitive difficulty obstacle .

Stay faithful to the topic question. Since the question here is “can all the students, both the foreign and the native ones, reap benefit?”, you must address it in your conclusion.

Using “ worldliness ” here is very unnatural. First, “worldliness” is a noun, not an adjective, so it cannot go along with “strong”. Second, it is a vague word when being taken out from the context. I suggest you use something like “ mature ”.

To strengthen your conclusion, don’t put the oppose idea at the end. Instead, put in at the beginning, then affirm your opinion as a contrast.

Overall: 4.5

Task Response: 4

✓ responds to the task only in a minimal way or the answer is tangential; the format may be inappropriate ( failing to separate the introduction and the first body paragraph lowers your band score here from 5 to 4 ) ✓ presents a position but this is unclear ( due to the unclear conclusion ) ✓ presents some main ideas but these are difficult to identify and may be repetitive, irrelevant or not well supported

Coherence and Cohesion: 5

✓ presents information with some organisation but there may be a lack of overall progression

✗ makes inadequate, inaccurate or over use of cohesive devices ( The writer has used some common connectives. Could reach a 6 score next time. )

✓ may be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution

✓ may not write in paragraphs, or paragraphing may be inadequate

Lexical Resource: 5

✓ uses a limited range of vocabulary, but this is minimally adequate for the task

✓ may make noticeable errors in spelling and/or word formation that may cause some difficulty for the reader

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 4

✓ uses only a very limited range of structures with only rare use of subordinate clauses ( there is no formal, academic sentence; the essay looks like an informal speech )

✓ some structures are accurate but errors predominate, and punctuation is often faulty ( many punctuation faults are presented)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

This essay is corrected by Anh Tran - Let's Write Something Group .

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Youth Exchange Student Essay Sample- Exchange is an opportunity

Exchange is an opportunity. A chance to experience lifestyle, culture, country, language, friends and new environment. The youth exchange is a golden opportunity for a young girl like me to learn from the other side of the world. An opportunity to share the beauty of our tradition, language, education, arts and music with the people around the globe have always been my dreams as I always do that with my online pen pal. A real-time experience of it might be a once in a lifetime experience for me. Exchange is a chance to learn the beautiful tradition of a country. I have always love to try and experience the culture. Especially Korean culture as I have always watch Korean dramas and shows. I have learned about their culture and cannot wait to try it myself. Traditional clothes 'Hanbok' and even their food 'kimchi' and 'spicy rice cakes' have always been my favourite whenever I went to a Korean restaurant. Music has no language as Korean pop is like a part of me. I have been a fan of this music genre since I was in primary school and have learned the language by myself as I want to understand the lyrics. Tradition and music play a very big part in everyone's life as it is like our flesh and bone because it is hard to separate them from deep of our heart. Exchange is sharing. Korean early childhood education has always made me curious as the system and curriculum are so much different from Malaysia. As a student of early childhood education in one of the government educational institutes, I have learned that our country's education has been head towards the east. As early education in South Korea mainly focused on attitude and to be independent it has attracted me to learn more about their education and get my eyes on it. Exchange is a spirit. Capture the spirit and essence of life in the country that I got to visit is a dream come true. As my love for photography is 'Beyond Borders', the idea of getting close and interacting with people may be intimidating to some, but not me. I love seeing how people react to my camera. Most of the time people will smile at me and laugh while taking their pictures. I would like to share with the world the emotion and beauty of nature and people in my photograph. I love to share with the world how the beauty had moved my heart to love the place and the people. Just when the caterpillar thought her life was over, she began to fly. Just when I start losing hope to get to another country for a student exchange program, I came across one of my friend posts on social media about this youth exchange program and I tried to apply for it. I hope that this butterfly can spread her wings to share with the world her passion, love, and dedication to shower her sweetness and positivity to others.

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Why you should consider doing an exchange semester abroad

The concept of exchange semesters has long been popular in the education sector. Yet, it remains relatively unfamiliar to Bangladeshi university students. 

In an exchange programme, students have the opportunity to explore another country for a short duration, ranging from seven days to a month. However, in an exchange semester, they can study abroad for a more extended period, typically three to six months. 

For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.

Today, I will share my magical journey to the heart of Europe and one of the most liveable cities in the world – Vienna, Austria. 

Various exchange programmes and semesters are available to Bangladeshi students, including Erasmus +, Erasmus Mundus, and other university-specific exchanges. At BRAC University, we have something called the OSUN – Open Society University Network – exchange programme. OSUN is a global university network that facilitates the exchange of staff, faculty, students, and officials, allowing them to share their learning experiences with each other. As part of OSUN's mobility initiative, I was fortunate to embark on an exchange semester at the Central European University in Vienna.

Exchange semesters offer opportunities to explore a plethora of new things. They enable us to explore ourselves. Mine exchange semester, in particular, helped me grow the mindset that I should continue my studies further. The professors abroad are also amazing; they motivate students to continue learning. During my exchange semester, I learned vital points of global distributive justice, fair trade policy, and so on. I got advanced communication lessons from my faculty members, like how to be more responsive in class, practice empathy, and listen carefully to others. I also got to participate in several workshops organised by the university. 

During the exchange, the universities try to give you a diverse experience of learning a lot in a short time. They also arrange consultation hours for you so that you can cope with new modules of learning. Before attending this exchange semester, I was fearful of writing abstracts and research methodologies. My professors over there helped me overcome these fears, and now I can easily develop a template for any research work. 

Moreover, you will also get to meet people from different parts of the world during your stay abroad and interact with several distinguished professors.

The education system abroad is exceptional; you might even find yourself learning environmental policy from an environment minister who doubles as your faculty member. Additionally, there are intercultural festivals and excursions where you have the chance to represent your country. Personally, I have learned to cook various dishes, as the circumstances taught me to become proficient in the kitchen.

Presentations abroad are also much longer, ranging from 30 minutes to hours. This provides an excellent opportunity to hone your presentation skills. In an unfamiliar environment, you learn to be self-reliant, as nobody will hold your hand through the learning process. Every lesson is based on experimentation, and you may even have the chance to go on industry visits, providing you with practical knowledge.

Besides, exchange semesters can serve as a gateway to higher education opportunities too. For undergraduate students, these semesters offer a chance to explore options for pursuing a master's degree abroad. You can also ask for recommendation letters from your foreign faculty members, which can be beneficial for your applications. During the exchange semester, the university offers many education fairs where you can get information for your higher studies. You can also participate in summer schools and youth camps. I got the chance to participate in an education fair where I got to know about other European universities and their offerings for master's and PhD-seeking students. One of the European universities at the fair even offered me a good scholarship for pursuing my master's degree over there.

It's important to remember that by participating in an exchange semester, you are not only representing your university but also your country. Therefore, prepare yourself accordingly. It's also a fantastic opportunity to network; you can explore foreign companies relevant to your field of study, gaining valuable insights. For instance, as a Business student, I visited European banks to gain practical knowledge of their banking and finance systems. The banks of Europe have a tour system. Whoever wants to have a quick tour of a bank can go and book a tour online. A bank executive assists you during the tour, introducing you to old bank notes, advanced banking technology they use, etc. 

For those interested in participating in exchange semesters, you most likely will have to write an essay explaining why you wish to participate, so craft it thoughtfully. Universities look for three points in an essay – learn, achieve, and community impact.

Also, before applying to any exchange semester, do proper research about the university you are planning to apply to. Find one or two faculty members who motivated you through their lectures or research work. You may find their lectures on YouTube and their research work in different international journals or conference proceedings. If you can mention these things in your essay, it will serve as an advantage for you. 

Some exchange semesters are paid, while others are fully funded, depending on your capabilities and preferences. You need to convince the universities as to why you need funding. 

Having said all that, do not wait to apply to these exchange semesters. Keep an eye on your university's notice board for exchange programme or semester announcements. You may also browse sites like Opportunities Circle or foreign university websites directly. Foreign Embassies in Bangladesh are also valid sources for finding exchange opportunities. Research well and apply. Best of luck!

About the author

Labby Ahsan is a final-year student at BRAC Business School, BRAC University. He is majoring in Marketing and is expected to graduate by Spring 2025. He recently completed an exchange semester in Vienna at the Central European University.

Currently, Labby holds the position of Outreach Manager at Keeron – an upskilling platform – and serves as the President of Newspaper Olympiad – an initiative aimed at promoting the habit of reading newspapers among the youth. His overarching goal is to create skill development opportunities for young individuals in the future and build a community where he can actively contribute to creating social impacts.

In his leisure time, Labby enjoys cycling and writing fiction books. He has so far authored two books and translated two more from English literature.

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আইনমন্ত্রী বলেন, '২০০১ সাল থেকে ২০০৬ সাল পর্যন্ত যখন বিএনপি সরকার বাংলাদেশ শাসন করেছে তখন তারা যুদ্ধাপরাধী, রাজাকার, আল-বদর নিজেরা পাকিস্তানের দালাল হয়ে এদেশের জনগণকে শোষণ করতো, শাসন করতো এবং...

৬ তারিখে বাজেট দেবো, বাস্তবায়নও করব: প্রধানমন্ত্রী

UW News blog

May 15, 2024

Thirteen UW students receive Fulbright exchange awards for study, research and teaching positions around the world

Thirteen UW students and recent alumni were selected for Fulbright exchange awards. University of Washington

Thirteen UW students and recent alumni were awarded  Fulbright U.S. Student Program  scholarships this year, joining about 2,000 students and recent graduates from around the country to study and teach abroad.

The scholarship program is the largest U.S. international exchange opportunity for students to pursue graduate study, advanced research and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide.

Five UW undergraduate students or recent alumni are among this year’s Fulbright Student Program recipients and plan travel to Asia, Europe, South America and the Middle East to take part in research and teaching assistantships. Eight graduate-level students plan to travel to the Middle East, Central America, Europe, and East and South Asia. The UW had three students — two undergraduates and one graduate level — selected as alternates.

This year’s undergraduate awardees are:

• Vecksle Drake: English teaching assistantship in Mongolia
• Anna Feit: Study and research, Brazil
• Lukas Metzner: Study and research, Germany
• Lexi Rohrer: Study and research, Thailand
• Ela Sezgin: English teaching assistantship, Turkey

This year’s graduate-level awardees at the UW are:

• Aaron Barker, Doctoral student, Philosophy: Research grant to Germany
• Rachel Andersen, Doctoral student, Nursing: Research grant to Jordan
• Claudia Herrero Rapagna, Master’s student, International Studies: English teaching assistant grant to Jordan
• Nicolás Kisic Aguirre, Doctoral student, Digital Arts & Experimental Media: Creative arts research grant to Mexico
• Kaya Mallick, Master’s student, International Studies: Research grant to India
• Brian Park, Doctoral student, History: Research grant to Japan
• Claire Rater, Master’s student, Epidemiology and Social Work: Research grant to Colombia
• Frankie Leigh Shelton, Master’s student, Health Administration: Study grant to United Kingdom

For the past several years, The Chronicle of Higher Education has ranked the UW a “ Top Producer ” of student awardees. The Fulbright program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, provides round-trip travel, health insurance, a housing stipend and visa assistance to awardees.

Read more about this year’s student winners and the projects they will pursue abroad at the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards  website and the Graduate School’s  website .

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In the campus protests over the war in Gaza, language and rhetoric are—as they have always been when it comes to Israel and Palestine—weapons of mass destruction.

By Zadie Smith

A philosophy without a politics is common enough. Aesthetes, ethicists, novelists—all may be easily critiqued and found wanting on this basis. But there is also the danger of a politics without a philosophy. A politics unmoored, unprincipled, which holds as its most fundamental commitment its own perpetuation. A Realpolitik that believes itself too subtle—or too pragmatic—to deal with such ethical platitudes as thou shalt not kill. Or: rape is a crime, everywhere and always. But sometimes ethical philosophy reënters the arena, as is happening right now on college campuses all over America. I understand the ethics underpinning the protests to be based on two widely recognized principles:

There is an ethical duty to express solidarity with the weak in any situation that involves oppressive power.

If the machinery of oppressive power is to be trained on the weak, then there is a duty to stop the gears by any means necessary.

The first principle sometimes takes the “weak” to mean “whoever has the least power,” and sometimes “whoever suffers most,” but most often a combination of both. The second principle, meanwhile, may be used to defend revolutionary violence, although this interpretation has just as often been repudiated by pacifistic radicals, among whom two of the most famous are, of course, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr . In the pacifist’s interpretation, the body that we must place between the gears is not that of our enemy but our own. In doing this, we may pay the ultimate price with our actual bodies, in the non-metaphorical sense. More usually, the risk is to our livelihoods, our reputations, our futures. Before these most recent campus protests began, we had an example of this kind of action in the climate movement. For several years now, many people have been protesting the economic and political machinery that perpetuates climate change, by blocking roads, throwing paint, interrupting plays, and committing many other arrestable offenses that can appear ridiculous to skeptics (or, at the very least, performative), but which in truth represent a level of personal sacrifice unimaginable to many of us.

I experienced this not long ago while participating in an XR climate rally in London. When it came to the point in the proceedings where I was asked by my fellow-protesters whether I’d be willing to commit an arrestable offense—one that would likely lead to a conviction and thus make travelling to the United States difficult or even impossible—I’m ashamed to say that I declined that offer. Turns out, I could not give up my relationship with New York City for the future of the planet. I’d just about managed to stop buying plastic bottles (except when very thirsty) and was trying to fly less. But never to see New York again? What pitiful ethical creatures we are (I am)! Falling at the first hurdle! Anyone who finds themselves rolling their eyes at any young person willing to put their own future into jeopardy for an ethical principle should ask themselves where the limits of their own commitments lie—also whether they’ve bought a plastic bottle or booked a flight recently. A humbling inquiry.

It is difficult to look at the recent Columbia University protests in particular without being reminded of the campus protests of the nineteen-sixties and seventies, some of which happened on the very same lawns. At that time, a cynical political class was forced to observe the spectacle of its own privileged youth standing in solidarity with the weakest historical actors of the moment, a group that included, but was not restricted to, African Americans and the Vietnamese. By placing such people within their ethical zone of interest, young Americans risked both their own academic and personal futures and—in the infamous case of Kent State—their lives. I imagine that the students at Columbia—and protesters on other campuses—fully intend this echo, and, in their unequivocal demand for both a ceasefire and financial divestment from this terrible war, to a certain extent they have achieved it.

But, when I open newspapers and see students dismissing the idea that some of their fellow-students feel, at this particular moment, unsafe on campus, or arguing that such a feeling is simply not worth attending to, given the magnitude of what is occurring in Gaza, I find such sentiments cynical and unworthy of this movement. For it may well be—within the ethical zone of interest that is a campus, which was not so long ago defined as a safe space, delineated by the boundary of a generation’s ethical ideas— it may well be that a Jewish student walking past the tents, who finds herself referred to as a Zionist, and then is warned to keep her distance, is, in that moment, the weakest participant in the zone. If the concept of safety is foundational to these students’ ethical philosophy (as I take it to be), and, if the protests are committed to reinserting ethical principles into a cynical and corrupt politics, it is not right to divest from these same ethics at the very moment they come into conflict with other imperatives. The point of a foundational ethics is that it is not contingent but foundational. That is precisely its challenge to a corrupt politics.

Practicing our ethics in the real world involves a constant testing of them, a recognition that our zones of ethical interest have no fixed boundaries and may need to widen and shrink moment by moment as the situation demands. (Those brave students who—in supporting the ethical necessity of a ceasefire—find themselves at painful odds with family, friends, faith, or community have already made this calculation.) This flexibility can also have the positive long-term political effect of allowing us to comprehend that, although our duty to the weakest is permanent, the role of “the weakest” is not an existential matter independent of time and space but, rather, a contingent situation, continually subject to change. By contrast, there is a dangerous rigidity to be found in the idea that concern for the dreadful situation of the hostages is somehow in opposition to, or incompatible with, the demand for a ceasefire. Surely a ceasefire—as well as being an ethical necessity—is also in the immediate absolute interest of the hostages, a fact that cannot be erased by tearing their posters off walls.

Part of the significance of a student protest is the ways in which it gives young people the opportunity to insist upon an ethical principle while still being, comparatively speaking, a more rational force than the supposed adults in the room, against whose crazed magical thinking they have been forced to define themselves. The equality of all human life was never a self-evident truth in racially segregated America. There was no way to “win” in Vietnam. Hamas will not be “eliminated.” The more than seven million Jewish human beings who live in the gap between the river and the sea will not simply vanish because you think that they should. All of that is just rhetoric. Words. Cathartic to chant, perhaps, but essentially meaningless. A ceasefire, meanwhile, is both a potential reality and an ethical necessity. The monstrous and brutal mass murder of more than eleven hundred people, the majority of them civilians, dozens of them children, on October 7th, has been followed by the monstrous and brutal mass murder (at the time of writing) of a reported fourteen thousand five hundred children. And many more human beings besides, but it’s impossible not to notice that the sort of people who take at face value phrases like “surgical strikes” and “controlled military operation” sometimes need to look at and/or think about dead children specifically in order to refocus their minds on reality.

To send the police in to arrest young people peacefully insisting upon a ceasefire represents a moral injury to us all. To do it with violence is a scandal. How could they do less than protest, in this moment? They are putting their own bodies into the machine. They deserve our support and praise. As to which postwar political arrangement any of these students may favor, and on what basis they favor it—that is all an argument for the day after a ceasefire. One state, two states, river to the sea—in my view, their views have no real weight in this particular moment, or very little weight next to the significance of their collective action, which (if I understand it correctly) is focussed on stopping the flow of money that is funding bloody murder, and calling for a ceasefire, the political euphemism that we use to mark the end of bloody murder. After a ceasefire, the criminal events of the past seven months should be tried and judged, and the infinitely difficult business of creating just, humane, and habitable political structures in the region must begin anew. Right now: ceasefire. And, as we make this demand, we might remind ourselves that a ceasefire is not, primarily, a political demand. Primarily, it is an ethical one.

But it is in the nature of the political that we cannot even attend to such ethical imperatives unless we first know the political position of whoever is speaking. (“Where do you stand on Israel/Palestine?”) In these constructed narratives, there are always a series of shibboleths, that is, phrases that can’t be said, or, conversely, phrases that must be said. Once these words or phrases have been spoken ( river to the sea, existential threat, right to defend, one state, two states, Zionist, colonialist, imperialist, terrorist ) and one’s positionality established, then and only then will the ethics of the question be attended to (or absolutely ignored). The objection may be raised at this point that I am behaving like a novelist, expressing a philosophy without a politics, or making some rarefied point about language and rhetoric while people commit bloody murder. This would normally be my own view, but, in the case of Israel/Palestine, language and rhetoric are and always have been weapons of mass destruction.

It is in fact perhaps the most acute example in the world of the use of words to justify bloody murder, to flatten and erase unbelievably labyrinthine histories, and to deliver the atavistic pleasure of violent simplicity to the many people who seem to believe that merely by saying something they make it so. It is no doubt a great relief to say the word “Hamas” as if it purely and solely described a terrorist entity. A great relief to say “There is no such thing as the Palestinian people” as they stand in front of you. A great relief to say “Zionist colonialist state” and accept those three words as a full and unimpeachable definition of the state of Israel, not only under the disastrous leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu but at every stage of its long and complex history, and also to hear them as a perfectly sufficient description of every man, woman, and child who has ever lived in Israel or happened to find themselves born within it. It is perhaps because we know these simplifications to be impossible that we insist upon them so passionately. They are shibboleths; they describe a people, by defining them against other people—but the people being described are ourselves. The person who says “We must eliminate Hamas” says this not necessarily because she thinks this is a possible outcome on this earth but because this sentence is the shibboleth that marks her membership in the community that says that. The person who uses the word “Zionist” as if that word were an unchanged and unchangeable monolith, meaning exactly the same thing in 2024 and 1948 as it meant in 1890 or 1901 or 1920—that person does not so much bring definitive clarity to the entangled history of Jews and Palestinians as they successfully and soothingly draw a line to mark their own zone of interest and where it ends. And while we all talk, carefully curating our shibboleths, presenting them to others and waiting for them to reveal themselves as with us or against us—while we do all that, bloody murder.

And now here we are, almost at the end of this little stream of words. We’ve arrived at the point at which I must state clearly “where I stand on the issue,” that is, which particular political settlement should, in my own, personal view, occur on the other side of a ceasefire. This is the point wherein—by my stating of a position—you are at once liberated into the simple pleasure of placing me firmly on one side or the other, putting me over there with those who lisp or those who don’t, with the Ephraimites, or with the people of Gilead. Yes, this is the point at which I stake my rhetorical flag in that fantastical, linguistical, conceptual, unreal place—built with words—where rapes are minimized as needs be, and the definition of genocide quibbled over, where the killing of babies is denied, and the precision of drones glorified, where histories are reconsidered or rewritten or analogized or simply ignored, and “Jew” and “colonialist” are synonymous, and “Palestinian” and “terrorist” are synonymous, and language is your accomplice and alibi in all of it. Language euphemized, instrumentalized, and abused, put to work for your cause and only for your cause, so that it does exactly and only what you want it to do. Let me make it easy for you. Put me wherever you want: misguided socialist, toothless humanist, naïve novelist, useful idiot, apologist, denier, ally, contrarian, collaborator, traitor, inexcusable coward. It is my view that my personal views have no more weight than an ear of corn in this particular essay. The only thing that has any weight in this particular essay is the dead. ♦

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By Louis Menand

Student’s Essay Leads Her to Global Symposium in Switzerland

Batten graduating MPP student Khalila Karefa-Kargbo recently returned from the St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland where she was one of only 100 students from around the world qualifying through its Global Essay Competition to participate as a Leader of Tomorrow .

Now in its 53rd iteration, the symposium is held annually at the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, outside Zurich, as a forum for international and intergenerational dialogue on economic, political and social issues. The theme for this year’s symposium focused on scarcity. The essay competition in which Karefa-Kargbo competed asked participants to address the question: “Striving for more or thriving with less – What pressing scarcity do you see, and how do you suggest to tackle it?”

In a bit of a departure from traditional topics, Karefa-Kargbo focused on what she sees as a rising scarcity of “recognizing the inherent humanity that binds us together.”

“I had a few ideas about more tangible topics, but around January as I was reading the news and talking to people, this idea came to me and I felt like I could put something really cool together by going more abstract,” said Karefa-Kargbo this week after her return from overseas.

As to the experience of spending the week attending panels and taking part in one-on-one discussions with global leaders and fellow “leaders of tomorrow,” Karefa-Kargbo said her greatest takeaway is that one person really can make a big difference.

“Many people I met really trusted themselves to do scary and hard things, like moving to a strange country for school or starting their own business, even when they were not sure if it would pay off. It was incredible meeting others who were struggling, like me, to envision the future, but were confident it would all work out. It was great getting to know others like me and realizing that I can be the author of my own life.”

Two of Karefa-Kargbo’s favorite speakers from the week included former Malian presidential candidate Niankoro Yéah Samaké and Lindiwe Mazibuko, public leader, writer, academic fellow and CEO of Futurelect .  She was also inspired by the symposium’s focus on intergenerational leadership and the valuable wisdom she gained through collectively looking at how the world currently looks and the vision of how it could look.

"I was struck by the fact that the total number of elected officials and parliamentarians in the whole world is only about 46,000. Of this number less than 30% are women and less than 3 percent are under 30. This showcases how our elected leaders don’t truly represent the world order, but also the capacity for change and the potential for representation to make a change."

After final exercises, Karefa-Kargbo is headed to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to spend time with family before returning to McLean, Virginia, to work for Capital One. For the long-term, she intends to stay connected with Leaders of Tomorrow.

Karefa-Kargbo’s essay can be viewed here .

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Student Opinion

Should Schools Serve Healthier Meals if It Changes Students’ Favorite Foods?

New federal rules will require school cafeterias to reduce the amount of salt and sugar in the foods they serve. Do you think students will embrace the changes?

By Shannon Doyne

Do you eat breakfast, lunch or snacks from your school’s cafeteria? If so, what do you eat? What are your favorite foods? How nutritious do you think your choices are?

New federal regulations on salt (or sodium) and sugar are coming to school cafeterias. Do you think they will change your favorite foods? Will they affect what and how much students eat at school?

In “ With New Salt and Sugar Limits, School Cafeterias Are ‘Cringing ,’” Julie Creswell writes about a debate over the new rules:

Around 11:40 on a cool spring day in early April, students began to stream into the lunchroom at Haleyville High School in Alabama. Cheerleaders, soccer and baseball players, and other members of the student body filed through the lunch line and sat at their tables. They chatted and laughed about upcoming games (go, Roaring Lions!) and prom as they dug into plates of chicken Alfredo, green beans and salad. Emma Anne Hallman, standing in a corner, watched the teenagers carefully. As the child nutrition director for the Haleyville City School District, she has the job of feeding 1,600 students, in prekindergarten through 12th grade. For months, Ms. Hallman and other heads of school lunch programs have worried about new federal regulations that would reduce allowable sodium levels and introduce new sugar restrictions for foods served in school cafeterias. A debate has raged, with many parents and nutritionists applauding efforts to make lunches more nutritious while some school lunch administrators fretted that the results will be less tasty to students, reducing consumption and increasing waste. “We are cringing, as it could result in changes across our menus,” Ms. Hallman said. “We would have to look at the sodium amounts in the recipes of some of our students’ favorite foods, like chicken wings, hot wings or even some of the Asian foods.”

The article continues:

While far from perfect (cafeterias serve plenty of processed foods), school lunches are arguably much healthier than they were a few years ago, thanks to a signature program geared toward combating childhood obesity and championed by Michelle Obama when she was first lady. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, passed in 2010, required schools to reduce the calories, fat and sodium in foods served in cafeterias and to increase offerings of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nonfat milk. The new regulations drew sharp criticism, however, and the Trump administration rolled back some of them, such as a prohibition on 1 percent chocolate milk. But last year, the Biden administration proposed updates that would gradually limit salt and sugar in school lunch foods in an attempt to meet federal dietary standards . On Wednesday, the Agriculture Department made the new rules final after scaling back several provisions in the earlier proposal and shifting the start dates. Instead of gradually cutting sodium in lunch foods by a third from current levels by the fall of 2029, school cafeterias will have to cut sodium levels 15 percent by the 2027-28 academic year. And for the first time, schools will need to limit the amount of added sugars in cereals and yogurts, starting in the 2025-26 academic year. Standing in a Haleyville School District pantry a few weeks ago, Ms. Hallman nodded to boxes containing cups of Cocoa Puffs and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. They contain less sugar than the cereals that are bought from grocery stores and poured into bowls at home. Still, she said many of these foods would most likely be affected by the new rules and have to be reworked by the manufacturer. The label of a Cocoa Puffs cereal bar, for instance, showed it had eight grams of added sugar, while a frosted strawberry Pop-Tart had 14 grams. “Breakfast, particularly grab-and-go options, is going to be tricky,” Ms. Hallman said. “The changes could affect how many times a week we can offer certain items with sugar to the students.” Many nutritionists and health-policy watchdog groups say the new rules on sodium and sugar are important, with so many children struggling to have or make nutritious choices outside school.

Students, read the entire article and then tell us:

Before reading the article, were you aware that public schools must meet nutritional standards set by the federal government? Do you think these rules are reflected in what meals get served, how often certain items appear on the menu, or what foods can be served together at your school?

What, if anything, surprised you about the challenges schools face when it comes to serving food? Does it make you see school lunch differently?

Do you think the people who prepare school meals are right to fear that the new rules will require them to change or discontinue some of the students’ favorite items? Or will students embrace healthier meals at school?

What do you notice about the foods served at your school? Do students tend to eat healthy most days? Are the most popular items high in sugar or sodium?

Now think about what gets thrown out in cafeteria trash cans. Is food waste a serious issue at your school? If so, what can be done to help?

If students are less likely to eat foods that are low in salt and sugar — and perhaps less tasty — is it still worth it to make school lunches healthier? Why or why not?

Do students at your school have a say in what the cafeteria serves? If menus were created by students, what do you think would change and why?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.