Exchange Experience - Jack Pressgrove

Exchange Experience

by Jack Pressgrove

illustration by Mansi Patel ‘20

Navigating high school can be scary and difficult. With the additional hardship of being from a different country and speaking a different language, these four years can be even more stressful. Nevertheless, international students Katty Geng ‘20, Felicia Lan ‘22, Lissandra Li ‘20, Stan Shi ‘20, Jacky Wang ‘21 and Harry Zhao ‘20 have successfully transitioned into American high school life. While they appear to be like other high school students, they have unique experiences and challenges because they are over 8,000 miles away from their family and childhood friends.

Why did you decide to enlist in an exchange program?

LL: “My parents wanted to send me to America because there is very high pressure in Chinese high schools.” KG: “In my old school, we really focused on academics, and the students are very stressed all day. So, I thought it would be better to go to America to experience another culture.” HZ: “I just wanted to experience new things like being in a strange environment and meeting new friends.” SS: “There are a lot more opportunities here because not a lot of students can go to good colleges in China. It’s very competitive.”

What is your home city like?

KG: “Beijing is more like New York than Atlanta, but the weather and environment here are better.” SS: “Shanghai is a big city. The people there are not so friendly. You never really know a lot of people.”

Harry Zhao ‘20 sits atop a mountain top in Xi’an, China. Photo courtesy of Harry Zhao.

What was the application process like, and why did you choose this school?

KG: “There are agencies in China that will help you find what school fits you. I chose Woodward because I heard that it was very diverse, and I liked the campus.” LL: “To apply for the exchange program, you have to get a high enough score on a language exam [TOEFL Test]. The agency told me about Woodward, so I researched the school and thought it was a good school for me.”

What was your school in China like, compared to here?

FL: “In China, middle school was very stressful and had a lot of work. When we had a lunch break, lots of us would sleep because we were so tired.” LL: “The school was all day in China from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. with mandatory study hall after school. American students have a lot more time to do sports and other activities, but Chinese students do not have the free time to develop their own interests. A lot of students take extra academic classes after school.” KG: “I have more time to do stuff I like here because my school in China started at 7 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m. The

school here is very big. When you first [arrive], you don’t know anyone. It’s very hard for you to adapt to class. You have to force yourself to talk.” HZ: “In America, students can balance school and activities, but in China, I did not have time to play.” SS: “The biggest difference between my old school is that there is a lot more interaction here. There are a lot of courses to choose from, activities to do and more students to work with.” JW: “At Woodward, students will change classes and the teachers will remain in the office. In China, the teachers change classrooms, and the students remain in their one room.”

Are there any noticeable difference between American high school students and Chinese ones?

KG: “Relationships here are more open and intimate. In China, teenagers don’t really have sex before high school.” HZ: “In China, lower school and middle school students would not do the bench-press or squats. They would only study. But here, in the gym, I see lower school and middle school students doing the bench-press and squats even better than me.” SS: “People here are more friendly. You don’t get to talk to strangers in China, but here, you can always find someone to talk to. I can relate to teenagers more here because teenagers in China usually only care about getting better grades.”

Were you nervous before coming here, or were there any big changes to your life that upset you?

JW: “I was nervous if I was going to be able to communicate well enough and make friends.” FL: “Coming in, I was really confident because I had taken a lot of classes and felt prepared.” LL: “It was hard transitioning in transportation. In China, I had a lot of freedom because I was able to take [a rideshare app] everywhere and use the high-speed train to go to other cities by myself. Here, I am not able to take Uber by myself because my host family worries about my safety.”

When you returned home for Christmas and summer break, were there any reverse-cultural shocks?

LL: “When I went back to China, I missed the dishwasher and the [central heating] a lot because in the winter, I was very cold at home.” HZ: “When I go back, sometimes I [subconsciously] use English words, and my friends can’t understand what I’m saying.” JW: “When I went back, it was weird because China bans many social media like Instagram.” FL: “I can’t really get what my old friends are talking about, and they can’t get what I’m talking about. So, there’s a little bit of a difference between [myself] and my old friends.”

What is it like being away from your family for so long?

LL: “For me, it is not hard being away from them because I am very independent.” KG: “It’s not that hard because you can still talk to them, and my host family is very supportive. They make me not feel homesick.” SS: “I have to take care of myself. I don’t want to cause too much trouble for them, so I have to do a lot of stuff by myself.” FL: “My mom calls me every night. Every night she calls, and every night we get in a fight. At first, I missed home, but after that, I got so busy that I didn’t have time to think about that.”

What do you miss most about home?

LL: “I miss the food. The first thing I did when I got home was eat.” FL: “I miss the diversity of Chinese food. Because my host family is Indian, they don’t eat beef or pork.” HZ: “The food in China is very different. Here, there is a lot of junk food, but I do really like Chick-fil-A.” JW: “I miss how convenient my life was in Shanghai because I used to use the subway a lot. I feel like it is much safer to use the subway and Uber in China than here.

What do you enjoy most about being here?

JW: “I enjoy the football games here – they are very exciting.” HZ: “My favorite thing to do in Atlanta is to go to Buford Highway for the most authentic food in Atlanta.” FL: “I really like my teachers here. They’re really nice. My Chinese teachers obviously favored the smart kids. Also, I like the Global Connections Center because we can talk about things that the American students don’t understand.”

What are your plans after high school?

LL: “I would like to return to China after college, but it depends on the opportunities I am presented with.” HZ: “In China, everyone admires American degrees. It’s easier for you to get a job.”

Lissandra Li ‘20 tours the Forbidden City of Beijing, China. Photo courtesy of Lissandra Li