9781931930314

Study abroad has never been so popular. Students are embarking on life-changing adventures, and they need some tried and true advice. The Exchange Student Survival Kit has become the essential guide for young people traveling abroad, helping them better understand the unique experience of international exchange programs. More important, it shows students how to avoid many common misunderstandings and problems that can occur in the course of their adjustment to a new culture, a new family, a new school and a new community. Based on her years of research and professional involvement with AFS Intercultural Programs, Dr. Hansel has filled the book with examples taken from the experiences of dozens of exchange students from a broad spectrum of cultures.

Bettina Hansel is Director of Research at the international office of AFS Intercultural Programs, based in New York City

Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
On Being an Exchange Student	p. 1
What Does It Mean to Be an Exchange Student?	p. 5
Your Role in the Family	p. 6
Your Role in the Community	p. 11
What Does the Host Family Offer?	p. 15
Cultural Baggage: Beyond the Customs Counter	p. 23
What You Need to Know about Culture	p. 31
Cross-Cultural Challenges for the Host Family	p. 39
Feeling Secure in a New Country	p. 43
Unwanted Affection from Someone You Know	p. 44
Natural Disasters	p. 48
When the News Worries You	p. 49
Connections Back Home	p. 51
The New World of Communications	p. 51
Managing Your Internet Use	p. 52
The Adjustment Cycle	p. 57
Preparation	p. 58
Arrival Excitement and Fatigue	p. 60
Homesickness	p. 61
Settling In	p. 62
Deepening the Relationship	p. 63
Culture Shock	p. 64
The Holidays	p. 71
Culture Learning	p. 72
The Last Weeks	p. 73
Guidelines and Suggestions for the Exchange Student	p. 75
Stage 0. Preparing to Go Abroad	p. 77
Feeling Excited, Feeling Nervous	p. 77
Preparations	p. 79
Stage 1. Arrival	p. 85
Customs and Immigration	p. 85
Meeting Your Hosts	p. 87
Exhaustion and Jet Lag	p. 87
Health and Cleanliness	p. 88
Food and Diet	p. 89
Relax!	p. 91
Stage 2. Settling In	p. 93
Adjusting Your Expectations	p. 94
Fitting In	p. 97
Your Host Family Adjusts to You	p. 99
Adjusting to School	p. 100
Stage 3. Deepening the Relationship	p. 103
Rules, Spoken and Unspoken	p. 103
Sharing Your Culture	p. 106
Host Brothers, Host Sisters, and Friends	p. 108
Stage 4. Culture Shock	p. 111
Stage 5. The Holidays	p. 121
Stage 6. Culture Learning	p. 127
What You Have Learned	p. 127
Friends Are Important	p. 130
Feeling at Home with the Family	p. 131
Other Challenges	p. 135
Stage 7. The Last Weeks	p. 137
Stage 8. Readjustment	p. 147
Postscript-Special Issues and Concerns	p. 153
Changing Host Families	p. 153
Shorter Exchange Programs	p. 155
What You Should Expect from an Exchange Program	p. 157
Suggested Reading List	p. 160
Index	p. 163
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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The Exchange Student Survival Kit

The Exchange Student Survival Kit

1931930317

Summary

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Table of Contents

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