Senior Jade Frank Tells About Her Experience Studying Abroad
During her junior year, Jade Frank had the opportunity to participate in a study abroad program.
Current senior Jade Frank has just returned from participating in a year-long exchange program in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Frank initially applied for a year-long scholarship program to Germany, called CBYX (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange) in September 2017, but later decided she wanted to study in an Asian country since she was already proficient in Japanese before her departure.
“There are many obvious pros of studying abroad, such as language learning, getting to travel, sometimes for a lower cost or even for free, depending on your program, and meeting new friends. I think the most significant pro is that you’ll be out of your comfort zone, which helps you improve where you need it most” Frank said.
Studying abroad is often done in second- or third-year university students, but there are many programs available to high school students as well. The program that Frank elected to participate in is organized by ASSE, which stands for the American Scandinavian Student Exchange. This organization offers high school, summer, and scholarship programs to over 30 countries.
When asked what the biggest challenge she faced in her time abroad was, she said, “My host family was terrible. Along with normal cultural differences, there were also other issues like my host sister refusing to shower or stealing my money.” Despite these challenges, Frank still managed to keep a positive mindset, which is a key characteristic in creating a successful exchange year.
“Studying abroad has truly made me step out of my comfort zone and learn how to engage with others despite my discomfort, thus improving my communication in both English and Chinese. Being uncomfortable is always a useful experience and learning how to communicate will really benefit you in the future” said Frank.
Frank advises prospective study abroad students to “keep an open mind, but if there’s no way to make amends with challenging people, a good option is to work with your exchange company representative, who can help you have a discussion with the people or even switch your host family.”
“What most students should keep in mind is that everyone’s experience is different in one way or another, so freeing yourself of a lot of expectations and keeping an open mind will help you fully enjoy your time abroad” said Frank.
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Aloha! My name is Mahina Kameʻenui-Becker and I am from Hawaiʻi Kai, Oʻahu. I am a senior and have been a student at Kamehameha since the fourth grade. This is my first year writing for Ka Mo’i, and I wanted to write for this newspaper to be more involved with the development of current events within and outside of our school.
Kanoe Igarashi • Feb 11, 2020 at 5:19 am
I applaud Jade’s courage to spend a whole year in a foreign country at such a young age. With the host family experience she spoke of, I couldn’t imagine how homesick I would get. I would like to know why she chose to study abroad, what the benefits are for college, and how safe a study abroad program is for students.
Noelle Casem • Nov 26, 2019 at 12:37 pm
I appreciate how this article gives light to an opportunity that not many have heard of. Including many quotes from Jade allows the reader to understand her emotions that came with the experience. I also liked how the article included background information about studying abroad and how it expressed Jade’s personal pros and cons about the experience.
Deven Tapucol • Nov 26, 2019 at 12:37 pm
Leaving home and living in a completely different environment is very difficult. Previous to this, I believed that studying abroad would be such a difficult experience because of the language barrier. I now see that there are greater struggles to participating in a program like this. It was imprinted on me that foster families always treat their students very compassionately, I now see some of the struggles that these students face. I congratulate Jade for her persistence in studying abroad, and gaining more experience!
Trevor C Siu • Nov 26, 2019 at 9:09 am
Jade is currently in my Honors Hawaiian History Class. This was a very interesting article because studying abroad may be a future possibility for me. I enjoyed reading the article because I learned a lot about what studying abroad does, and how it forces students to get outside their comfort zone. Despite the cons of studying abroad, the pros that come with it are truly beneficial.