I have no news to share with you all, I haven't received any information from AFS for a couple of weeks. But I did promise that I would make a post about the summer program and the year program so here I am.
Deciding on the length of your program is probably one of the biggest decisions you make in this process (besides picking your countries of course). There are a lot of factors that you have to consider when deciding how long you want to leave your home. For whatever help this may give, I've sort of made a list comparing the two and pros and cons and such.
Summer Program
- you're only there for a few weeks, usually around 3-8 (I think Spain is 4)
- usually you don't get a host family, you stay in hostel or school (depending on the program you want)
- you don't miss much or any school and you won't have to make up classes in some way
- you have a lot more independence and you have to rely on yourself a lot - there's a lot less supervision
- obviously its a lot less money (about $7000-something for Spain)
- it's easier to convince your parents to let you go
- depending on how long the program is you may not have to get a visa
- you don't see as much of the country
- usually you won't get near fluency, having only been there for a few weeks
- if you're only there for a few weeks, then you won't really move past the tourist stage of the exchange, and you won't become part of the culture
- being on your own for the most part, you won't really get to travel much at all
- you do get pretty good whether, being there in the summer and all
- there are a lot less country choices for the summer program
Year-Long Program
(some things will apply to the semester-long programs, and some won't)
- I'm doing it, duh, everyone should follow my example
- just kidding ^^
- you will come back fluent in the language, and be able to test out of school requirements
- you will get a host family that will care for you and provide for you
- the year-long programs have a lot more options for the countries
- the tuition costs a lot more (for Spain, $13,750)
The thing about the tuition though, is that you have to look at it per unit. Like when you go to the grocery store and you see an 8-pack of something that cost $4, and then you see a 20-pack of something that costs $9. You may think that the 8-pack is better because it is cheaper, but when you look at it by a single (whatever) you are buying, then the 20-pack is cheaper. Same with tuition. The summer program may only be $7,750, but you are only going for a month. The year-long program is $13,750 but you are going for ten months. Like they say, you're getting a bigger bang for your buck. (I don't know who says that, but it sounded kind of cool so I put it in.) Anyways:
- you make life-long friends from your host country and all over the world
- you get to experience going to school in another language, country, culture
- you usually have to make up some classes (like you definitely have to make up English literature classes, and for me as a sophomore I may have to make up world history. I was lucky, my school is familiar with exchange students and they are willing to take almost all of the classes credits I earn over in Spain.)
- you get to travel the world!
- there's probably a lot more but since I haven't actually been on the experience yet, I'm not exactly sure but those are the general ones
I hope this maybe helped someone out there considering going for a summer or year, and just know that whichever one you pick you're going to have an amazing experience. Until next time!
Adios,
Sam
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