My experience as an exchange student in Cork

INSPIRATION BEHIND

THE SERIES

Young people deserve to hear from the perspectives, opinions, and experiences of other young people.

I believe we can learn from each other and help each other as we navigate the Irish education system.

I aim to draw from as many points of view as possible, making sure this advice is relevant to as many different students as possible.

The articles over these 10 weeks will look at study skills, career route options, Leaving Cert reflections, school experiences, and so on.

THIS WEEK’S SUBJECT

Lina Monnerat, from Geneva, Switzerland, loves sports and travelling.

As just 15 years old, she convinced her parents to let her live in Ireland for 10 months with a host family.

I wanted to hear what Lina thought of school and the education system in Ireland as an exchange student, especially compared to her home country.

She has gained a wealth of insights from her year abroad in Ireland that I was hoping to learn from.

When asked why she decided to do an exchange, Lina said: “The idea of doing an exchange year has always appealed to me.”

She created a vivid picture of the life she envisioned for herself in a foreign country.

“To live abroad, meet new people, improve my level in English, become more independent and get to know another culture, are some of the many benefits of doing an exchange year.”

As it turned out, coming to Ireland rather than any other country, was actually her father’s idea.

“One day, my dad texted me saying: ‘What about Ireland?’”

She held reservations.

“To be honest, I hadn’t really thought of this country before he mentioned it as I was thinking more about going to the USA,” she said.

“But my dad told me that Ireland was a beautiful country known to have a very welcoming community.”

It was the lush, green fields and picturesque views of Ireland that helped her make a final decision.

“I did some research and the beautiful landscapes easily convinced me.”

She told me more about the highs and lows of this school year, beginning with the lows.

“The worst parts of my exchange year were definitely the beginning and the ending.

“At first, it was hard to integrate and make friends. I had to get used to a whole different lifestyle and culture.” Adjusting to attending education in an entirely different country was a big leap.

“School was also really hard; trying to understand teachers and focus in class was really tiring,” she elaborated.

Even so, the final weeks of school were harder than the first.

“But the ending was definitely the hardest part of my exchange.

“Having to leave behind the life that I had been building for myself during the past 10 months made me shed many tears.”

On a lighter note, she described how at home she feels in both countries.

Lina’s favourite memory from the exchange was actually somewhere between the beginning and end.

“The best part was when I came back to Ireland after having spent Christmas in Switzerland and that’s when Ireland finally felt like my second home.

“By Christmas, I had got used to all of it and I had built some strong relationships with my friends and my host family.”

I was very intrigued to find out what were the biggest differences she noticed between school in Switzerland and in Ireland.

She started by telling me the observations she’d made about Switzerland.

“I find that school in Switzerland is harder and a bit more stressful.

“The timetables are different too; in Switzerland we finish our school day later, but have a longer lunch break.

“We also only have mixed-gender schools and the majority of schools don’t have uniforms.”

Overall, she preferred the Irish system.

“I really enjoyed wearing a uniform every day and finishing school earlier, which gives us more free time after school.”

Lina shares some advice to any student undertaking an exchange year:

1. Talk to everyone because they won’t come to you unless you make the first move.

2. Be open-minded.

3. Become friends with the other exchange students.

4. Take part in your school’s clubs and sport teams.

5. Try your best to maintain a good relationship with your host family.