The Exchange Student Survival Kit

by Bettina Hansel

The much-awaited second edition!

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. This much-awaited new edition
- New communications technology as it affects the e-mail, instant messaging, cell phones, online games and blogs and information searches.
- Important advice on personal safety and pressing concerns for parents and students in light of war, terrorism and crime.
- Changes in society and family life that affect fast food replacing family meals, a new emphasis on religious beliefs, consumerism and globalism.


For students going abroad, the Survival Kit is the first thing to pack!

Genres: Nonfiction

228 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2007

Reviews

[genevieve]

did i actually finish the book? no, but i wrote a whole book report on it so i’m counting it. also the other kid that’s an exchange student this year in my area said he finished the book in ONE SITTING. i could barely finish a page in one sitting tf.

[Mauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely helpful, much better than the "tough-love" readings sent out by my school's International Center. The actual, live experiences of the students used in the book were excellent and really made the salient points clear. I was even able to apply some of what I learned to my current living situation. Immediately went out on loan to to my fellow prospective study abroad students.

[Chloe Staudenmaier · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Exchange Student Survival Kit is a nonfiction book about one’s journey along foreign exchange. In this book there are no main characters and there also is not a setting. I used this book as a guide to my year abroad. This book also teaches a student pursuing foreign exchange about the struggles they will go through within their year abroad. According to this book there are eight stages of foreign exchange: arrival, settling in, deepening the relationship, culture shock, the holidays, culture learning, the last weeks, and readjustment. This book goes extremely in-depth about each stage and focuses on all of the problems within each stage. The Exchange Student Survival Kit also provides multiple solutions to these problems and other situations that may appear.

It might be because I am going on foreign exchange to Ecuador next year, but I adored this book. I loved how personal this book was to me and how I can look forward to relating with the different situations within the book in my next year. I extremely liked the flow of the book. The book was not choppy and skipping from one stage to the next. Each chapter could relate to the previous chapter in at least one way. My favorite thing of all about this book was the advice it gave. I definitely will be using multiple methods of solution shown within this book. I will also bring this book along with me on my exchange to help me with any similar real life problems.

I only disliked one thing about this book, the length. I wish this book was longer! It was so good it made me want to keep reading more, and I was bummed when I had finished it. I would suggest this book to anyone going on foreign exchange, studying abroad, or dealing with relationship problems in their life.

[Ariel Rezin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given to me by Rotary before going on exchange, this book was a thoughtful gift that I imagine is helpful for some but not for me. I found the content in it to be common knowledge as my exchange program prepared me well for exchange. Reading the book again after exchange made me realize that although it's very redundant, it's worth the read because some kids learn best through reading and it has helpful information. I'd recommend this to future exchange students, but only if they want to read it.

[Katya Ivanenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely helpful to me in my preparation to go abroad. The information was very clear and gave me a pretty good idea of what to expect when I do leave the US to study abroad. The stories that were included gave me at least a basis of what problems I could possibly face. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to or is going abroad and living with a host family.

[Bailey Whitmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick and easy read. Really helpful for exchange students and parents too.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super helpful, and it was actually an interesting read. I really like it, and I would definitely recommend it to someone who's going abroad or thinking of going abroad.

[Simone]

Reading given by AFS

[Brandon Zamora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! I read it before going abroad and even when I was abroad. It helped me a lot.

[Marina]

I recently finished The Exchange Student Survival Kit, by Bettina Hansel, it is required reading for all exchange students participating in the Rotary exchange program, and it is, in a nutshell, about the problems you are likely to face when you are abroad. Mostly however, it focuses on the psychological affects of an exchange and how to appropriately deal with them. This applies to my life in an obvious way, because I am going to be an exchange student. Through trial and error during my own experiences with exchange, I have found many aspects of this book very true. Even though it’s just a different country, sometimes it might as well be a different planet. Little things you accept as normal, everyday activities, or mindsets are actually part of your culture without you realizing it and these things won’t be the same in your new country. An example of this was when I went to Colombia, I had an awesome host family that told me a lot of differences, but some things they don’t even think to tell you, because it’s so normal to them. In Colombia almost everyone has an alarm system in their house, this isn’t a normal feature in the U.S.A, or at least, not where I live, where people keep their doors unlocked all the time. Well, the alarm was on every night and on my first night, I didn’t know that. I went to get water at 2 a.m. after battling jet lag and probably some altitude sickness. I tripped the alarm and woke up the whole house. I’m not quite sure that’s really a cultural difference, but it’s those little differences you don’t think about that can get you. My family didn't tell me about the alarm because alarms are a part of every home. If you had a visitor in your house, would you tell them you have screens on the windows? Probably not because you would assume every home has them. Homes in Colombia have no screens. Basically, the book breaks down the year abroad in terms of emotions and tells you what’s normal, what’s not, and what to do if you are having trouble. It starts at your arrival, when you first get to your host country. You are constantly tired, because you have to translate everything in your head. Next it takes you through the holidays, a low point for almost every exchange student, because you miss your family and your host country may not celebrate the same holidays you do. Then it finishes with reverse culture shock, which is kind of like when you return from a really fun vacation and then that depressed feeling you get when you have to return to normal life, times a million. This book relates to me for that obvious reason, but it also relates to my life before that. My sister went on exchange when she was about my age. I quickly caught on to how awesome the Rotary Youth Exchange program was and I decided I wanted to be an exchange student while she was abroad. This fall I was finally old enough to apply to become an exchange student. One thing I think the book should prepare you for is the interview, or at least mention the possibility that you may have one. I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous in my life! Also, the book doesn’t mention anything about the application process, which is almost as nerve racking as the interview, it is a twenty page application with the program I'm in. All signatures need to be in blue ink, you need doctors appointments, letters of recommendation, language proficiency letters, manuscripts, and it goes on. It is incredibly detailed. Okay, well WOW! I can talk about exchange a lot! In closing, I liked the book a lot because it had to do with exchange and any prepping for the experience is insanely exciting for me. I would recommend the book to everyone who thinks they may be interested in an exchange, staying for an extended period abroad, or just like studying different cultures. I would also recommend exchange to anyone who likes to travel, it is an amazing, life changing and once in a life time opportunity.

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't as 'helpful' as the AFS website informed me. I found that it actually brought up new problems that made me worry even more instead of helping. After reading a certain part in this book I even doubted my will to go abroad. Thank goodness I'm stronger than that. But seriously? This book was not helpful what so ever. Saying that the most exciting part is preparations? What if I'm not super excited with preparations does that mean my exchange will suck? Ugh not worth it at all.

[Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book saves my life. It's a very acurate description of problems you may encounter, useful tips, etc
It also made me a lot less anxious about my exchange
Also I take this oportunity to say: GO on an exchange guys!
everybody should have that experience it's amazing :)

[Zanele Mambathane · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is a real a help to foreign students :)