Julie Hüber and Nadia Bailén on their soccer senior night

Exchange students are regularly seen in Ipswich High School, however this year there are many new students who all come from diverse backgrounds with exceptional experiences. If you do not interact with these students there is much to learn about them. Being an exchange student in America is a very unique experience that us as Americans do not fully understand how different the US is from other countries. We asked four of the exchange students questions about where they are from and what their transition in America has been like. 

Nadia Bailen is 17 years old and is from Madrid, Spain. At home she dances and participates in many school activities. However in America she has expanded her horizons and played soccer and is going to play lacrosse for the first time ever. She is very open minded and wants to get the most out of her American experience. When she first came to America the biggest culture shock she experienced was, “The food, how it is so expensive to eat healthy and there is just so much junk food”. Her favorite part of America is, “The people, everyone here is so nice and everyone is very helpful”. One of the biggest differences that she experiences daily is the school environment, she says: “There is way more homework and in the classes it is easier to get good grades.” Something that she misses from home in Spain is the: “Lifestyle and just the way of life in Spain. Also my family, the family orientation is just so different. I have to buy my own groceries here and get my own stuff.”  Nadia is a bright student who really has a lot to teach and learn from America. 

One of the exchange students that we have this year is Martina Batres Villalba. She is from Madrid, Spain, but she’s staying with her cousin in Ipswich. Martina is currently a Junior, so she is sixteen years old. She is a very active person, she loves to dance, in fact in Spain she does flamenco, which is a traditional Spanish dance. Here, in Ipswich, she dances Hip-Hop in Marianas Dance Studio. When asked what the biggest culture shock was for her, Martina said that this was the time that people eat here, since in Spain people have lunch and dinner later than in the USA. Her favorite part of America is that there are a lot of options of food and products at the grocery store, so you have a wide range to choose from, instead of sticking with the same food or product all the time. Martina thinks that there are many differences between American school and Spanish school, she said: “Here in school you have such a big locker and there is carpet on the floor. Also you are able to use your phone in class and even eat in class. I love how you are able to work in the pods.” She believes that American students have more freedom to do what they want. Being an exchange student means leaving your comfort zone for some time. It can be very hard saying goodbye to your family and friends, so it can be very easy to get homesick. When we asked Martina what she misses the most about Spain, she said: “I miss my family, my friends and the lifestyle.” Living without your parents can be very hard for exchange students, but it isn’t that hard for Martina since she lives with her cousins, so she still gets the love from her family.

Elena is a senior and she is from Bosnia. She joined Ipswich High School’s 2x state champion volleyball team and is currently playing in the playoffs with them. She is very cheerful and optimistic about adjusting to the American lifestyle. When asked about the biggest differences when she came to America she said: “The bread is different, there is no normal bread, only like squishy bread. Also you have all the grades in one class, like freshman, sophomore, junior, and seniors all take the same classes.” Her favorite part about America is “The big cities, I really like Boston and the people are very kind”. She thinks that school in the US is better because there is a better student teacher relationship and the teachers really want to help you. Without her parents it is very hard for Elena, she misses them so much. She also misses her friends and her old lifestyle where she had more freedom. There is such a difference in the environment in the US and other countries so when coming and staying in the US for a long time, it can be very difficult to alter your way of life.

Julie Hüber is a seventeen year old girl from Oslo, Norway. She is a senior in Ipswich High school, and even though she’s doing the last year of American High School, when she returns to Norway she has one more year until she graduates. She is an extraordinary soccer player, she has been playing since she was very young and when she came to America she participated in the girls varsity soccer team. She is also planning on doing more extracurricular activities such as basketball, soft ball or even club soccer. “People eat very unhealthy food here”, Julie answered this when we asked her what was her biggest culture shock. Like Nadia, Julie also thinks that eating healthy is more expensive than eating junk food and that is very hard. Even though there are many difficulties about leaving your home, there are some great aspects about doing an exchange year, for Julie the best thing about America is the people. She has been surrounded by very nice and helpful people, such as the girls varsity soccer team and her friends. School for her is very different from her school in Norway. Julie described why it is easier school here for her, she said: “School is so much easier because many tests and quizzes are multiple choice, you also have all the grades of your classes in Aspen, which helps a lot, but there’s so much homework that it is hard to keep up.” Even though she’s having the time of her life, Julie still misses her family and not having to do her laundry. 

It is important to learn about how different the US is from other countries. These exchange students are all so brave and are all challenging themselves to live in another country for a year. They all have remarkable experiences that it is important to learn from to gain perspective of the US compared to other countries.