#predeparture

Yesterday was my last full day in the United States for nearly a year! It was well spent, as I was able to explore some famous areas of Washington, D.C. in addition to attending meetings and information sessions with forty-eight other CBYX-ers from the Northeast.

We had meetings in the morning, and afterward we boarded a bus to go to Capitol Hill, where we each met with the representatives (or their staff members, as they are not in Washington right now) of our Congressional districts. The staff member who I met with was really nice! When I told him about the CBYX program he was really enthusiastic and said that he would be certain to pass the information I gave him along to the representative himself. He had studied abroad in college and thus knew firsthand the benefits of doing so! At the end of the meeting, he even showed me the view he has of the Capitol Building from the balcony of his office. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, though I know now that the offices of U.S. Representatives are open to the public nearly every day, so realistically I could go back.

↑ The Cannon House Office Building, where my representative has his office. I stood on the balcony behind the columns!

After my meeting, I had about one and a half hours to explore the Capitol Hill area while other participants met with their representatives. I chose to take a few pictures from the back side of the Capitol Building, but then I went into the Library of Congress across the street. I have an affinity for libraries, and this one was no exception. The architecture and detail were absolutely stunning, and it was nice being by myself because it didn’t matter how long I stared at a quote engraved on a wall or took pictures of the ceiling from different angles. 

↑ I could’ve spent way more time at the Library, but we had to catch a bus.

After leaving, I walked at a leisurely pace back to Union Station, admiring all that Washington had to offer and coming to terms with the fact that I really was leaving in a little over twenty-four hours. We ate lunch at the station before heading to the German Embassy (Deutsche Botschaft), which is near the Georgetown neighborhood of the city. We had a Q & A session with a German ambassador and two members of the U.S. State Department who help organize the CBYX program and make it possible. I found it very informative, and the German embassy was fascinating—and visiting is definitely not something one can do easily, as it is very high security. After the session concluded, we went back to the hotel, ate dinner, had some more information sessions, and now here I am, writing this! I will definitely write another post soon, possibly even today, but with the time difference I am not sure, as we fly out today!

↑ Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of the German Embassy because they took away all of our electronics before we entered! So, I leave you with a picture I took of the U.S. Supreme Court Building. Above the columns, an engraving states: “Equal justice under law”.

As this post goes up, I will be on a plane to Frankfurt, Germany. I have never been to Germany, I do not speak German, and I have never been this far from home without at least one of my parents. I will not come back to the United States for over eleven months, and as of right now, I do not even know where I will be living for seven of those months. And yet, I am not worried, concerned, or nervous sitting here in the airport thinking about all of these uncertainties.

Perhaps it is because I have been prepared so well (thanks, AFS!) or had so many resources to answer my questions (thanks, Internet!) or had so much support from those around me (thanks, family and friends!), but I trust that whatever happens during my year abroad, it will all work out just the way it is supposed to. I know there will be days when I feel homesick and alone and not very smart because I cannot communicate well, but for each of those days there will be another where I feel accomplished because I contributed to a class discussion, travelled somewhere by myself, or explained something to my host family successfully. 

I guess in the end, it comes down to the fact that when I step off the plane, I will truly be an “American exchange student”. A new chapter in my life will begin, and I will be able to divide my existence into two: before Germany, and after. I have worked toward this goal for such a long time, and it is finally being realized. So no, I’m not nervous. I’m ready for this. And I’ll be back before you know it. 

I have less than five days until I say goodbye to everything I’ve ever known, except of course that which has been packed into the three bags I am allowed to take with me. Here’s a short post of ten things that I cannot condense into a bag...I’m going to miss them a great deal.

my family

my friends (from my town, my school, from camp, from wherever!)

my home and knowing exactly where everything is

New Spirit Week (camp that I’ve gone to every year since I was twelve...it is a very special place and the people there are exceptionally amazing)

New York City

the beach (I’ve never lived more than ten minutes from the beach!)

food: my mom and dad’s cooking, both of my grandmothers’ cooking, good Mexican food, and peanut butter

driving & in-car jam sessions while doing so

Sephora (they ship to Germany! but I just love going into the store and wasting half an hour wandering around)

Hallo!

Since the last post, much has happened: there were a lot of end-of-the-school-year things to get done, I had my senior prom (which was so much fun), and I graduated! I’m officially done with high school! Well, American high school. 

↑ That’s me in the extremely flattering cap and gown.

It is strange to think that these “all-important” four years of my life are finished. I’m very happy to be done, don’t get me wrong–it was a lot of hard work getting into college and CBYX–but there are some bittersweet feelings as well. I’ve made so many amazing friends and tried so many new things that I’ve learned to love, and now it is all over, and all of us are heading our separate ways. It is inevitable that we will lose some of the close contact we’ve had with each other the past four years: we simply will not be able to see each other all the time anymore, and that is a huge factor in terms of how close one’s relationship is with another. This I know, but what I do not yet know is what “separate ways” means. My hope is that we stay in contact as best as possible (social media is pretty amazing that way) and each make a conscious effort to get together when we’re all back “on the Island”, or you know, wherever.

Anyway.

Since summer vacations are in full swing, my very flawed expert judgement decided that it was an ideal time to make a post about the CBYX application process (which involves lots of writing, forms, and other stressful things we try to escape from during summer) for future wannabe CBYX-ers.

Disclaimer: If you are not interested in applying for the CBYX scholarship, you can stop reading now. This is going to be a long post about things that are in no way relevant to you. Additionally, if you are interested in applying to CBYX, know that I applied through AFS in the Northeast region, so if you are going through another organization, this could all be different for you.

Now, where to begin? It all started for me with the CBYX website, which is linked multiple places on the desktop version of this webpage and will also now be linked here.

After reading the website and deciding that I wanted to apply, the next step was actually filling out the application. This was all done online through a portal that I set up after providing my email address. The application process was very long: my best advice is to get started as soon as the application comes out, which is early fall. My initial application (before I was selected as a semifinalist) was due December 12th, so I had a little over two months to send it in. I sent it in around a week before the due date so if there were any problems, there was time to fix them. Could I have done it in less time? Probably, if that was all I had concentrated on, but I had college applications, all of my schoolwork, and cross country practice every day after school simultaneously. So it took me a while.

Below is a list of all the information I needed to complete my application, including when I was selected as a semifinalist. (I can’t remember which parts were required for the initial application, sorry!) I filled out a good part of this information on forms that were provided on the portal.

your basic information, along with that of your immediate family

a photo of you (I used my senior portrait)

a report of all of the high school classes you have taken and your final grades in each, along with an official signed/stamped copy of your transcript (ask your guidance counselor)

a signed statement from your guidance counselor saying you meet the minimum GPA requirement

a list of all the activities you have participated in during your high school career as well as any awards you have received (just like on college applications, there is limited space in this section!)

medical information form signed by your physician that clears you to go abroad and a form stating all of the immunizations you’ve had

a media release form that asks if AFS/CBYX is allowed to contact a local newspaper if you are selected

a survey asking you about dietary restrictions and your preferences for your home environment (do you want siblings, pets, non-smoking, etc.)

a signed agreement from you and your parents saying that you will abide by all of the rules while abroad

a scan of your passport

a form stating that you agree to accept whatever credit your American school will give you for German schoolwork upon your return (this really did not apply to me, since I was a senior)

recommendation letters from two of your teachers: these are SUPER important! Make sure that you give them the information about how to submit their recommendations as early as possible, and I would also advise emailing AFS after your teachers tell you they submitted their recommendations, because there is no way to check if they went through or not otherwise. Pick teachers you know well and who will be honest when writing about you, even if they might not have been your favorite (or you, theirs). If it seems like I’m really overdoing it on how important these recommendations are, I’m not. They are SO important! Treat them with care.

a letter to your host family: This is basically your first impression to your host family, and we all know how important those are! My advice is to use relatively simple language and to try and show different aspects of your life in the US. I talked about my family, my friends and what we like to do, what I do in school and during my down time, and what I am looking forward to in Germany. Also, be sure to thank them for welcoming you into their home!

six short essays: these could be no more than 250 words. My questions were as follows, but there can be variation from year to year.

Choose one of the activities you listed in the "Activities, Awards, and Interests" section of the application and describe your participation in depth. What difference has it made in your life and in the lives of others?

In the 21st Century, the United States is home to many different types of family structures. Please describe your immediate family, noting its unique or traditional elements. How do you contribute to your family's dynamics?

What would you like to share with your German host school peers about the United States? Imagine that you only have time to share three things about the United States. What would they be, and why? Be specific.

Describe a non-academic conflict that you've encountered with friends or family in the past two years. Please explain specifically how you dealt with this challenge.

It is natural for exchange students to feel homesick during a year away from friends, family, and school activities. Reflect for a moment on what it will be like to live as a member of a family in Germany. What problems or challenges other than language might you expect to encounter and how might you deal with them?

What appeals to you and your personality about the CBYX program? Tell us why you would like to be a part of the scholarship and how you will contribute to its mission.

After submitting my initial application, I was notified via email that I was a semifinalist, which I was so happy about! As a semifinalist, I had to go into New York City for the day for an information session, interview, and group activity. 

There were about eight applicants and their parents (some brought both, some brought one) in the room with a CBYX alumna who answered questions and spoke about her experience while one by one the applicants were called in for their interviews. The interview was truthfully not that bad, but it definitely helped that I had done an interview in school for National Honor Society as well as multiple college interviews by that point. I was in a room with three women, who asked questions that mostly revolved around sticky situations that could arise and how you would handle them. There was also a chance for me to ask questions during the interview. 

After everyone had gone in for their interview, we had a group task/activity. All of the applicants were asked to collaborate to build a tower out of materials like plastic cups, paper, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, tape, etc. Points were awarded to the group for height, stability, and decoration. We had fifteen minutes to build the tower, and the catch was that we weren’t allowed to speak English while building it! We mainly got by on gestures and motions, and it worked out pretty well. After we finished, they asked us about how this experience could be a metaphor for experiences we might have in Germany, and that was the conclusion of the day. 

Whew! That’s pretty much everything I can think of to write about the application process! If you have any questions, shoot me a message here, I’d be happy to help you with your application!

If you’ve stumbled across this blog for the first time, welcome! As you can see from the sidebar and “About Me” page, my name is Christina and I am an American student who has been selected to live and study in Germany as part of the CBYX scholarship program for the 2017-2018 school year. This is the first entry of what will hopefully be many chronicling my experiences both in the United States preparing for departure and in Germany as an exchange student.

To start, I want to briefly explain I decided to apply for the scholarship! (There will be a post later on about the application process for those who are curious.) I have wanted to travel and see as much of the world as possible for as long as I can remember, so when I discovered that studying abroad as a gap year was a potential option, I knew that I wanted to pursue it. Being fully immersed in German culture would also allow me to become fluent in German, and I’ve always wanted to become fluent in another language. Applying to colleges and gap year programs at the same time was definitely stressful and extremely time consuming, but it turned out to be worth it in the end as this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

Hallo!

This past weekend, myself and twenty-something other individuals who are involved with AFS (the organization that facilitates CBYX as well as other exchanges in the Northeast) descended upon Camp Hidden Valley in Fishkill, New York. All of the individuals present either live in or are staying in what AFS calls the “EZ Pass Area”. For those not familiar, EZ Pass is a prepaid electronic toll system that originated in the New York metropolitan area, so really we were all from New York or western Connecticut. (I am writing about the origins of EZ Pass. This is very irrelevant. Moving on.)

For some students (like me) and their parents, this weekend was a chance to ask questions about what our upcoming exchange experience would be like, talk about rules and what to do in difficult situations, and to educate us about expectations versus realities of studying abroad. For students who are currently on exchange, it was a pre-return orientation to get them used to the fact that they would soon have to return to their home countries. After the “business” aspect of the weekend was taken care of on Saturday, parents went home for the night and all of the students got to mingle. 

We talked, had dinner, and then there was a bonfire during which some of the American students showed those who had never done it before how to roast marshmallows! When the fire started to die down, we all went back into the dining hall for an impromptu dance party, which was my favorite part of the night. The students from Europe showed us some of the music that they normally listen to (mostly DJ remixes), and myself and a few other Americans showed them how to do the Cotton-Eyed Joe! Everyone enjoyed themselves, and none of us wanted to go to bed. That said, when I crawled into my sleeping bag, I fell asleep almost instantly. 

↑ That’s a picture of all of us! Fourteen countries were represented: the US, Germany, France, Portugal, Belgium, Lebanon, Japan, Austria, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Thailand, and there were chaperones from Spain and Pakistan.

Overall it was a very successful weekend, and I feel much more prepared for what to expect when I leave. Plus, it was so nice to meet a few people who I will be going to Germany with as well as all the exchange students from around the world–I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that many nationalities in one place!

Pre-Departure & Arrival Logistics for Germany