A peek into the life of a Carrillo exchange student
Breiling pictured in Germany (Clara Breiling / The Puma Prensa)
By Lauren Chavez, Features Editor
The concept of foreign exchange students is something that most people think about within the perspective of media like movies or television, and it can be hard to picture what the experience of one may look like in real life. The truth is, exchange students are much more common than one might think, and I have had the pleasure of becoming close friends with one of them and witnessing firsthand what it looks like to leave Maria Carrillo High School and attend a new high school halfway across the world.
Clara Breiling, 16, recently began her exchange journey when moving from Santa Rosa to Pucheim, Germany. As someone of German descent, Breiling has always felt very connected with her culture and she currently has relatives living in Germany, so attending school there has given her the opportunity to explore a place she has a deep connection to while also giving her a sense of independence and adventure.
Breiling has been living and going to school in Germany since early September but has already noticed major differences in many aspects of life. She pointed out that students and teachers have more respect for each other than she had observed in the United States, and that along with standing and greeting the teacher whenever they enter a room, teachers and peers are also referred to with different conjugations to show different levels of respect. Students are also expected to dress more professionally when coming to school than they do here, so respect shows itself in a variety of ways. Homework is less of a staple in Germany than it is in the U.S., and almost all work is focused and individualized. School is strictly education-based, and there is little to no school spirit, unlike in America, where school spirit (football games, rallies, class colors, and spirit days) are extremely common and ingrained in high school culture. People also walk and bike much more than in the U.S., and the train is also used to get to most places. Train use by young people to get to schools, cities, and other places is extremely common, and many teens are very independent.
In terms of culture outside of school, it’s more difficult to make friends in Germany. America is known for being a very friendly country, and many people will talk to strangers in passing on the street with a quick “Hi, how are you?” or “Beautiful weather today!” However, this is extremely uncommon in Germany, and Breiling said that “you don’t just walk up to people and make friends, you’re introduced to them through other people.” It also takes a while to become close with someone, and people don’t become friends through one interaction.
When asked about adjusting to everyday life in a foreign country, Breiling said that it only took her one or two days to get used to it, because “you don’t really have a choice.” Being dropped into a completely new environment with new faces and being expected to immediately call it ‘home’ can be really jarring but also incredibly rewarding.
Breiling said that sightseeing with new friends and exploring new cities was the best part of living in Germany, and she shared that being an exchange student expanded her world perspective because “you forget that so many people live different lives,” and that witnessing the way people’s everyday lives look outside of one’s own bubble has been “very influential to my overall worldview and perception of the planet.”
Of course, there are always things that people might not like or regret about moving to a new place, and in Breiling’s case, that included things like knowing more of the German language before arriving and knowing that the water would be hard, which can have damaging effects on hair.
Overall, Breiling recommends an exchange program to anyone, and said that although she’s only been overseas for about two months, it’s already changed her life and gave her experiences she’ll remember forever and that she has learned a lot from.