Going on exchange is really an unforgettable yet challenging experience and teaches you so much about yourself and makes you very independent because now mom isn't there to worry about you or take you to the doctor every time your nose is runny.
In August 2013 I left for Tasmania, leaving behind my family and friends. This was the first time travelling alone, to a country that I had never been to and living in an unfamiliar household, yet I could not wait to get to Tasmania and see what it had in store for me.
When I arrived in Australia I already knew a bit of what to expect because South Africa and Australia are quite similar culturally, therefore culture shock wasn't really an issue for me. The only thing that stood in my way was getting accustomed to the Australian slang words and their accents as well as pronouncing things in such a way that they would understand what I was saying.
I was extremely apprehensive about going to a new school. I was not sure what to expect and if I would fit in, would I manage the academics. Attending classes with boys was a big shock on my first day at Scotch Oakburn College, as I have been at St Stithians Girls' College since grade 3 and have become so accustomed to not having boys in any of my classes. The students in my grade had two main friendship cliques; 'the salads' and 'the rurals'. The salads mainly ate salads at school and the rurals usually lived on farms or in rural areas but these cliques weren't "strict" as they wasn't any harsh criteria in order to be a part of one.
There was a wide range of subjects offered at Scotch Oakburn such as Business Enterprise, Cooking Class and Graphic design, which you could take in addition to your core subjects such as Maths, English and Science. At Scotch Oakburn, the advanced classes are considered "core" classes and not additional subjects like St Stithians. I took Advanced English and Mathematics but soon decided to drop Advanced Mathematics because there were huge gaps between what they were learning and what I had learnt as they were learning matric mathematics. I decided to stay in Advanced English in order to strengthen my English abilities, as they were focusing on analysing books and how to write essays. The subjects that I absolutely loved taking were Cooking and Graphic design because I was able to create food dishes and design pieces that I otherwise would have never learned or been able to do at home.
Living with new people was really exciting at first, till I realized that the family dynamics in other households were very different to mine and that swearing with and to your parents was deemed acceptable. This caused a lot of fights between my host family, making some nights at home quite uncomfortable. Luckily I was sleeping in the spare room which was in the basement of the house to which I was able to retreat to as soon as a fight started, which made it more comfortable as I am an only child so I am not used to sibling rivalries or constant family feuds.
Going on exchange can be an uphill struggle: the first time to leave home, the first time to take care of yourself and the first time living with people who aren't your parents. I learnt something from each mistake I made and each obstacle I encountered. The most important thing I learnt is to act, be tolerant, strong and not be afraid of making mistakes
