Four Keys For Having The Best Homestay Experience

During study abroad, one of the places where you will spend a considerable amount of time is at your homestay. In order for your experience to be as amazing as possible, it is also important that your homestay experience is an amazing one too.  

Living abroad can be difficult at first, but making a positive connection to your homestay can impact your experience for the better.

From my personal experience in Lima, after having done a homestay through EdOdyssey, here are four keys for you make the most of your homestay:

1. Embracing Common Spaces

In your homestay, you should not feel like a stranger!  You should spend as much time as possible in common spaces with your host family.  Avoid locking yourself in your room all the time!

In a homestay, you are essentially becoming a member of your homestay family.  Therefore, you should want to spend time in common areas, ask your host parent or parents questions, and make conversation.

2. Creating Connections

Creating a social and natural environment in the homestay is what lended to myself enjoying every second of my homestay experience.  I would have long conversations (all in Spanish!) over meals about Peru’s history, my hosts’ lives, and life in general. It was very comforting to me that I could come back after a day of classes to a place that felt so much like home.

Your host family is always there to talk to you!  Let your host family know what is going on in your life.  This could include your plans, travel plans, or anything as personal as you so choose.  It is understandable if you want your own space sometimes, but interaction is encouraged for everyone to have a mutual understanding and respect of one another.

3. Fostering Mutual Respect

Remember that you are staying in another person’s home and you’ll have the best experience if you treat their house that way from the start.  If you had a student from another country staying at your house in the United States, how would you want them to treat your home?

It is completely fine to make yourself comfortable, but not too comfortable.  You should always ask permission if you want to have friends over the house.  It is unreasonable to expect the luxuries and services of somewhere like a hotel. Keep your spaces clean and always be respectful of the home you are living in.  

4. Finding Balance During Your Homestay

During your time abroad, you’ll enjoy your time if you strike a balance between alone time, time with your homestay, and activities outside of the home.  If you constantly are spending time by yourself or locked in your room, you’ll probably develop cabin fever and feel less connected to your new home.

At the same time, you shouldn’t spend all of your time at your homestay, as it is important to go outside and experience the city, but the time that you do spend there should be valuable.

Your homestay family is there for you with whatever you may need and EdOdyssey is there to help you if you have any questions as you get settled in your home away from home.  As you build a good and respectful relationship with your host parents, you’ll find that you’ll always have family in a new part of the world.

Five Tips For Diving Deep Into A New Culture

Our immersion programs start with an intense, authentic look into another country, language and culture which make it extra important for students of all ages to go into their trip abroad with an open mind and ready to take on each activity. However, the initial challenge of jumping into an unknown place gives each student an amazing opportunity to embrace new experiences.

After you get off the plane, you'll quickly feel exposed to a new language and a different culture. We want you to feel mentally prepared and confident as possible and we want you to have some resources for those instances when you, or another group member, feel stuck in an awkward moment.  

We want you to feel comfortable doing from the start and we know that the unknown can seem scary but we want you to be mentally ready for these so you get the most out of your experience abroad.

Here are five pieces of advice to taking that deep five into a new culture:

1. Embrace The Unknown: We’re Your Safety Net!

When you get off the plane, you'll probably feel some combination of tired, hungry and groggy so we want to keep you moving and exploring your first day so you get a good night's rest.

As you get over the jetlag, you'll have an opportunity to try speaking the local language! If you don’t say a word or phrase correctly the first time, you have us to help you and you’ll have more opportunities. We recommend starting with a word or short phrase and build from there and feel free to keep an EdOdyssey team member or friend who speaks the language well nearby. Don't be embarrassed!  

For newer (and veteran) language learners, you can keep a menu nearby in case you want to point to what you’re referring to if you want to try and do it yourself. A safety net can never hurt as continue learning so eventually you can build on that confident and start taking on longer, more complicated interactions on your own.  

2. Always Celebrate Your Victories

After you order successfully order food for the first time, or you try a new food, you can’t forget to take a second and appreciate a sense of accomplishment. If you’re more of a picky eater, or an introvert, we can all easily get wrapped up in feeling like we need to look to the next challenge or milestone without fully respecting that we continue to improve.

3. Make New Mistakes & Learn From Them

As we dive into a new culture and language, sometimes we accidentally send the wrong message with our words or our body language. Whether we don’t use the correct tone, or mix up masculine and feminine, which is normal. Find a simple way to say what you

All language learners at all levels confuse words or phrases, and that’s okay!  we just have to figure out how to get around these obstacles as they get in front of us.  

4. Asking For Help Is Okay!

If you’re confused, you have friends and EdOdyssey staff members who are ready to help! We want to hear your questions because there are teachable moments and universal lessons that helps all of us learn together. At the end of each day together, we enjoy group reflections and we like to explore these questions and observations together so we can grow and share the same experience together.

5. Celebrate Your Vocabulary

As educators, we encourage all of our students to complete sentences in the other language but sometimes it’s best to start with the core vocabulary!  If you find that you’re conveying the correct message in the target language, we encourage you to go to the basics and focus on the vocabulary. If you focus on pronouncing the word or short phrase with “please” to any reasonable request, you should be well received!

Unfortunately, no one becomes completely fluent in another language during our 7-10 day immersion programs. However, our students gain an appreciation for their language skills and see how the language works in real life. We want to challenge you to think about how you view language and ways to communicate with other native speakers.

We’ve seen our students step out of their own comfort zone and have the best time abroad so we hope that you’ll embrace your journey!  If you want to learn more about language, please check out our Four Tips For Embracing The Language Learning Process!

The Major Benefits of EdOdyssey’s Month Orientation in Lima

When you first arrive in a new country, you may initially feel overwhelmed being in a new environment.  When I first arrived in Lima, I did not know what to expect, but I knew that I was not alone. EdOdyssey’s one month orientation program served as an amazing starting point to get adjusted to the city, gain more knowledge about Peru, and improve my level of Spanish.  

This extended orientation sets the tone for your experience in Peru and I recommend that you take full advantage of your time to gain as much from the experience.

Interactive Classes & New Friends!

One part of EdOdyssey’s one month orientation that I experienced was attending Spanish classes at El Sol, a language school in Lima.  Since I had not taken Spanish classes in awhile, this allowed me to reorient myself with speaking Spanish immediately. El Sol was not only beneficial with studying Spanish again, but also meeting new people and making new friends immediately.  

El Sol also offers several activities in and around Lima to participate in with your classmates and teachers, which was a great first peek at Peruvian culture, food, and traditions. This provided me with an immediate connection with all of what Peru has to offer!

Learning Through Experiences

While studying at El Sol, you will also be venturing on excursions and fun activities in the Lima area.  These day trips gave me a chance to see more than only my homestay and El Sol. Whether it was visiting museums, trying local foods, or swimming with sea lions, each activity helped in orienting myself with living in Lima.  

Within the month orientation, I became extremely comfortable with life in Lima. Even the small things that we did like bargaining at a market or learning Lima’s transportation options, provided great value for the rest of my time in Lima.  As a result of the orientation, I felt beyond well-adjusted going into my second month with EdOdyssey.

Starting Strong Before University Classes

Following the month orientation, you should feel as if it has created a solid foundation for you to start your classes at the university.  You should also have a great feel for your homestay and the culture and overall vibe of the city.

This orientation goes in depth to ensure that you are entirely comfortable in Lima and aware how to get around the city. It is an opportunity to get outside of Miraflores for perhaps the first time and explore areas that you may not know much about. What made this orientation so special was how personal it felt and how it is a natural transition to living in Lima.  

You will never feel like you are thrown into everything at once. Do not be afraid to adjusting to Peru, as you are never alone in your experience and can always communicate with the EdOdyssey team at any time. Live in the moment during your orientation and enjoy Lima!

Four Reasons Why A Gap Year Makes Sense

If you are currently a senior in high school, you are going through the stressful college application process. What was something that never crossed my mind during the beginning of my senior year of high school? A gap year.  

The idea of taking a year off from school does not cross the minds of most seniors eagerly applying to college.  It’s existence may be known, but a gap year is not followed through by most. It feels natural to attend college right after graduating from high school, but it is important to ask yourself if this path is right for you.  

My parents were initially hesitant about my year off from school, but it was not hard to convince them that a gap year would add tremendous value to my studies and life. I assured my parents that I would make the most of a gap year and that it would be a productive year.  I was fortunate that my family was extremely supportive of my decision, and everyone was excited to see what I would do.

What is missing from the natural path however is a breath or even a couple breaths to take a step back and think about your journey.  One of my initial concerns was the perception of taking a gap year. I was worried that a gap year may appear to detract from my path of studies and achievement.  However, I became reassured that a gap year would only enrich my path after having several conversations with my family, guidance counselor, and teachers.

I was also concerned that I would be missing out on college and feeling connected to my friends going off the college.  However, when I thought more about this, I remember getting advice from my high school principal that in hindsight, this is only one year of my life. In the moment, I may have been concerned about missing out on college, but in the future, when looking back on this point in my life, I may be able to appreciate this year for myself even more.

If you have made the decision to dive into a gap year, you may be thinking “Now what am I going to do?  Here are some ideas:

Intern

A great way to gain some real life experience is through obtaining an internship.  This gives you the opportunity to pursue an interest or field of study that you may be drawn to, and may even help you decide what you want to study in college.  

You will be able gain some professional experience, build your network and references by meeting incredible people, and also build upon your own portfolio. You can additionally obtain a job to earn some money for your future, and this can be combined with an internship, depending on if it is a paid or unpaid position.tra

Volunteer

Nothing is more rewarding than the feeling you have after helping others and making a difference, regardless of size or scale.  You can volunteer in your own community, or go outside your hometown and volunteer somewhere out in the world!

Personal Project

Perhaps you have wanted to accomplish a personal goal or had a special project that you wanted to do during high school but did not have the time.  Now on your gap year, you have that time to work on a passion project to build your skills and portfolio . This could be photography, a writing project, learning a new instrument, or even learning a new language!

Travel

One of the best ways to go outside of your comfort zone out into the world and learn more about yourself is through travel.  It is very possible to travel on a budget, while going on an adventure of a lifetime and diving deep into different cultures of the world!  This is the perfect option for an experience that will allow you to grow as a person and gain some independence.

Traveling abroad opens yourself to new views of the world, with exposure to new foods, languages, and cultures that maybe you have never knew much about.  A gap year gives you time to actually think about and give you a better idea about what you want to do in your future. High school does not provide students with time to ask themselves what they like and what they’re passionate about. Travel can provide a great window of opportunity for this, and this is especially valuable before starting college.

If you decide that taking a gap year is the right choice for you, I would advise that you still apply to college in the fall of your senior year of high school.  All universities do not have a deferral policy, so you must determine if your desired school(s) has a deferral policy or not. It is best to apply to college in the fall of your senior year if you are considering a gap year because this way you will not stress out about applying to colleges during your gap year.

The beauty of a gap year is that it is yours to mold and plan.  You can easily combine any of these ideas! A gap year is not for every student, you may want to go straight into college or maybe the thought of doing something different excites you!  

Curious to learn how a gap year changed my life? Check out How Study Abroad With EdOdyssey Prepared Me For Harvard!  

Five Major Benefits of Going Abroad in High School

The intense nature of jam-packed schedules for all you 9th-12th graders can make it hard to see beyond your immediate routine. You probably have a limited amount of time to consider the immense value of opportunities like a trip abroad and travel as you run between classes, extracurriculars, and sports.

However, high school is the best time to explore these options because you want to make sure that you stand out as you get ready to prepare for life beyond high school. You’ll get a chance to continue expanding your cultural competency, gaining real-life context for your language skills and ultimately helping you stand out among millions of high school grads before you look to make the big investment in college.

Is it a bad idea to take a break from routines and get a taste of travel? Isn’t test driving a study abroad experience worth it in the long run if you’re not sure that you want to study abroad?

Here are our five major benefits to going abroad in high school:

1. Make New Friends

We all know that many students go to college unsure and undeclared about what to study in college or do with the rest of their lives, and an experience abroad gives an opportunity to step out and explore an unfamiliar place with friends and fellow classmates. The chance to solidify friendships and create new ones means that there is the best of both worlds. In addition to friendship, a new country means a variety of foods, locals, another language and sense for how you feel traveling abroad.

2. Gain A Fresh Perspective

The best way to learn is to go beyond your textbooks and explore, and there’s no better to do that to have an adventure with experienced educators and travelers. We understand that students learn the most and enjoy the process when they’re out and taking an active role embracing a new culture and society. We facilitate that experience through interactive activities in some of the world’s most famous public spaces (parks, plazas, etc) to have a student-centered focus toward learning language, culture and history within the country and the city.

3. Invest In Your Study Abroad Now

A trip abroad in high school gives a taste of culture shock and gives an authentic snapshot of a new country that will help you give more context for travel and study abroad in order to prioritize it before diving into college academics. When you get to college, we understand that your focus will surround classes, sports, extracurricular activities, and enjoying your experience!

The majority of college students study abroad toward the end of their college experience, and we know that finances and graduation requirements can limit opportunities to study abroad later on in college. If you go abroad in high school, you’ll have an idea of what study abroad could look like for you at less than half the price of a semester of college in most cases. We don’t want you to miss out on a potentially life-changing experience!

4. Test Your Language Skills

High school language classes do a great job of giving you a foundation for the language, but you’ll have to take those tools out of the toolbox at some point! When you take a trip abroad, you’re interacting with the language and seeing the language come to life. You’ll probably realize the value of those conjugation charts and vocabulary lists as you test your skills.

Whether you’re beginner or more advanced in the foreign language, you’ll see first hand that you can use what you know and find creative ways to communicate your ideas. Additionally, you’ll gain a true sense of how the language lives and breathes through people and cultures, and there’s no better way than to get a taste and feel for that language than in person.

When you get to college, you still might not have the clearest idea about what you want from an experience abroad, but you’ll have an idea of how it feels to explore another country. The best part is that you’ll have more confidence and more excitement as you hopefully look to make another leap!

5. Differentiate Yourself

College applications require a letter usually surrounding a topic regarding how individual high students have stood out from their peers, learned a life lesson, or challenged themselves. We know that the college application process continues to get more and more competitive with millions of high school graduates from around the US boasting high GPAs, a multitude of extracurriculars, and a variety of clubs.

How many of those same high school students can boast about taking an immersion trip abroad?

An immersion experience abroad shows a willingness to step out and to take on new challenges. Furthermore, the power of travel and new experiences can create life-long memories and an impact as you take that step after high school as you continue your adventure into adulthood.

Are you ready to start planning an immersion trip abroad? Please Start Planning Your Trip with us so we can get you on your way toward a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Student Immersion Experience in Lima, Peru: Liam Grady

My name is Liam Grady, and as I prepare to graduate from Saint Rose in New York this May (2019), I’d like to give you an idea about how my summer immersion trip to Peru changed my perspective, challenged beliefs/possible biases, and just opened my mind to the beauty that is present throughout the world. I went to Peru as a part of Summer Term and it was a great month for many reasons.

Some of these reasons are the culture, educational classes, and immersion. There was so much information and the experiences I got to be a part of in just one month made me forever grateful.

How My Mentality Toward Language Learning Changed Abroad

A big highlight of my trip was taking classes at EdOdyssey’s partner language school, El Sol, because the language came alive. As someone who took 4 years of high school Spanish and 3 in college I had never really enjoyed Spanish class.

Before I arrived in Peru, I had been studying Spanish for a practical, real-world application as I plan to work in law enforcement on the West Coast. I never really had a huge passion for the Spanish language.  My mentality toward Spanish changed at El Sol because I was constantly feeling engaged and eager to learn.

The teachers there do a terrific job of keeping the classes interesting, albeit they have people of all ages and from all parts of the world. It was truly a rewarding experience going to class Monday-Friday, 9am-1pm every day and really learning and working on my language skills.

Outside of the classroom, I was really able to work on my Spanish. I also really got to see Peruvian’s in their native culture and habits. In my month there, I went to numerous museums, the Andes Mountains, the Amazon Rain Forest, and Peruvian restaurants.

A Look Back at My Experience

I learned how all of these places provided me with an opportunity to speak and listen to Spanish, as well as have some of the best experiences of my life. That, on top of speaking and hanging out with my wonderful Peruvian host mom, Charo, every day, provided me with such an appreciation for Peru, the culture, and the language.

While no one can predict the future, I know that I will be more open and eager to learn about all different types of people and places for the years to come because of the experiences I was lucky enough to have in Peru. I hope to continue to be able to go on trips because my trip was truly life changing!

Definitely don’t miss out on this great opportunity and start your summer term application today!