Picture this: you’re traveling to another country. You try their food, meet the people, speak the language and get acquainted with the culture — not too hard. Oh, by the way, you’re going to school in that country for a year, on your own, away from your family and everything you’ve known your whole life. Scary, right?
This August, five exchange students from Western Europe did just that and enrolled on campus.

“[The people] are so nice here in America—really nice,” junior Marcella Massarenti said.

To these students, studying abroad sounded fun and interesting. Sophomore Anne Koepken, from Erlangen, Germany, was inspired by her older sister, who recently traveled to Panama to study. Sophomore Patti Hermigo-Lopez, from Madrid, has a friend in the Austin area—Erica Cardano—and her family is hosting her this year. Juniors Markus Samstad, Geraldine Maillart and Massarenti heard about the program at school and from family, and they finally decided to try it out.

“You don’t choose where in the country you want to go,” Massarenti said, who is from Miramdola, Italy. “You are chosen, and they put you where they want you to go.”

Some exchange student programs send students around the country before the students settle in with their host family. Samstad, from Melhus, Norway, arrived in the States a month before school began.

“I went with the exchange student program to Manhattan, and we drove past Ground Zero. It was cool,” Samstad said.

The arrival date depends on the program. Massarenti arrived in New York City only two weeks before school started, and Koepken arrived 10 days prior to the first day so they have very little time to adapt to a whole other culture. But the first day of school came anyway.

“I was so nervous on my first day of school,” said Maillart, who is from Nice in southern France. “The first two or three days were kind of hard. I didn’t know what to expect.”

Massarenti also experienced nerves her first day on campus.

“I was a little nervous,” Massarenti said. “But everyone was very friendly, and I made friends because you need friends when you’re an exchange student.”

Along with meeting people, the exchange students were also introduced to new policies.

“I was confused about the dress code,” Koepken said. “Like the hats and the pant lengths. In Germany you can wear whatever you want. But everyone was really nice.”

As the weeks fly by, the students are making a bunch of friends and enjoying most of their classes. Samstad said global business is his favorite class, as it inspires his future. Massarenti loves English and photojournalism. Koepken said she loves playing soccer, and Lopez is involved with video production.

All of them agreed that their English is much better than when they first came to the States. However, they all admit it was difficult.

“I keep wanting to talk in Spanish,” Lopez said. “But I know they won’t understand me.”

Maillart said she learned a lot of her English by watching American TV shows.

“I thought I was super good at English,” she said. “I was like, ‘Aw yes! I’ll be as good as everyone in school.’ Now, I don’t think I’m that good.”

As it turns out, America does school differently than other European countries, at least in certain aspects.

“School is much less social [in Italy],” Massarenti said. “Sure we hang out and have dances and stuff, but it is separate from school. School is just classes.”

There isn’t a dress code in Germany, nor at Maillart’s school in France. Students can leave campus for lunch and breaks. Massarenti added she had to get used to traveling by car more than bike or foot, and to eating dinner at 6:30 p.m. rather than 8 p.m.

“I’ve learned that in the U.S., it’s not good to hate people,” Koepken said with a smile, referring to the “No Place for Hate” program. “Everything’s different here – just everything.”

Despite the differences, the exchange students really enjoy studying abroad. They all love the friends they’ve made and the events at school that they’ve attended.

“I love it,” Samstad said. “It’s great here. I don’t miss too much…yet.”

All of them are adapting very well, using Skype to keep in touch with those back home.

“I miss a few things here and there, but not so much that I want to go back,” Koepken said.

Maillart said she misses her mom and her brother, but she loves the friends and cool events here at school.

The exchange students will leave the States around June or July, and they are already thinking of the things they will miss the most.

Massarenti: “The people, the big cars, the food.”

Koepken: “My friends and the easy work.”

Lopez: “All my friends and my boyfriend.”

Samstad: “People are so nice here, they are great people; and you don’t get that in Norway. Guess I’ll just miss the politeness.”

Maillart: “My host family, football games, friends, and school spirit. People here are excited about school, and I like that.”