Foreign exchange student Ombeline Robert is wrapping up her time at Northwood High School and is reflecting on her many experiences in America.
The 17 year-old junior from Anges, France, was curious about what life is like in places outside of her home country. That curiosity led her to enter AFS Intercultural Programs, an international youth exchange organization.
“I wanted to experience a new culture and I wanted to improve my English,” Robert said. “I think it’s just so cool to leave and visit a different country.”
Upon arriving at Northwood, Robert was pleasantly surprised by the plethora of extracurriculars and classes available to students.
“I really enjoyed all the activities after school like the tennis team and the musical, as well as Pitch Please. We had a lot of fun classes,” Robert said. “I tried some classes that we don’t have in France like animal science and photography.”
As she expected, there are many cultural differences Robert has noticed during her time here in America and at Northwood.
“In the United States, if you have a good outfit people are going to be nicer. In France, you are going to compliment people, but only if they are your friends,” Robert said. “This is a cool thing in the United States. Random people just tell you they like your outfit…they compliment you.”
Not only were there cultural differences between France and America, but there were also many differences in the school systems of the two countries like class selection and the duration of school days.
“We can’t choose our classes, we can just choose specialties for the last two years you’re in high school. Also, we can start at 8 and finish at 5:30 without any activities, but some days we can start at 10 and finish at three. It’s really random,” Robert said.
“We also have 10 classes, not just 4. I think the big difference is that here in the United States students and teachers are really close,” Robert said. “They can talk to each other and be really friendly. In France, you have the teacher and then you have the students, it’s really different.”
There were a couple things about Northwood that Robert did not enjoy as much. However, that did not deter her from exploring the activities the school had to offer her.
“There is not a lot of time for lunch. In my high school in France we have at least an hour and a half. Lunchtime is a real break in the day and I like that. Here, we have the same 4 classes everyday and it’s sometimes a bit boring because I used to have different classes every day and I had a schedule for the week and not for the day in France,” Robert said. “I love the fact that here you can choose your classes though and you have so many opportunities for clubs.”
Robert will return to Anges, France at the end of June. During these last few months in the United States she has been thinking about the things she will miss about Northwood.
“I will miss the people for sure and the fact that this year I don’t have any pressure at school because this year doesn’t count for school in France,” Robert said. “It’s like an extracurricular for me. I don’t have any pressure for school. I just meet people and have fun and do fun activities and just discover new things all the time… this is so cool.”
After spending a full school year in the United States, Robert believes that it may be a challenge adjusting back to her usual life in Anges.
“I think that getting used to the French system again will be hard, like finishing school around 5 o’clock in France. I will have to get used to the French food and meal time again. In France, lunch is a real meal like dinner,” Robert said. “We usually eat dinner later around 8. I also have completely different classes in France, so I will have to get used to that again too.”
Having enjoyed her time in the United States, Robert would recommend the foreign exchange programs to other students in her country and in general. She also has some advice for exchange students that she thinks would help them get the most out of their stay in a foreign country.
“I recommend that other foreign exchange students have a fun experience like I have had,” Robert said. “I think they will benefit from being in a host family because it is so different from just going on vacation with your parents. You are able to be totally immersed in the culture and it’s really cool.”
Having visited other states like New York for Christmas, Robert has grown to love America and the many things it has to offer her and other students looking to diversify their experiences in life.
“America is a really big country so there are so many things to see,” Robert said. “I love the United States, I have learned a lot here and it will be hard to leave everyone behind. I am so grateful for all the opportunities I have had this year.”
