2. IS IT A WISE DEICISION TO STUDY
ABROAD AT THE AGE OF 16?
It all happened right after I just attended
high school. The CHI program
representatives came to our school and
had the information talk. I signed up and
took an exam. Fortunately, I got accepted
and had the option to choose to study in
the USA for 10 months as an exchange
student. I was super excited because it has
always been my dream to study in a
foreign country for a bit. But meanwhile, I
will leave my friends and family to embark
on this journey on my own when I just
turned 16. Should I seize the opportunity?
3. DECISION MAKING PROCESS
But you are just 16, ……
I really value this You are a very
you can study
opportunity and talented student and
abroad later when
I want to take my I hope you take more
you are a little bit
chance. considerations on our
older.
decision.
4. How Much Risk involved?
SWOT Analysis
Strength Weakness
• Have the chance to • Relatively high expenses to
immerse in different participate exchange
culture by staying in an program
American family • Lack of enough freedom to
• Great opportunity to make pick the host family and the
friends all over the world student will stay in a small
and improve my English town instead of a city
• Prepare myself to study in
a foreign country later
5. SWOT Analysis
Opportunities Threats
• Have the opportunity to • Defer my graduation from
immerse another culture high school
and establish contacts in • Potential danger that may
the long run incur while staying in a
• Have the advantage to foreign country
apply for any US
undergraduate schools
• Establish effective network
6. After almost 12 hours flight….
Beijing-> Sacramento (CA,
USA)
Final Destination:
Grass Valley, CA
7. DURING MY EXCHANGE YEAR…
Frankly to say, staying in another country for 10 months was more
challenging than I anticipated. When I first came to Grass Valley, I faced language
barriers that I could not communicate at deeper level with my host family. When
I attended high school at first , I could not fit in with anyone at school. I can still
recall I was crying for the first week I arrived in the states and wondered if I
made the right decision to leave my friends, my family and everything I was sp
familiar with behind to come here. Meanwhile, I knew that I must do something
for myself to change the circumstances. So I tried my best to overcome my self-
consciousness and insecurity to start talking to people first. I learned to be more
outspoken and talked to more people. As time went by, I began making friends at
school and talked more in classes. Without this experience, I would never push
myself out of my comfort zone and know how much potential I have in order to
succeed. After I finished the program, I returned back to China and applied for
undergraduate in the US. Then I got accepted by Knox College, a small liberal arts
college three hours ‘ away from Chicago. And I adjusted to college life so quickly
due to the exchange year experience I had.
8. FIRST TIME…
First time camping …
First- time Road Trip… First time attending
business competition
10. PERSONAL GROWTH
• Volunteer to help out for Knox’s 175
Birthday. Happy Birthday Knox!!
(Upper Left)
• Representing China for
International Fair (Lower Left)
• Founder of Oriental Hipster -Knox
College Belly Dance (Upper Right)
11. Conclusion
• Throughout the exchange year, I not only improved
my English skills, but also learned to become
confident, outspoken and mature. I learned to
become a good listener and a communicator to get
along with people from different backgrounds.
• Because of what I have learned in my exchange
year, I adjusted to my college life very quickly and
accomplished my goals at Knox.
•Knox is the place where I found out my passion of
marketing research through my independent study
about consumer psychology.
• It is a risk to study in a foreign country at early age,
but the rewards are amazing. This experiences built
my character and was a solid foundation for me to
succeed in the future.
