Exchange Student Experiences

JESSICA KIM

While those who have spent their whole lives in Vancouver may not think that the city is special, Italian and German exchange students attending Hamber present a whole new perspective on the school and Canadian culture as a whole. 

For many exchange students attending Eric Hamber, Canadian schooling has been different from their education back home. “In Italy, we have one class for all the 5 years of high school,” explained Simone Natale (12), an Italian exchange student. He went on to add that in Italy, there is an additional year of high school. Xenia Belobokov (10), an exchange student from Germany, and Rebecca Braga (12), from Italy, both spoke highly of electives and the freedom of course selection. “I love the fact that you can actually choose your classes”, said Braga. Both Belobokov and Braga enjoy the opportunity to focus more on their interests, which they had not been able to do at their schools back home. 

The availability of student clubs and athletics at Eric Hamber were also highlighted by both Belobokov and Braga. Belobokov explained that there are activities she probably would not consider in Germany, such as Hamber’s Ski and Snowboard Club. Braga mentioned that her school Italy does not typically have clubs or sports. “It’s actually very different and it’s my first time experiencing sports with school, and clubs,” she said.

New experiences always bring surprises, and Natale and Belobokov can confirm that there are many unexpected aspects of living in Vancouver. “I didn’t know that you gave this much importance and such acknowledgement of Indigenous [culture],” Natale shared. He went on to explain that in Italy, there is not very much focus or education on Indigenous culture. Belobokov pointed out the number of days off school, for celebrating culture and professional development. She was pleasantly surprised about the time taken to recognize culture in Canada. 

“When I came here, I didn’t know that people called it ‘Raincouver’,” said Braga about Vancouver’s weather. Both she and Natale didn’t expect so much rain and noticed how cold Vancouver is compared to Italy. Natale says the weather is not the best, but he enjoys it when it rains at night. “I appreciate that kind of environment,” he stated. 

Belobokov, on the other hand, thinks Vancouver’s weather is very similar to that of Germany. “It just rains a little bit more [in Vancouver]. But it does rain a lot where I live,” she commented. 

An important part of Hamber’s exchange student’s experiences are their homestays, and the students shared mostly positive views of their host families. 

“I consider myself pretty lucky because I’ve found a very nice host family,” stated Natale. “They make me feel like I’m part of the family.” Natale also observed that he found some aspects of his host family’s culture similar to his own because they are half Portuguese. He added that there are completely different cultural aspects that he has never experienced, such as Thanksgiving.

Braga’s host family has four children, making her the fifth. “I have only one sibling back home and it’s very very noisy here. It’s very different,” she revealed. Overall, she thinks her host family is kind, taking her wherever she wants to go. Something she’s noticed is that at her homestay in Vancouver, shoes are never worn. “Sometimes it happens, at home, that we wear shoes. We don’t take them off when we enter the house,” she said. 

Belobokov thinks she and her host family have a decent relationship, but sometimes the communication is not there. She says that her hosts work a lot, so it can be difficult to talk to each other. She also thinks they can be too clean, as they will go into her room and go through her belongings. “Overall, though, they’re very nice and friendly and they try to talk to us,” she stated. A difference she noticed was the food. “It’s very nice, but it’s still not your family. You’re just like living at someone’s house,” she remarked. 

There were many positives and negatives of the exchange student’s experiences. Belobokov’s favourite part of her time in Vancouver is the weekends. She enjoys going around and seeing nature, as well as going downtown and exploring the city. Natale’s favourite part of the exchange is going to school, meeting new people, and the new experiences — the reason he came to Vancouver. 

Braga’s least favourite part of the experience is that the food she is used to is really expensive in Vancouver. “I also miss my family,” she added. Natale’s least favourite part of the exchange was the beginning when he’d just arrived. “I didn’t know a lot of people,” he explained. “It was kind of sad and boring because I was always staying in my room.” 

When asked if they would recommend becoming an exchange student, all three gave an enthusiastic yes.