Dirkje was on an exchange year in the USA

Hi! My name is Dirkje and in the summer of 2024 I left the Netherlands for a 10-month high school exchange in the USA. I got placed in Anderson, Indiana, a small city with 55,000 people. In these 10 months, this place has become my second home.

Why did I choose to do an exchange year?

I grew up watching American high school movies and always dreamed of experiencing it myself. When I found out through social media that it was possible to do this, I knew I wanted to do it. After graduating high school in the Netherlands, I didn’t feel like going to college right away. An exchange year would help me improve my English, explore a new culture, grow as a person, and make lifelong memories and friends from around the world.

Why STS?

I chose STS because all the information was clear and organized and it felt like a smaller and more personal organization. I’m so glad I chose STS because everything has been perfect. From the preparations to the welcome camp and even my local coordinator. STS organized regular events and activities with other STS exchange students in the area.

High school in the USA

Probably the biggest difference with the Netherlands is the school life. My large high school had multiple gyms, a theater, weight room, pool, and a lot of different sport fields. Teachers are closer with students, who often hangout in their classrooms. I was surprised on my first day when I realized we weren't allowed to carry bags and we had to go through a metal detector. The classes were easier than I was used to and my school offered fun classes such as weight-lifting, cooking, theater, ceramics, swimming etc.

American high school sports were a very big part of the experience. I loved the football and basketball games, school spirit, dress-up days, prom and homecoming, yellow school buses and pep-rallies. I did soccer, swimming and tennis. I’d never done swimming and tennis before but I'm really glad I got out of my comfort zone and did it. They helped me stay busy since I had practice every day and multiple games a week. I met my closest friends because of these sports. I was also in a youth group that did community work and in the school student council.

Friends and host family

I feel like making friends has been pretty easy for me. Already on the first day people came up to me because they knew I was an exchange student. Americans are really friendly and interested. It took me a while to get really close friends but I ended up having a few very good close friends. In my last months I had a great friend groupand we hung out almost every weekend. Becoming friends with the other exchange students also helped me a lot, as you are all experiencing the same thing. I got placed with two host parents and another exchange student from Germany.

My host sister became one of my closest friends here and I'm so grateful to have had her in my host family. My host parents were very chill and relaxed people, I could do pretty much anything I wanted. I maybe wasn’t as close to them as I hoped, but we did a lot of fun things together. They took me on a cruise, we tried new foods, explored the state and did fun activities.

How it helped me grow as a person

My exchange year changed me a lot and I grew so much as a person. I definitely got more confident and independent. During the winter I was very homesick and felt alone sometimes, but I got through that and it made me enjoy the last months even more. Something that I didn’t expect was that you are always dependent on someone for rides. I learned a lot from all these challenges. It has made me so grateful for what I have back home, and it made me realise how much I love the people around me.

My exchange year has been the best experience of my life. I have so many memories and I just remember so many moments where I was truly so happy. America has seen the happiest version of me and I met so many new people. I’m thankful for all the places I got to see during my exchange, and I had a lot of classes I'd never taken before. I even found a new passion for journalism and broadcasting.

If someone would ask me if I’d recommend doing an exchange year, I would 100% say yes. It helps you grow as a person and has so many benefits for your future. You learn so much from it and have an experience you will carry with you for the rest of your life. It isn’t a year in a life, but a life in a year.

Favorite memory

My favorite memory has to be one during soccer season. My high school team hadn’t won a game in four years. One night, I scored three goals, and we ended up winning the game. I got interviewed for the newspaper and we even ended up winning more games that season. I got selected for a college showcase and got named first team All-Conference, All-Area and Top Team Player. It was really cool to experience since sports are such a big deal in America.

New York Welcome Camp

My other favorite memory was the New York Welcome Camp. It was amazing toexplore New York with the other exchange students. We got really close and I still talk to many of them. Since you are all experiencing the same thing, it was really great to talk about it together.

Advice for future exchange students

• Step out of your comfort zone, say yes to everything, try new things and be outgoing and patient.
• Things will be hard at times but in the end it will all be worth it.
• It takes time to adjust: people are different, food is different and the culture is different.
• Don't compare your exchange year to others, people will only post the best parts on social media.
• Communication is key, talk to your host family if something is bothering you.
• Do sports or a club! This is by far the easiest way to meet new people and make friends.

Find out more

• Read more student stories from the USA
• Read more about a high school exchange in the USA
• See all our high school exchange destinations