I rediscovered myself and understood what I want to do

Vittoria from Italy spent her exchange in Germany.

Where did you go?

I spent 11 months in Starnberg, a small town 30 minutes from Munich in Bavaria. This experience was the best in my life so far.

Why Germany?

I attend a linguistic high school and when I chose Germany, I had already been studying German for three years. I wasn't very good at German; I didn't like it at all. So, I thought the best way to overcome this obstacle was just to go there and improve the language.

How was it to live with a host family?

My experience with the host family was special. In fact, I had two host families. After the first three months together, my first host family and I realized that it was not the right match. Within two weeks STS managed to find me a second host family: the best family I have ever met! I had so many new experiences with them. I went skiing for the first time in my life, they showed me around Munich and many other places in Germany. Living in a family that is not your own can be difficult at the beginning, but with time you get to know each other and establish a real relationship of trust and affection. I am now on very good terms with both families and even went to visit them after my year abroad.

Was it easy/hard to get friends?

Like my host family, my friends were also a key part of this year abroad. I had no particular problems making friends; I am a very outgoing person, always open to new friendships. I was also lucky because the people I met were very friendly from the start. They helped me to integrate at school and especially during lessons, they really encouraged me to speak German and learn this language that had always been terrible for me.

How was school?

The system is very different from what I am used to in Italy. It was a super-organized school. It gave me the opportunity to do so many activities: different sports, language courses, practical workshops in journalism, photography, art, math, and geography, the opportunity to perform at the end-of-year concert by taking part in singing and music lessons, and so much more! I took part in the journalism course and the photography course, and I also took part in volleyball and dance lessons.

What’s your best memory?

If I had to talk about the best memories of my year abroad, I would have to make a very long list. I could talk about the school trip to Berlin with my class, the holiday in Berlin with my host family, or the STS camp in Paris. One of the moments that has stayed in my heart the most was my 18th birthday. I was a bit sad because in Italy it is a very important celebration, and I missed my friends and especially my family. But thanks to my friends and my fantastic host family, I had the birthday party I had always wanted with the people I cared about most.

How will your exchange affect your future?

Thanks to this year abroad, I rediscovered myself and understood what I want to do in my future. When I got back from Germany, I started my last year of high school, I took the B1 and B2 German language certificates with the Goethe Institute, and in less than two months I will graduate. In September I will return to Germany, where I will spend a year as an Au Pair. In the meantime, I will study for the C1 German certificate which will help me to get into the university I would like to attend in Munich. I am super determined to reach this goal and if I have reached this point now, it is mainly thanks to my family and all the staff of STS who have made my biggest dream come true and have always supported me.

Your top advice?

1. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so do it! Don't be afraid, take that plane and chase your dream. It will make you grow; you will become more mature and responsible, learn to live and respect habits and traditions different from yours, get a second family, and make lots of new friends. I am now in love with Germany and miss it more and more every day since I left.
2. I highly recommend future exchange students take an active part in school activities, especially if school performance can’t be high due to language difficulties. Participation and interest will definitely be appreciated and rewarded!
3. Don't see the end of your exchange year as a sad thing, but rather treasure this experience which will certainly open up many opportunities for you in the future!