You’ll never be the same, in a good way
I got so much more out of this experience than I could have ever expected and left the experience a completely different person. ASSE takes care in making sure that not only your host family, but your school itself is perfectly suited for you. When I first got my placement, I was skeptical because the selected high school wasn’t what I had expected, but it was the perfect match for me. I made dozens of friends and did things that were so random, they weren’t even on my ‘exchange student bucket list’, like going on a stargazing camp deep in the mountains of Nagoya, or meeting my best friend whom integrated me into the underground Tokyo rock and roll scene. I even performed in a band at my schools festival. Most importantly though, the host family I was placed in became a second home for me, we love each other dearly even now (I have since returned to and am living in Tokyo). Do not pass up on this opportunity. If you are lost in your adolescence and feel directionless, this is exactly what you need. The staff and associated members in this program guide you to everything you want in a study abroad program. If I hadn’t have gone with this program, I honestly don’t know what I’d be doing with my life right now and I certainly wouldn’t have a second language under my belt.
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