WHO AM I?

First of all, let’s make an acquaintance, I’m Diana, I’m 20 years old, and I’m a student of the faculty of foreign languages. I study English and German and this is truly curious for me.

I’ve been studying English since the 8th grade and exactly then I understood that I’m really into this, that’s why I entered the faculty of foreign languages, where I also began to study German. To tell the truth, English always was closer to me than German, and maybe because of it, I know English better.

It’s clear that I also wanted to talk to some native speakers to check my knowledge or even confidence. Fortunately, I had such a possibility last year, but before I’ll tell you about it, I must explain the way how I hit this point...

2 YEARS AGO...

The first time when I learnt about some exchange programs for students was the first year of my studying at the university. To be more specific, it was the first summer for me as a student, I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t want just to rest, I contemplated how to find such an activity, where I could travel and earn some money. At first, I found the program Erasmus+, it’s an exchange program, in which students can study in another country and that’s it. That idea was inappropriate for me, cause I also wanted to clear my mind and not think about studying. Luckily, I watched a video on YouTube, in which a girl told about her participating in Work&Travel USA, after watching I was overwhelmed with emotions, I really liked the idea to go abroad, to another country and earning some money.

And that’s why I started to search the information about this program. First of all, I found the stories about other students’ experiences, the information about companies who help the students to make their dreams true, also I learnt all the conditions thoroughly. So, everyone can take part in the program if she or he is:

A student (full-time education in higher education institution)

A student of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 5th course of study(not the last one, it’s very important)

More than 18 years old

Able to speak English at level pre-intermediate

Also, I learnt that the program allows going not only to the USA but also to other countries, for instance, to Germany.

MY EXPERIENCE

At the end of summer 2021, I told my friend about all my ideas and she agreed to go with me, she was truly glad to hear such a suggestion from me. So, we decided to go to Germany. Why did we choose Germany, but not the USA? The answer is quite simple, we were afraid of the huge distance and new, such a big country.

But to tell the truth, the idea of the USA was more attractive to me, but the fear was stronger than my desire. Now I understand the previous “me”, but everything changed after the summer of 2022, I’m not afraid anymore, I’ve already been so far from my relatives, friends and it was okay, 3 months or even more isn’t a big term. This participating in Work&Travel Germany became the reboot for me and I liked it so much.

When you try Work&Travel once, it will be hard for you to give up.

Why did I decide to take part in Work&Travel USA?

As you’ve already understood I was glad to spend my summer in Germany as a participant of Work&Travel Germany, but my first desire was exactly the USA. Why?

As I study at the faculty of foreign languages, where I study English and German, it would be good for my educational skills. I really like English and even in Germany when I tried to speak German, it was more convenient for me to speak English, then I decided that I will go to an English-speaking country the next time.

If all European countries are similar, even Germany and Ukraine, then the USA is quite different. Even in my childhood, when I watched some American movies, I saw that the architecture, people and laws are different; I really enjoyed those high skyscrapers, friendly people and strict laws. Maybe, I’m mistaken, but I want to check it out.

Now I’m more confident and if in 2021 I was scared of the thought about the USA, then now I’m truly keen on this idea. There are many reasons for it, firstly, I will be able to meet new people, secondly, I will make an acquaintance with another culture, next, I will practise my language. And the most important one, the life is one, so it’s a fool to be afraid of something and to limit your possibilities.

When I’ll return to Ukraine, I’ll have so much information to tell my friends and relatives and I’m really waiting for this moment when everybody is sitting near me at home and I’m just sharing all my emotions. It’ll be the best part of the journey.

MY EXPERIENCE (HOW I WAS CLOSE TO GETTING THE FINE IN GERMANY)

It was the end of a hard week and my friends and I decided to visit Dortmund(it’s a city near the place, where we lived). As usual, we expected that we would have to make a transfer, but we were lucky girls because there was a direct train to this city.

At the beginning of our trip, I recalled that I forgot my passport for the first time(of course I know that I need always keep my documents to myself), but then we couldn’t come back for my passport, because in this situation we would be late to the train. So, I was calm, because I had the documents in digital version, in our Ukrainian app “Diia” and moreover, nobody asked me for the documents in Germany and attention, I’d already been for that moment for 2 months there.

So, we took our train and I saw, how a big, angry man was approaching us, it was a ticket inspector. And we, as usual, showed our tickets(here I will explain, that there is the name of the owner on the ticket, that’s why some inspectors ask for the documents to check if it’s your ticket)At this moment, the man asked me to show my passport and I showed my digital one, but he said, “No, I don’t want to hear about this, I want to see only paper one”. I answered, that I forgot it at home and he marked my ticket and told me that the next time I will be fined, but I had somehow to return, about it a little bit later. And you know what, after me, this inspector came to another passenger and that man answered that he hadn’t the documents and the inspector said, that it’s okay. We all were really shocked...

To sum up, we came back home, using the way with 2 transfers, so I didn’t get any fines and after it, I always keep my documents with myself

WHAT EXCHANGE PROGRAMS WILL BE LIKE IN 50 YEARS?

Many things will be changed in such a long period. So, the companies that help students to go abroad will be able to have their own transport: planes, trains, and buses. It would be very convenient to transfer students with this transport and exactly then when you want to do it, you won’t need to adapt to some general schedules and suffer from postpones and cancellations.

And no wonder, if the companies will have not their own transport, but their own portals. I mean, such, maybe even a magic way to reach any place on the Earth, like in cartoons or some science-fiction movies. It would be awesome; people would even be able to return home for a day or two. Now, it can seem like full fiction, but I believe, that there will be such a possibility for us in the future. Progress does not stand still.

Surely, people may be able to cross the borders without any getting of visa, but just with a passport. In this way, all students will be managed to go to any country they want.

Many parents worry about their children that have decided to go abroad, so it would be nice if there would be a function which will allow the person and the parents to see how close the danger is. For example, there is some danger from you at a distance of 2 kilometres and you can know about it with the help of a special display on your hand or phone and the same with your parents. So, you would be able always to avoid some troubles. This function would be useful not only for exchange students but for everybody.

CONCLUSION

WORK&TRAVEL USA IS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO TEST THEIR POSSIBILITIES LIKE IN REAL, ADULT AND INDEPENDENT LIFE. SO, I’M READY FOR THIS TEST AND I’M IN ANTICIPATION OF TAKING PART IN THE PROGRAM WORK&TRAVEL USA!