I feel like I've known about student exchange programs my whole life... from movies and TV shows where some of the most mysterious and funny characters were foreign students, and from countless videos, posts, and stories online about the amazing experiences of the participants themselves. It has always been a dream – to go to another country for a long time, see their daily life, and learn something new every day: customs, habits, and a different system of living. The only chance to feel the differences between two completely dissimilar countries in what you are used to doing every day is to live their life. Besides, you also get the chance to study at schools and universities you've heard about countless times. I am sure everyone would like to boast about having lived for a few months in the USA or another country, for example, in Europe.
Once I entered university, I started looking for information about my university's programs. BSU, of course, as the country's leading university, has a huge number of international cooperation agreements with countries around the world. On the internet, I found a website with student exchange opportunities through the Erasmus+ program – a list of universities, countries, and courses spanning several A4 pages. You can start choosing... I discarded options without scholarships, dormitories, or those requiring knowledge of a foreign language other than English, and chose programs in my major, chemistry. In the end, only China and Slovakia passed the selection... To be honest, I was never particularly drawn to these countries. Thus, the idea with Erasmus+ failed.
About two years ago, while walking through a bookstore with my sister, I saw a book by a blogger who teaches English through songs; we had been following him on Instagram for a long time, so we immediately took notice. It was titled "USA. All the Intricacies."
The backstory is that my sister, as a child, flew to spend every summer for three years with an American family through a support program for children affected by the Chernobyl disaster. She had everything there: amusement parks, the newest toys, trips to new places, movies, American food, water parks – in other words, things her peers could only dream of. Back then, she would bring us books, clothes, and games that obviously didn't exist in Belarus at all. So, I also had something to brag about to my friends at that time... Her stories from there were always positive, and every time she said how much she wanted to go back. Of course... she had and did everything that all children in the 2000s dreamed of, and the host family wanted to show her a new country, or at least their state, in all its colors and possibilities. In short, that is exactly why, since childhood, I have perceived the USA as a place I want to return to and that is worth seeing with my own eyes.
Returning to the book... it was about all aspects of life in the Land of Opportunity, the experience of Konstantin Tyabut himself participating in Work and Travel, how he actually ended up in the USA, and even a love story which, spoiler alert, had a sad ending. My sister wanted to buy it for me herself, knowing my affection for the USA. I read it in one breath! Successes and failures, travels, and sometimes the survival of a nineteen-year-old guy in another country – all this is just in the first part.
The second part is a whole Q&A block with answers to questions about moving, work, leisure, and the peculiarities of national culture. The whole book, in essence, is dedicated to the experience the author gained thanks to the Work and Travel program! He returned to Russia, but now he teaches English and has a huge fanbase. The book is very energizing and shows that with a few steps, you can change your whole life for the better and actually fulfill your dreams. At that moment, I made a decision for myself...
After everything mentioned, the question of why I decided to participate in the program is no longer relevant. The USA, the Land of Opportunity and money, the most recognizable landscapes, and endless diversity – has always been my dream. An invaluable contribution to the global music and film industry, trends, and pop culture has ensured that almost everyone dreams of getting into the country where millions sing and play their roles, and billions listen to and watch them. How many times have we already seen all these iconic places in our favorite TV shows or on the wallpapers of our gadgets. Without a hint of flattery, one can say that in terms of the diversity of all spheres, there are no countries more self-sufficient than the USA. Here, from mountains and snow to endless oceans and equally endless beaches, from deserts with moving stones to forests where trees sometimes cannot be hugged by five people, volcanoes, northern lights, waterfalls, stalactite caves – the list goes on for a long time. Having visited one country, it's as if you can see the whole world.
The second aspect of why specifically Work and Travel is, of course, money... It is the only program that allows you to legally and with guarantees earn a Belarusian's two-month income in a week. There is no point in explaining anything else on this account; this reason is that after such work, you can afford a lot back in Belarus. And considering that you are earning where everything is new and unlike what you are used to, fatigue is perceived in a completely different way.
What do I hope to learn and achieve by getting to know a society and culture new to me? In general, among other things, I also adore the English language itself, not because of some sound or structure, but simply as a foreign language; you feel how the cells in your brain try and work when you read, listen, or speak. A large part of pop culture consists of English, so to be on-trend and make relevant jokes, you need to know it. I love inserting different phrases into conversation, the meaning of which is clear to everyone, but they are only funny in the original language. I like watching movies in English – it has its own special romance, and there is no need to even talk about music – how can one fully enjoy global hits while perceiving only half of them... Therefore, my other main goal is to raise my English to the maximum level so that it is much easier to use it in my future career, work in international companies, and in life.
Of course, besides the language, there are a huge number of goals that are even difficult to list. In general, I just want to look at the world from another side, not geographically, but with a different mindset. It is known that Americans have many views that do not coincide with ours on the most seemingly obvious things. From treating a cold to brewing tea. It's like studying another philosophy – learning different sides of the same things and views on them.
Exchange programs are the best option to get memories, emotions, and experience for the rest of your life, and even the high cost of participation determines what you are ready for to change your life forever.
Sincerely, Vitaly Drob.