Anette Helin, New Hampshire
I spent my exchange year in a small town called Andover, New Hampshire. I studied at a boarding school called Proctor Academy, which made possible for me to continue alpine skiing. The school had its own ski slope where we were able to ski right from the beginning of winter season. At Proctor, we practiced six times a week, and also took one or two-day competition trips to states nearby.
Academically, the biggest difference was in the class sizes. In one class there were about ten students in average, so it was easy for teachers to answer all the questions that the students had, and help out if someone needed help. At my school, all the grades were shown online all the time, so there were no surprises with the grades. The teaching at Proctor was very good, and the teachers really wanted their students to learn and succeed.
At Proctor, all students lived at the dorms. There were about 15 students at my dorm, both boys and girls. Living with the other students was a really great experience, because there was always somebody to talk to, and somebody to ask help from. I became friends with every student whom I lived with. I also learned how to be responsible of my own things, keep the common rooms clean, and also respect others if they needed quiet time to study or to rest. I was no longer just responsible for myself, but I had to think about other people as well.
I would recommend an exchange year to everybody. I cannot find words to describe my year and all the great experiences. During my year, I learned so many new things, things that cannot be learned anywhere else. It was also a great feeling to come back home, and think that I just spent a year abroad, and also made it back home! During my year, I got priceless memories and friends for lifetime. If you want to combine your sport and a year abroad, UP Global is definitely the right organization. From the first idea of going, to my homecoming, and also after that, the UP personnel have always stayed in touch and been ready to help. I would not change a thing about my experience, and I recommend everybody to take advantage of the opportunity and go study abroad. It is a priceless experience!