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---> So, this is my blog

Jul 15, 2008
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I decided to do a blog to follow the journey of my exchange. Well, my exchange so far...

So far, I have sent in my application and had one interview. I have another on on Thursday.

Here's a bit of a background or

My Exchange Story

I became interested in exchange when I was about 13. In the summer holidays, I would sit at the computer, eyes glued to the screen and google 'Student Exchange'. Crazy stuff...

Then, earlier this year, 2 years later, I saw an ad in the paper for an AFS meeting. THIS was my chance. I went to the meeting, where I met a few outbounds (students selected but still in their home country) and some inbounds (exchange students in their host country), and a rebound (someone who has already been on an exchange). I took home a student exchange brochure, and a hosting brochure. A few weeks later, I started filling out the application form.

One day, I was at a meeting and I saw one of the outbounds. She asked how my app was going, and suggested I do it online (after all, it was last year's brochure and things might have changed. They had changed. I set to work getting it completed, and submitted it. The next day I posted the other information (school reports, etc)

The next day, a recieved an email, saying part of my application was missing. I replied that it was in the post.

A few days later, I got another email, saying the same thing. I replied that it was in the post, checked over my online app and resubbed it.

...

It happened again.

I sent it again.

I also had to post the things I had scanned in (the quality wasn't good enough)

After all that drama, I was emailed to say my application has been accepted.

The deadline date passed.

...

In assembely one day, a was called to go and see my dean (my school referee). She said that she had been contacted by AFS because my School Referee statement was missing.

This is what I was thinking *SHOCK HORROR*!!!

I told her I had definitely sent it, and called AFS that night. The nice lady on the phone looked for it, and said she would email if I needed to get another personal referee statement. She didn't email back, so I asked my referee and got one anyway.

Scanned it and emailed it. Then posted it too because it was hard to read.

Don't read this and think this happens to everyone who applies to AFS. It was bad luck and possibly a case of cyber-information-napping. I still believe AFS is a trustworthy organisation and would definitely recommend it! Especially for those in NZ, AFS is the way to go!

While this was happening, I got a phone call from my local AFS chapter to organise an interview.

The Interview

went well. (I hope) We organised a parent interview there as well, which is this week. The interview basically was a chance for me to share experiences that showed I possessed the qualities exchange students should have.

And that brings me to the present.