When you are in junior high school, you can't wait for senior high. Once you are in senior high, you rush to graduate and enter college. While in college, you want to complete your study soon so you could take your dream job and become independent.
Some of you may not follow the regular school timeline, but you run on the shorter track instead -- 2 years in junior high and 2 years in senior high. Then you enter university at such early age. But sometimes, after moving from one stage to another, you ask yourself, "Did I miss something?" and you said, "I should have done that during my junior high. I should have done this during high school. I wish I could get back to school to do these and those."
It is not your school timeline that's too short. It is you who are too preoccupied with what comes next and forget to make the most of your present. You are too focused on finishing your school sooner. You are so busy to figure out how to get high scores in the national exam to get into your desired high school. You are so busy for your intensive preparation class to get into your dream university. You forget that you have more to explore outside the classroom.
If you can still maintain the balance between your academic and non-academic life, walking on your fast track will not be a problem. But if the fast track threatens your non-academic exploration, you better reconsider your action.
Some of your friends are aware of it. They see a lot of opportunities that only happen during school or college. They believe that those opportunities will help them to improve their academic and non-academic skills. They get involved in student organizations or take some extracurricular activities in arts, sports, and science. They prove that being active outside the classroom does not affect their academic life. They are still able to achieve good grades. They even make it to graduate on time and follow their school timeline accordingly.
However, there are those who take those opportunities to the next level. They sign up for programs which interrupt their school timeline. They sacrifice their term breaks. They even willingly graduate one year later than the rest of their fellow classmates. What they believe is the greater outcome they will obtain once completing the programs. They immerse themselves in the programs to take one step back for two step forward.
"What are the programs and what are the benefits they give?"
Student Exchange Program
A student exchange program is an opportunity for secondary school (junior and senior high school) or college students to study abroad. It usually involves an agreement between partner schools or universities from different countries. The cost of this program will differ for each institution. It could be a self-funding or a fully-funded scholarship. The duration of an exchange program also varies. It may take two weeks, six months, to one year. Exchange students will live with a host family or in a university hostel or dorm.
An exchange program is a life-changing experience. During this program, you will have a chance to travel overseas, live in a new country, immerse in a new culture, learn a new language, and explore the world from a different standing point.
This program will transform you into a different person. You will find the meaning of not depending on others but yourself. Meeting new people from different backgrounds and communicating with different language will build your self-confidence and develop your skills to adapt to any type of circumstances.
