feedback from PAST EXCHANGE students

Gordonstoun Exchange Video 2019

Gordonstoun Exchange Report 2018 

This year from January to March, Alexander Hunziker and I had the privilege of going to Scotland on exchange. I can safely say that those 3 months were the best (and quickest) three months of my life. While I was there I stayed with the loveliest host family that provided me with everything I needed and more. They have made a huge impact on my life and I will truly never forget them and everything they did for me. Some highlights from exchange were during half term , when my host family took Alexander and I to the west coast to get the proper Scottish experience! We got caught in a snow Blizzard and ended up leaving a day early so we’ll wouldn’t be stuck there longer than intended. After the west coast, I went to Edinburgh for a few days with one of the friends I made on exchange. We met up with Alex on our last day there and flew to London all together. We spent a few days there exploring the streets and catching trains on our own which was extremely exciting , especially since we come from such small towns. I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to go to gordonstoun - it is honestly a once in a lifetime experience. I made so many incredible friends and memories that I’ll cherish forever. If I could, I would do it all over again in a blink of an eye. I will definitely make a plan to visit again soon. 

Kathryn Brown

Woodstock Exchange Video 2019

Woodstock Exchange Report 2018 

In February of this year Nina, Toby, Jaden and I went on an exchange to an international boarding school called Woodstock. Woodstock is in the foothills of the Himalayas in India. Our exchange was around 2 months long, and we had an incredible time. We left SA on the 4th of February. We were extremely excited about this trip, but to be honest, we were quite sad to leave our friends and families for two whole months. 2 flights and 24 hours later, we arrived in India. We spent a night at a hotel in Delhi, and on the 6th we took both a train, and a bus up to the school. As soon as we stepped out of the bus, we were relieved to feel the cool mountain air, completely opposite to the 40 degree heat of Delhi. We were greeted by many friendly faces, and taken to our dorms. We all had great roommates, and our dorm parents made us feel at home. Our first challenge was a 20 minute walk up a steep hill to school every morning; which, at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, was quite a difficult task. We all made fast friends, and got used to our new surroundings very quickly. Every Saturday we were allowed to go to the Bazaar in the nearby town of Mussoorie for the day. This is a market with lots of colourful stalls, restaurants and cafes. We would walk around with our friends, and of course, try lots of different Asian foods. We also had the opportunity to experience an IB syllabus. We took subjects such as Religious Education, Dance, Science, Maths and English. Nina and I also decided to try out basketball, which we turned out to be terrible at. Woodstock also offers extra murals such as rock climbing, robotics, soccer and community outreach. While we were at Woodstock, they celebrated the Hindu festival of Holi, also known as the festival of colours. We got to throw colourful powders and paints at one another; this was definitely one of the highlights of our exchange. Other highlights included Jazz Jam (a music and food evening that our grade organized for the school), and Swishathon (an in-school basketball tournament where you make your own teams that play against each other.) We learnt so many new things on this trip, and got to experience Indian culture first hand. We made lifelong friends, and made so many amazing memories. This was a life-changing experience, and we will never forget it. 

Alodie Gould-Wagenaar

Gymnasium am Deutenburg Exchange Report 2018 

James Devine, Danni-May Nel, John Tanner and Emily Hemmes went to Germany for an eight week exchange during September and October. The town we stayed in was called Villingen Schwenningen, and is essentially two combined towns. The town was beautiful and old, and we were able to spend many hours soaking in the history and culture of the town and the region. We went to a school ar Gymnasium am Deutenburg where we met many amazing people. They didn’t wear school uniform there, which was perhaps one of the biggest differences between them and most of the schools in South Africa. Students were also free to leave school grounds when they had free lessons. We shared in a number of memorable activities, such as a visit to Europe Park and an Ice Hockey game between two of the local teams. This experience was something we will all never ever forget! We didn’t go to classes but worked on our work from Oakhill. We spent quality time with our hosts and were able to tour parts of the country with them. The German exchange is something we could definitely recommend! 

Emily Hemmes