Italian teen shares his thoughts on studying abroad in America
January 4, 2012
Studying abroad affords students the opportunity to learn about a foreign culture and themselves, and 17-year-old Lorenzo Colangeli recently shared his experience halfway through his stay in San Francisco, California, with the Contra Costa Times. The Italian teenager came to California in August and will stay with his host family until June so he can get a real sense of life for American teenagers.
He explained to the reporter that getting a handle on the English language was a difficult hurdle, even after taking English language classes in Rome. Being so far away from home has been hard on Colangeli as well.
"You leave everything behind," Colangeli told the news source. "Your home, your family, everything. That can be hard, but you learn to survive by yourself. You become more independent. You grow."
So much distance between a student and their family may be stressful, especially at first when everything is new and unfamiliar. Students who are planning to study abroad ought to bring along a few international calling cards so they can stay in touch with their loved ones without racking up a massive long-distance phone bill at their host family's expense.
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