Why did you choose the UK/Scotland for your exchange?
I chose the UK because it’s the closest country of all the possible ones. It was my first time being away from my family for that long and I was afraid that I would get more homesick if I go far away. Going to the UK gave me a feeling of safety because I felt like I could go back to Germany really easily.

What is the best thing about living in Scotland?
I would say the best thing is the people you meet. And being here while everything about Brexit happens is really exciting too since I’m really interested in politics. Yet the biggest part and probably the most exciting was and is school life

Describe your host family
I’m living with an older Scottish lady and another exchange student from Italy. I think this is really good because this way I learned more about the Italian culture as well. And you are never alone in being a foreigner.  My host mum has 5 children who have kids as well, it is a pretty big family and it is always nice to have them around for tea.

Tell us about your daily life in Scotland
I am not spending a lot of time at home since I’m going to the gym and church and since I have to study a lot for my school. But we see each other in the evening, and it feels pretty much like a real family, except that we treat each other more friendly.

What is school like? How is it different from school in Germany?
The first big and obvious difference is the school uniform, but I gotta say that after a while it feels more strange to wear normal clothes than actually wearing the uniform. On the other side, I imagined it more strict about what you can wear and what you can’t. Another difference is that school starts late compared to my German school. The next difference is that I was able to choose my subjects and that I could have been able to maximum take 5 subjects.

What is Scottish food like? 
I am really lucky that my host mom cooks really nice and healthy food. And my favourite food here is scones. We also make them ourselves. Delicious!

What has been your best experience during your stay?
That is a pretty hard question. I think the best experience is a mixture of being in a foreign school and making new friends in school. Besides that, I would say that the whole exchange year was the best experience because so many good and little experiences come together to form this great year.