Exchange To Japan : How I Became An Exchange Student !

Hey guys !
Today's post is going to be about how I became an exchange student :)

Before I start , I just want to point that this is basically based on my experience and it maybe different for everyone and anyone :D

How I became an exchange student !

Okay so let's start !

1- Parents permission !
So before you decide to apply an exchange program , please discuss this matter with your parents or guardian. Ask their permission, opinion and many things ! Many things can happen if you don't discuss this with your parents/guardian x( so make sure you discuss this with them :)

2- Choose country,program and know the fees cost !
So if you choose AFS , you  can go on to their website which is afsmas.org. In their website , you can see all the countries that they offer. After you decide the country that you want , you can choose the program. As I mentioned from my last post , each program have their on duration that you'll be spending in your country and of course, each program cost differently. The most expensive program is the YP(year program) and the cheapest program is SP(short program).

3- Apply !
After you decide the country, program and know the fees cost, you can go ahead and click the apply button. When you click the apply button , it will automatically download a pdf file which is your application form. The application is really easy and basic , you just need to fill all the details that they ask but there's one part where you needed to list 3 countries that you want to go. So make sure the 1st country is the most country that you want to go and the last country is the less country that you want to go. Finish fill in the form ? Go ahead and send it to AFS by post!

4- Wait !
At this time , you need to wait few months ( depends when you submit your application ).

5- Interview !
After April or after the application ended , AFS will send you an email and letter to you saying that you need to go an interview. So before the interview , make more research about the countries that you choose or want to go and also , think outside the box when researching. For an example , what can you present as a Malaysian in the country that you choose, Other than that, make another research regarding your religion. Like myself as Muslim , they gonna ask you about the diet restriction (pork and alcohol ). All the research will make your interview process easy peasy :D and don't forget to be yourself and confident.

6- Wait !
Yes , you need to wait again !! Remember , its a long process :) So this actually took about 4 months for AFS to send me an email saying whether I was shortlisted or not. Luckily , I was ^^

7- Pre-application !
If you are accepted to be an exchange student, AFS will sent you an email saying that you are shortlisted to this country and this program. In the email, they also provide a specific link to a certain website for you to fill in your online application (pre-application). The pre-application is really easy and basic. Just follow the instruction that they provide ^^ after you fill it in, you just submit it online and print out the form and post it to them so that they have the physical form. Few days later , AFS will sent you another email saying that they received your pre-application.

8- Full Application !
So for the full application , you need to be more details and specific because you will needed to attach your health medication , school academic , principal signature and many more. Trust me , its not easy to fill this in because its a time consuming because you need to do a health examination etc. My tips is that you just take your time and fill it in slowly but not to slow. I have a bad experience in my full application but I'm gonna tell you guys in a another post :) anyway , if there's anything you don't understand or don't know how to fill it in , you guys can just ask a volunteer or returnees for their help orrrr send an email to AFS itself. Done fill it in ? Go ahead and submit it ! :D

So after the full-application, the process going to be different for everyone because of the host country.

9- Visa Application !
Again more application ! xDD yea,visa application is easy for me, However , the form is in Japanese ( I'm applying to Japan ) but no worries , they did provide a guide to fill it in. That's it ! :D

10- Pre-departure Orientation !
Yay ! Time to meet other exchange students ! Of ccourse , AFS will send you an email about the place and the time ^^ the orientation usually takes few days so you need to stay in with your other exchange students :) So during orientation, the returnees will will tell you their experiences and teaches you a lots of things about your exchange :)

See my pre-departure orientation vlog !!

11- Visa Interview !
So for the visa interview , it can be different for anyone because some countries require interview and some of them don't. For me , I don't have to go to interview. If it there's was an interview, I'm sure AFS will help you throughout the interview :)

12- Host Family and Host School !
What about host family and school ? As I mentioned earlier , it can be different for everyone. Some people received their host family and school early but there are people received their host family and school a day before departure! Anyway , you will receive your host family soon :) For my case , I received my host family and school after the visa application , however , I didn't get their contact details until like 2weeks before my departure (22ndMarch'16). No worries :)

13- Departure dates !!
At this point , you already became an exchange student !! After all the process , now you just need to prepare you for exchange such as the luggage, host family gift etc and also wait for your departure date !!!

So that's it !!

The whole process to become an exchange is a long process (took me more than a year) but its all worth it :)

Have fun becoming an exchange student ! Leave a comment down below if you have any question , I will surely try to reply asap :D