Isabelle McCulloch
Staff Writer
December 19, 2024
From trying new things to joining a new sport as an exchange student, Clara Kahlert will experience it all in her short time in the US. Kahlert was born and raised in Germany, where her Mother originally came to study in her early 20s from Kazakhstan and ended up staying. Her sister's decision to study abroad years earlier also inspired Clara to follow a similar path.
Kahlert notes that the atmosphere in the U.S. is different and said,
“I believe that people are a bit more welcoming and open to everyone they meet … of course, the stores, schools, houses, and stuff are bigger in size here.”
While adjusting to the bigger sizes of things she is also adjusting to changing to Westfield’s trimester schedule “In my school at home, you have a weekly schedule that is repeating.” She said. “So you have 10-13 subjects at the same time.”
The change was difficult at first but she agrees that the system here is easier to follow. She believes the hardest part of being an exchange student is the first couple of weeks when making friends.
“One way of overcoming that is joining activities like sports or clubs because they keep you busy and it is a great way to meet people and become part of just like a community” She recommends.
That advice got her involved in the swim team here at Westfield High School, even though she had little experience before. During COVID she would swim once a week in a club non-competitively and much more for fun but once her sister joined a team in the US she picked it back up again, more seriously this time.
“Starting swimming here was hard because most of the people on the team have already been swimming for many years and I just felt so bad compared to them,” Kahlert said explaining that after a few weeks, she discovered that, “everyone on the team is really supportive, and no one cares if you’re not the fastest or fail from time to time.”
In the end, she recommends that anyone thinking about studying abroad go for it. She also recommends, “not only finding a club that you enjoy but also getting close to your teammates. I think friends in sports are one of the most uplifting and motivating things and so important for enjoying the time.”
Comments