Reflections from a foreign exchange student

Let me introduce myself, my name is Moritz Platscher and I'm from Germany.

I'm 16 and will spend the next nine months living in Jackson. I already finished grade 10 in Germany, so I should be in grade 11 right now. But here, at Jackson High School, I'm still considered a sophomore as there are 13 years of school in Germany but only 12 here.

My hobby for seven years has been playing guitar, both acoustic and electric. I saw my first real baseball game in the United States since I've been living here, and I really enjoyed it. I go to the baseball team's open gym now.

Most people think my decision to become an exchange student was a hard one, but actually it was more like a spontaneous decision.

One of the main reasons I wanted to become an exchange student was seeing America on a holiday I took to Texas in 2005. My parents friends live in Texas and we went to visit them. Also, my cousin was a foreign exchange student eight years ago in South Carolina, and he told me it was the experience of a lifetime.

Jackson seems to be a very normal small town. Being close to Cape Girardeau makes it feel rather special -- as you have the "American small town atmosphere" in Jackson and Cape Girardeau is the "big city," with all kinds of stores and activities very close by.

I've found things like clothing and music are the same in the United States as they are in Germany.

School is different. For example, in Germany class only lasts from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., and your class stays together almost all day long in your own classroom. There aren't any extra curricular activities, such as football teams or clubs, in Germany.

The language isn't a really big problem. It's mandatory in most European countries to learn English. In Germany you have to learn at least two foreign languages, with the most common being English. I've been speaking English since fifth grade and French since grade seven.

What I miss most about Germany are my family and friends. I miss German traditions, and small things such as German food.

Actually, there's nothing that makes me want to go back -- I feel very comfortable here.

Being on my own has already made me a lot more self-confident. I have to solve problems on my own.

It's also been a great thing to become a member of a family I didn't know until the day I moved here. That is one of the greatest things I have ever experienced.

The most difficult task for me was, and still is, finding good friends. Of course people are very nice, but you don't find good friends in a couple weeks. I've found if you're shy and don't talk to people, it won't work. So to overcome shyness is definitely one of the most difficult things to do as a foreign exchange student.

If you want to be a foreign exchange student, don't think about the bad things that may happen. Homesickness does occur but overall it is such a positive experience. There is no argument for me to not recommend becoming a foreign exchange student to anybody.

Moritz Platscher is a Jackson High School sophomore exchange student from Germany. He's been living with Derieck and Maureen Hodges of Jackson.