Phone Conference

Hello,
So today was the YFU Phone Conference for the New England region, which I took a part of. The conference was from 3 Pm to about 6 (PM), and I accessed it through the Business Office at my high school, made possible by some nice connections my dad has with the people working there. During the conference, the YFU assemblage gave a ton of information to the 7 of us students (I know one was going to Germany, another to South Korea, Henry, me, and two other students). This shall be long, but they mainly went over such information as, the purpose for foreign family living, which is understandably a good topic to cover. They wanted us to think of the differences, be prepared to learn and understand that we will not agree with every distinguishing characteristic about our host family.

We also went over the Top hats paper (Talk, Obey, Participate, Help, Affection, Trust, Smile), along with culture and culture shock, discussed with us by the New England coordinator.We each had to answer what we thought the definition of culture was/is, understand exactly what culture is, among many other subjects regarding and/or relating to "culture. This was a subject we especially stressed, and so we reasoned with this for a while.

They explained to us the U curve that many students go through while on exchange, Goals and Expectations, keeping your body to yourself, what we plan to Accomplish, Safety in general, no Drinking, driving, or drugs, what happens if there is a family fight, anything regarding internet use, how to be a lovable exchange student, Credit transfer, and making a good relationship with the local representative in our host country.

So that was the conference in a delicious nutshell. After the afore mentioned, the parents of each of us students joined in and had a discussion chalk full of questions regarding the foreign exchange each of us students would experience within three months. Credit exchange, was a huge subject, and the number one discontent on my mind at the moment.

SOOOOOOOOOOO, I am extremely frustrated. Unlike the above posted stuff, I will become slightly more emotional now: Credits! My goodness gracious they are stressing me out! After many minutes of stressed planning with my dad, after I sent a page long e-mail to one of the guidance counselors at my school, I figured out that I only need to take Personal Fitness, a Social Sciences class with at least 1/2 American Government Credit, and another class which is at least 1/2 a Practical Arts credit. I also will not need to worry about Health if I can switch that for Target Sports next semester (the semester I will leave halfway through for Japan), and then I should easily be able to obtain some gym credit in Japan. Otherwise, I am fine considering I will be taking Oceanography online through Virtual High School while I am in Japan for half a Science credit, a Geometry-Algebra II class during the next semester (September-January), and if I can finish my U.S History class before I go to Japan then I will be fine with that as well.

This, on top of everything else I must attend to during my days, is seriously stressing me out. If I was still in A.P. US History (due to the teacher, it is actually the most difficult History course in the school), I would not be alive right now. I just have so much to do!! I just wish I could be told the contact information for whichever high school I will be placed in Japan, now! I could actually sort out the credit-bewilderment/agitation/disorientation/chagrin (omg I totally love the word chagrin) I am currently experiencing.

Oh well, hopefully I will be able to meet with my guidance counselor on Monday, or sometime this upcoming school week to discuss the many questions I have regarding credits. It is quite amazing though, how I have gone over this with the guidance office four times, yet I still need more information. The credits shall haunt me forever, apparently. I will ask my guidance counselor about credit exchange this week though, and hopefully (s)he can answer me whether my school will give me credit for classes in Japan despite the dissimilar curriculum. I need answers for Junior year classes!

Alright, now I shall study Japanese adjectives, and then do my online U.S. History class.

Thank you for reading! Sorry for the ranting.

-Oliver