HSI Insights

Making the most of your host family experience! Check out our 5 tips on how…

Living and studying abroad can be a rewarding and enriching experience. And living with a local family is one of the best ways to immerse yourself into a county’s culture.

However, living with a foreign family can be a daunting prospect and take some effort to adjust to. Although, for those who make the effort, it is almost always worth it! Here are our tips on making the most of your host family experience.

Which school system best suits you…

When deciding which school system suits you and considering study abroad destinations, it’s easy (and understandable!) to get carried away. Don’t be blinded by the romance of your favourite foreign country. Like the glittery celebrities, famous places or simply following in the footsteps your friends who have been before you.

For some students, selecting a study abroad destination on based any of these factors is a perfectly valid method. For for others however, these might not provide them with the best foundation for success. Deciding which school system suits you is very important. And if the academic side of a high school programme overseas is the most important factor for you, then keep reading.

In this article you’ll learn the differences between the British and Irish high school systems. Helping you to decide which school system suits your and your future ambitions.

Say hello to Kristine! An exchange student from Norway who studied in Dublin in Ireland for an academic year. In the videos below Kristine breaks down different aspects of her exchange experience to give you an insight into what it’s like to study abroad.

Watch the videos below! Kristine talks about her:

• School life
• Home life
• Social life
• Challenges and highlights
• Advice for YOU!

Say hello to Juliana! An exchange student from Brazil who studied in Southampton in England for a term and a half. In the videos below Juliana breaks down different aspects of her exchange experience to give you an insight into what it’s like to study abroad.

Watch the videos below! Juliana talks about her:

• School life
• Home life
• Social life
• Challenges and highlights
• Advice for YOU!

After the success of the New Horizons Summer Camp Ireland, we asked agents and students to give us some feedback and review their experience. Here’s what they had to say…

We asked HSI student Sidney Kwok, a Digital Media student at Worthing College, to plan, produce and edit a video showing a typical day in his life.

Check out his video, which not only contributed to his Digital Media A-level,  but also gives you an excellent insight into student life in a UK state college.

“The benefits of studying abroad are almost endless” – Michelle Obama

A High School study abroad programme will mean different things to different people but one thing is for certain:  it is a life experience which you will never forget and will change you for the better.

Many people who are considering studying at a High School in the UK, Ireland, the USA or Canada are making plans for their future.  It is undoubtedly true that gaining access to a particular University is easier if you have already been studying in the country where that University is located.

This means that, for many people who want to go to University in a country different than their own, enrolling on a High School programme and sitting High School exams in that country offers them the best possible chance of obtaining a place at their desired University.

In order to gain High School qualifications, most schools in most countries will require students to complete a two-year course before they can sit the High School exams.  For a lot of students this is a very exciting prospect, but for others, they want to experience school-life overseas, without spending two years away from their home country.

Many students undertake a High School study abroad programme on a shorter term basis, perhaps just one year, or maybe even just one semester or one or two terms.  These students tend to have a different objective to those studying a full two-year programme.

They will generally not gain qualifications from their study abroad experience, but they will return to their home country to continue with their studies and gain their High School diploma at home.  Students on a short-term study abroad experience still benefit from the cultural experience, from living and learning in another language and from making new friends and contacts from around the world.  Even on a one term programme, students are guaranteed to improve their English language ability significantly.

Fun things to keep you occupied during lockdown…

As both the UK and Ireland remains in a national lockdown, this week’s #StudyAbroadTip looks at fun and interesting things you can do to keep yourself occupied.

Time is something a lot of us have at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that we have to waste it.

Check out our ideas on how to keep busy during this lockdown…