exchange essay

Exchange Student Tips

Information and Advice for Foreign Exchange Students

Student Exchange Application: 9 Powerful (and Easy!) Steps to a Great Application

Here’s the thing:

Finding an exchange student program  and choosing a host country are easy.

Actually getting onto the program you want, and being selected to go to your first-choice country, is very hard.

In a word, the problem is  competition .

When you apply to be a foreign exchange student, you’ll be competing against high achievers – well-rounded, good citizen-type students, who are highly motivated, above average academically and with great credentials.

They may be current school captains or class presidents, or captains of the school debate team.

They may even be former exchange students, or already fluent in the language of the country they want to exchange to.

From the perspective of a student exchange program, those are all big pluses.

How do you beat those guys?

Don’t fear. I have nine simple yet extremely powerful tips which are going to help you write a student exchange application that will blow them all away.

1. Make your written student exchange application irresistible by focussing on personal characteristics that the exchange program is looking for

Most people trip up because they treat their written student exchange application as an opportunity to write a long essay about themselves.

They write about their interests and skills and hopes as an exchange student.

What should they really be doing?

Focussing on the exchange program and the kinds of students the program wants to send overseas.  

Think about it.

In the mind of the person reading your application, your goals or hobbies or expectations are secondary considerations.

What that person really wants to know is whether you have the personal qualities that the exchange program thinks are important for exchange students to have.

So, when you’re writing your application, you need to keep those desirable personal qualities front and centre.

Now, here’s some good news:

Exchange organisations usually tell you the very qualities they are looking for, in very explicit terms, on their websites.

For example, the AFS Australia website states as follows:

The AFS website actually tells you very directly that AFS is looking for people who are flexible, self-confident and able to mix well with others.

If you were applying for an exchange with AFS, you’d know exactly what personal qualities to focus on in your written application, wouldn’t you?

You’d give them what they wanted and talk about how you possess all of those qualities, thereby demonstrating that you are exactly the kind of person AFS likes to send overseas, and a better candidate than your competitors.

In a similar vein, the global website for Rotary youth exchange states the following:

Again, it’s virtually laid out on a platter:

Anyone interested in applying for a student exchange with Rotary needs to demonstrate through his or her written application that he or she is:

• open to different cultures, and
• able to serve as an ambassador

Before you start writing your application, be sure to find out the kind of student your exchange program is aiming to recruit, and make sure that your application demonstrates that you meet that profile.

2. Start your answers with strong, positive statements which send the message that you meet the exchange program’s requirements exactly

In high school, you’ve probably learned that the correct way to format every paragraph in an essay is to:

• Start the paragraph with a firm statement or proposition , and then
• Provide relevant evidence or other detail which supports that statement or proposition

The same rule applies with your student exchange application.

You need to start each answer with a strong, positive statement which directly addresses the question you’ve been asked and leaves no doubt that you meet each criterion set by the exchange program.

For example, your application might have the following question:

Exchange students constantly encounter new people and situations and need to be flexible and open to change. Describe a situation in which you displayed flexibility and a willingness to change.

A good way to start your answer to that question would be as follows:

I am a flexible person who has displayed a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances.

Why is that sentence so powerful?

Because it borrows key language from the question – the words “flexible”, “willingness” and “change” –  and therefore addresses the question directly.

It’s also a strong statement because it starts using the very strong statement “I am” – rather than “I consider myself” or “I aim to be” or some other weaker formulation.

In other words,  that sentence sends the message that you are exactly the person the program is looking for .

Make sure that you begin your answer to each question on your application form with a sentence that:

• includes words and phrases from the question, and
• uses strong and definitive “I am” language

3. Supercharge your opening statements using the most persuasive word in the English language

Here’s how to go one better and make the opening statements in your student exchange application virtually unstoppable:

Work the word “because” into each of your statements.

In his best-selling book Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion , Dr Robert Cialdini identifies the word “because” as the most persuasive word known to man. For some reason, people are very easily persuaded by sentences and questions containing the word “because”.

What does this mean for you?

You need to capture the strong, almost hypnotic power of the word “because” and put it to work in your application.

Specifically, try to  work the word “because” into each of your strong statements in order to make the reasons and statements that follow seem more convincing .

So, the introductory words we looked at earlier would change from:

I am a flexible person because I have displayed a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances

It’s just a small linguistic change, but one which should have a big impact on the effectiveness of your application.

4. Make your application the best of the bunch by supporting your statements with facts, and only facts

Now, let me help you avoid making a big mistake.

Once you’ve made your bold statement to begin each answer in your student exchange application, you need hard evidence to back it up.

There are several kinds of evidence you could use to support the statements you make in your application, such as:

• Facts – for example, “I have studied German for five years” or “I am the editor of my high school’s yearbook”
• Intentions – for example, “I plan to take an intensive German course this spring” or “I will be volunteering at a Camp Kesem camp this summer”
• Interests – for example, “I have always been interested in German history” or “I am passionate about European politics”
• Opinions – for example, “German would be a very useful language for me to learn” and “I believe that I would make a good host daughter”

The strongest of those options by an absolute mile is facts .

In fact, if you want to knock your competitors out of the ballpark, you should only use facts to back up the statements in your application.

Why are facts so powerful?

Because they are indisputable and verifiable.

In other words, they are evidence of what you have done . That is far more valuable and credible than evidence about things you would like to do or are planning to do.

Furthermore, if you only use facts in your application, you won’t sound like you’re bragging or big-noting yourself. All you’re doing is talking about factual events that have already happened.

I almost guarantee that your competitors will be using all the other, weaker types of evidence, and submitting far weaker applications as a result.

Don’t make the same mistake.

Stay gold, and stick to the facts.

5. Gather your ammunition

Here’s a useful exercise you can use to maximise the number of strong, convincing facts in your student exchange application.

Before you even start writing your application, sit down with a blank piece of paper.

Spend half an hour writing down every single positive fact you can think of which may be relevant to your exchange application, including:

• leadership positions you’ve held
• academic successes you’ve had (for example, a high GPA or any academic awards)
• evidence that you are a good citizen (such as previous volunteer work, participation in things like scouts, and even regular blood donations)
• prior relevant experience such as previous short-stay exchanges
• any language experience – not necessarily in the language of the country you’d like to exchange to
• anything showing your adaptability
• anything demonstrating your coolness under pressure

Don’t stop writing until you’ve filled up the whole page, then go away for 24 hours.

The next day, sit down with your list and add anything else you’ve thought about in the meantime.

You want to capture absolutely any and every positive fact about yourself.

Then, when you sit down to write your application, you’ll have a ready-made stash of hard, factual evidence you can use to support your strong statements.

Then, you can move on to step 6.

6. Make sure you finish on top by playing your trump card

So, by now you have some very strong and positive statements written, and a mountain of factual evidence to support those statements.

Here’s how to seal the deal.

You need a trump card – something you’ve done which no-one else has, which makes you stand out and tells the exchange program that you are willing to go further than your competitors.

Even if everyone else is giving 100% effort, your trump card will push you to 110%. And I virtually guarantee that an exchange program will choose 110% over 100% any day of the week.

Let me show you exactly what I mean.

Case study: how I got beaten fair and square by a trump card

When I applied to go on exchange, my first choice country was Germany .

Germany is always a popular exchange destination because so many people learn German at school.

However, I thought I was in with a good chance for the following reasons:

• I was the current vice-captain (vice president) of my high school, which was one of the best schools in the region
• I was on the school debate team, editor of the school yearbook, and had a stack of other leadership and community service credentials
• I had a strong academic record, which included five years of studying German

My written application was very strong, and I thought I had a great interview with representatives from the exchange program.

I thought I had Germany in the bag.

Then, I got trumped: I got my second choice country, Switzerland, and a girl called Jessica was chosen to go on exchange to Germany.

(Switzerland turned out great, by the way, but that’s another story).

What did Jessica do that gave her the edge over me?

Like me, she was well-credentialed, had good academics and had previously studied German.

Like me, she evidently also had a strong application and made a good impression at her interview.

Unlike me, however, Jessica had undertaken an unpaid internship at her city’s German chamber of commerce and gotten a letter of recommendation from the head of the chamber. She forwarded that letter along with her application.

That was an extremely smart and strong trump card, which sent the message that Jessica was super-serious about going to Germany. It was enough to push her in front of me and everyone else wanting to go to Germany.

Jessica thought outside the box and was rewarded with her first choice of country to exchange to.

Now let me tell you how to get your own trump card.

Four trump card ideas

Jessica’s trump card idea of working at her local German chamber of commerce was a good one, because it demonstrated how committed she was to exchanging to Germany.

If you have a few months before your application is due, you can try to arrange something similar, depending upon the organisations and groups located in your area.

For example, where we live, there is:

• a nursing home for elderly  Italian people
• a chapter of the American-Australian association
• a twin cities association managing the relationship with our twin city Versailles, in France,  and
• a German language library and resources centre which is staffed by volunteers

Some unpaid volunteer work at any of those institutions would combine charity work and a country-specific trump card that would be hard for any exchange organisation to resist.

Think about similar opportunities which exist in your city or region, and turn one into a great trump card.

Short-notice trump card

You might have a problem:

Internships and volunteer work take time to organise and undertake.

What can you do if you’re in the throes of writing your application and need a trump card within the next week or two?

Here’s a quickly actionable trump card idea that you can deploy if you’re short of time (or no other suitable trump cards seem to be available in your area):

Get a letter of recommendation from your local mayor or congressman

Politicians are nearly always big on diplomacy and promoting the region they represent.

They also love it when one of their constituents receives an award or recognition of some kind, because it reflects well on them.

Here’s how to use these traits to your advantage:

Try making an appointment with your local mayor or congressman.

Explain that you are applying for an exchange program and spend half an hour outlining some of your credentials to him or her.

Then, very politely ask him or her for a letter of recommendation, on official letterhead.

In exchange, offer to make yourself available for a photo opportunity if you are chosen to go on exchange, and be sure to keep that promise if you are successful.

His or her answer will nearly certainly be “yes”.

A letter of recommendation from a recognised political figure can open a surprising number of doors.

The exchange program may figure that if you’ve met and made a good impression on your congressman or mayor, you’ll make a good impression on people that you’ll meet overseas.

7. For maximum impact, put your strongest evidence first

Here’s a strange little fact:

The average adult now has an attention span of only 8.25 seconds .

Furthermore, according to a study cited by Forbes magazine, the average adult reads at a speed of about 300 words per minute .

T he person reading your student exchange application will probably only focus on the first 40-45 words of each answer you give before starting to lose focus .

That, in turn, means that you need to do two things:

First, use your strongest evidence first . Once you’ve made your strong statement for each answer, follow up with the strongest fact or evidence you have to support that statement. Because you’ve only got one or two sentences before your audience starts to lose attention, you need to fill those first few sentences with your best stuff.

Second, keep your sentences short . From a readability perspective, it’s already good practice to keep your sentences to a length of around 20 words each. Keeping your sentences short and to the point – and not filling them with unnecessary things like adjectives – will also help you to maximise the amount of information you get across in your application before the person reading it loses concentration.

8. Use these three tools to make your student exchange application a pleasure to read

The person reading your student exchange application may have dozens of written applications to read.

How do you make yours stand out?

You may be surprised to hear that one of the easiest ways to make a good impression through your application is to make it easy to read.

Here are three tools that will make your application an easy and pleasurable read:

Tool 1: Short sentences

By all means, use as many facts to support your application as you feel are relevant.

But, be sure to keep your sentences short when describing those facts.

The reason for doing this is simple:

Long sentences are tiring for a reader and can result in your core messages getting lost.

Make sure you don’t bury your high-quality content under lots of unnecessary verbiage.

• minimise your use of colons and semi-colons
• don’t use connecting words like “which” and “that” unless you absolutely have to
• aim for one sentence per idea or example you wish to make, and
• try to keep your sentences shorter than 20 words, and no longer than 30 words

Tool 2: A font which is easy and pleasant to read

If your student exchange application is typed rather than hand-written, and you can control the font, make it more readable by applying the following font rules.

Use at least 13-point font , and preferably 14-point . The default on many word processors is 12-point which is too low and can cause eye fatigue.

Use 1.5 point line spacing , to increase the gap between lines and make them easier and more pleasant to read.

Use a plain, no-nonsense typeface like Times New Roman or Arial , which won’t distract or annoy the person reading your application, and let them focus on your content.

Tool 3: Use the active voice, and minimise the passive voice

Write as much of your student exchange application in the active voice as possible, and avoid writing in the passive voice.

What’s the difference?

A sentence written in the passive voice has no subject – that is, no person doing the verb.

For example, the following sentence is in the passive voice:

I was voted class president last year.

Now here’s the same sentence in the active voice:

My classmates voted me class president last year.

In the first sentence, it isn’t immediately apparent who voted for the narrator to be class president. The second – active voice – sentence contains the subject “my classmates”, which makes this clear.

You need to avoid writing in the passive voice, and write your entire student exchange application in the active voice instead, because:

• Readers tire when they have to read a lot of sentences written in the passive voice
• The person reading your application may recognise your use of the passive voice – particularly if they are older than about 45, or have a lot of experience with linguistics or learning languages – and mark you down for writing incorrectly
• The active voice helps to minimise any ambiguity

If you already have great content, applying these three tools will help your application make an even more positive impression and increase your chances of success.

9. Make your student exchange application twice as strong by getting not one, but TWO experts to read it

This may be the most important tip on this page:

Once your exchange program application is written, you need to ask two very specific people to proof-read and evaluate it for you.

“But wait,” you say. “I’ve already lined up my mom/dad/best friend to read my application and make suggestions”.

Unfortunately, that won’t work. Here’s why:

• your family and friends are unlikely to give you honest feedback – that is, they will tell you what you want to hear, rather than what you need to hear, in order to spare your feelings
• they won’t necessarily have any insight into what the exchange program will be looking for , and
• they are unlikely to have the technical expertise to make your answers read well

Here’s a better idea:

Get two people with specific, relevant experience and skills to review and make comments on your application.

Expert 1 – A trusted teacher at your school

First of all, you need to ask a teacher at your school who you know well and are friendly with to take a look at your student exchange application.

Why a teacher?

Firstly, because teachers spend a good part of each day evaluating work that their students have written. They are practised at reviewing documents and providing honest but constructive feedback.

In other words, the teacher you ask will most likely give you genuine, actionable tips on how to improve your application.

The second reason is that the teacher will know you and be familiar with your personality, and may be able to suggest additional information that will enhance the content of your application.

The final reason is that teachers generally have a practised eye for spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and the like. Your teacher should be able to ensure that your application contains no errors which will detract from the effectiveness of the content.

Expert 2 – A former exchange student

The second person you need to show your student exchange application to is a former exchange student at your school who you know and are friendly with.

It doesn’t matter which exchange student program he or she travelled with, or which country he or she went to.

The reason for asking this person to look at your application is simple:

He or she will know what it takes to be a successful exchange student, and should be able to offer advice on the contents of your application which will make it more appealing to the exchange organisation.

The student should also be able to coach and advise you on the application process generally, including the application interview, which I’ll also deal with in my next post.

If you have any further tips or questions about filling out an exchange program application, you can leave them in the comments below.

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Student Exchange Program (Flex) Essay Topics [2024]

Participating in a student exchange program is a perfect opportunity to visit different countries during your college years. You can discover more about other cultures and learn a new language or two. If you have a chance to take part in such a foreign exchange, don’t miss it.

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

Keep in mind that hundreds of other people can apply to the same Flex program as you. And an outstanding student exchange essay will increase your chance to win this trip to a foreign country. And we have Flex program essay topics for this purpose.

So, let Custom Writing Service explain to you several things about Flex essays and offer some ideas to write about.

• 🔄 The Gist of Exchange Essays
• ✈️ Flex Essay Topics

🏛️ Cultural Exchange Essay Topics

🧳 exchange student essay ideas, 🌎 why go on exchange: essay topics, 🔗 references, 🔄 the gist of student exchange essays.

Actually, what you will have to deal with is a mere statement of purpose. The main question you need to answer is “Why do you want to go on exchange?”

The following information should be included in a good student exchange essay:

• Provide some information about yourself. Briefly tell about your interests, classes you take (especially language classes), your plans, etc.
• Explain how this trip will help you achieve future goals.
• Demonstrate your awareness of the culture and history of the country you want to visit.

✈️ Flex Essay Topics to Write About

Flex round 2 essay topics usually revolve around your personal experiences. They prompt you to reflect on important events in your life or describe epiphanies you’ve had. Here are some examples of such topics:

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

• Justice should prevail! A sense of justice and duty has always come first to you. As you stand up for your rights in high school, you want to continue to do the same for other people. Does this describe you? Then write an essay about it!
• Time to make a difference. Challenging times require active initiative. The more ambitious goals a person sets for themselves, the higher the chance to achieve them and contribute to history.
• Pursuing your true self. Finding a suitable place in life can sometimes lead to fascinating discoveries. This process often turns into a psychological journey, during which you can realize the fascination of life and understand your dreams.
• Eleventh meter. Eleven meters or twelve yards is the distance that separates the player and the goalkeeper during a penalty shootout. There is only a little space between you and the ball, and one single hit can change your future. Describe it in a personal essay.
• Six strings. Melodic guitar picks with a fire crackling in the background create a unique atmosphere. This magic permeates everything around, creating many new impressions and ideas. Did you have a similar experience?
• Pachelbel’s Canon in D. Pachelbel’s Canon is not a very complex piece, yet it contributed dramatically to classical music’s popularization. Once heard, the melody can inspire one to study music professionally. How does it make you feel?
• Pencil, eraser, and paper. These three simple items are in every student’s pencil case. However, with a little imagination, they become tools for creating beautiful artwork that brings joy to others’ hearts. And what does inspiration mean to you?
• A skein of red yarn. A single red thread stretched across the wall can be a space for creative discovery. In this case, a small piece of yarn can take on a genuinely fateful meaning.
• Catching dreams. The dreamcatcher initially came from Native Americans , who used it for ritual purposes. With the right amount of effort, it can attract good dreams. In a Flex essay, you can write about the importance of dreams in your life.
• Favorite plush toy. Almost everyone had a favorite toy that was bringing comfort and peace. With age, the need for comfort and a sense of calmness does not disappear. What helps you feel it throughout your life?
• The benefits of roleplaying. Tabletop RPGs are not just a fun way to let the imagination run wild. Living in a different role, acting out a distinct personality helps people understand themselves better.
• Ready player one. Computer games help you relax and expand your horizons by teaching you a lot of useful skills. What did video games teach you? For example, it can be about making difficult decisions and having to face the consequences.
• Hello, World! One of the very first and simplest programs that almost any novice programmer writes is Hello World. As with programming, the journey in foreign exchange sometimes begins with a small step.
• The Wind Rises. Watching animated films is traditionally considered a child’s activity. However, this is not always true. Many animations raise serious topics about life in a harsh world in which the wind of change grows stronger day by day. Describe your experience of watching an animated movie with a profound meaning.
• A moment in time. Life is fleeting, and many people fail to seize the moment. In this case, photography can come to the rescue, perpetuating a split second in life for transferring it into the future. And what is photography to you?
• How to translate knowledge into the future
• The transition from theory to experience
• Turning habits into a lifestyle
• Writing my own life
• Your letter into the future
• The importance of education
• Benefits of doing sports
• Planning through painting
• Life colors
• Enrolling in college
• Winning a race
• Composing your symphony
• A stage performance you took part in
• Final dance at high school
• Graduation day
• Programming my future
• Finding truth in TV programs
• Do ghosts exist?
• Visiting a library
• Finding uniqueness in the mundane

A cultural exchange essay describes the experiences of students and volunteers visiting other countries. For many, an opportunity to dive into another country is a motivation to study abroad. An essay on any of these topics can help you win a Flex scholarship:

• What is cultural exchange ? Despite the prevalence of this concept, there are many misunderstandings regarding foreign exchange. For the best cultural exchange student experience, it is necessary to understand its essential qualities and characteristics. Explore them in your essay!
• Enjoyable trading of ideas. The cultural exchange is not the same as cultural appropriation . Both parties can have fun sharing ideas and knowledge. Describe how to carry out this kind of exchange.

• Responsible volunteering . Cultural exchange is not just about moving to another place and communicating with people around you. The process must be responsible and benefit not only the visitor but also those living in the place of exchange.
• No to personal gain, yes to equality in exchange. For an all-encompassing cultural exchange, it’s not enough for a student just to absorb knowledge. They should also leave something of equal value in return. Give examples of what it can be.
• International and cross-cultural connections. Participation in cultural exchange programs not only lets you learn a lot of new things. Volunteers also have a unique opportunity to acquire international and intercultural ties, making friends around the world. A week-long experience can thus become life-changing.
• Diversity of the projects. One of the best things about cultural exchange is the limitless possibilities. Volunteers can find a cultural environment that interests them anywhere: from African deserts to exotic islands. And what are your personal goals in foreign exchange?
• Cultural immersion. One of the unique features of cultural exchange programs is the process itself. The volunteer is not an observer; instead, they are completely immersed in the culture. Think about the advantages of such immersion.
• Broadening your horizons. Traveling between countries and diving into another culture is more than just a vacation. It’s an expansion of horizons, a change in one’s worldview through the prism of new cultural knowledge.
• Volunteering community. In addition to gaining connections with residents of other countries, a participant in such projects becomes part of a vast international network of volunteers. Such relationships can help you reach new heights and achieve your goals.
• Plan, adapt, communicate. In addition to gaining knowledge and contacts, cultural exchange programs help develop useful skills. Planning, adaptation, and communication are three key processes in a volunteer’s life.
• Motivation to study abroad
• Advantages of non-profit volunteering
• The subject of cultural exchange in the US
• Intertwining backgrounds, stories, and lifestyles
• Diving into the cultural diversity
• From a visitor to a lifelong friend
• Closing the culture gap
• Advantages of learning languages from natives
• Assessing art and culture by living it
• Attending festivals for education
• Turning a field trip into a cultural experience
• Anthropology and archaeology abroad
• Innovative international internships
• Cross-cultural communities cooperation
• Living and working in the heart of culture
• Assessing true cultural representation
• Learning about the importance of representation
• Social networking through travel
• What social media doesn’t show about cultures
• Enriched knowledge, renewed outlook, stronger bonds

Do you want to join an exchange program? Or maybe you came back from one and want to report your experiences? Try these topics!

• An interview with exchange students. You can write an essay about international students visiting your high school or college. Ask them these questions: how can you become a volunteer? How does it work?
• Why use exchange programs? In such programs, living in a completely different place is combined with adaptation and habituation. Explore how these processes can facilitate learning.
• What to choose: a brief course or a long journey? An exchange trip can take different lengths. Each option has its advantages, so you should consider all of them before making a decision. Explain why you choose a specific program in your letter of intent.
• Costs and prices. Student exchange programs are rarely free. Even with university funding, students have to pay hundreds of dollars. For example, you need to obtain many papers, such as insurance and visas.
• New place, new school, new friends. Moving to another country can be very stressful. At the same time, this is an excellent opportunity to make new connections and friends. Is it a good motivation to study abroad ?
• Immersive local experience. Even if the student stays in a new location only for a couple of weeks, the experience is very different from a simple vacation. What makes it unique?

• Welcome to the host family! During their visit, exchange students often stay with a local family. But what does living with another family mean? What difficulties does it bring, and how do you adapt to it?
• Live with locals—live like a local. Staying in the same place with the natives leads to the adoption of certain habits through their example. It’s one of the benefits of exchange studies: exploring a culture from an every-day, usually unknown side.
• Challenges and rewards of foreign exchange. Being in an unfamiliar country is a test of willpower, stress resistance, and learning ability. However, overcoming these challenges helps to develop new skills, from languages to personal traits. Enumerate them in your essay.
• Struggles and disadvantages. For all its merits, exchange courses can, at times, be too difficult for some students. The most fundamental problem is homesickness. What other difficulties can students experience?
• Obtaining foreign scholarship
• Brand new world
• Learning from the locals
• Assessing new viewpoint
• Why choosing a semester-long journey?
• Winter tour or summer voyage?
• Talking to locals as a way to access culture
• Immersion, sightseeing, or both?
• How to improve language skills through a host family
• Insights on customs and traditions
• Studying abroad to build confidence
• Adapting to stressful environments
• Studying in a foreign language
• Exchange programs and personal growth
• How to deal with homesickness
• Withstanding culture shock
• Expectations vs. reality
• Finding a suitable program
• Preparing for the trip
• Earning money while abroad

If you want to explore the advantages of studying abroad, this section is for you. Choose any of these topics for your essay about the benefits of student exchange:

• Nature and environment exploration. What distinguishes study abroad from vacation is the level of cultural involvement. It includes not only being in society but also appreciating the nature of a foreign country.
• New cultural lenses. Living in another country helps you to look in a new way at your homeland. It includes both the perspective of one’s country through the eyes of foreigners and new cultural insights.
• Professional and personal growth. Studying in another country allows acquiring new professional skills and growing as a person. It’s partly facilitated by broadening one’s horizons and partly by maturing in unfamiliar conditions.
• New learning opportunities. Some countries are distinguished by a significant focus on specific sciences. That’s why some disciplines are better studied in particular countries, making exchange studies even more useful.
• Traveling around the world. Exchange studies allow seeing and visiting a new country. However, travel doesn’t have to be limited to this. From one country you can go to neighboring communities and keep exploring the other side of the world.
• Active social networking. Connecting with new people allows you to build many social connections. Even after returning home, communication can be maintained through social media or letters.
• Maturing through gaining independence. Living in another country puts a person in a more independent situation than what they are used to. Consequently, such trips have a huge potential for helping you gain independence.
• Difference between a house and a hotel. Staying in a hotel while on vacation is a different experience than living in an ordinary home. For many people, an exchange study is a chance to try residing in a new place, gaining invaluable experience.
• Getting closer to bilingualism . The best way to learn a language is by talking to native speakers. Studying abroad provides a unique chance to improve speech and reading skills.
• Getting out of your comfort zone. Most of the exchange students are young. This means that huge horizons are open for them in terms of learning about the world around them, and exchange studies provide a chance to grasp this knowledge.
• How to familiarize yourself with a new culture
• Experiencing local day-to-day life
• Can you learn a new way of life from the locals?
• Studying abroad to work abroad : is it worth it?
• The benefits of foreign scholarships
• Differences and similarities between the countries you lived in
• Building professional skills by expanding social connections
• Lesser-known foreign exchange opportunities
• Learn more about yourself by living in a new environment
• Shared experiences and memories of exchange students
• The opportunity of a lifetime
• Gaining new insights
• Old stories, new narrator
• Walking through the streets of history
• Amplifying your adaptability to unfamiliar conditions
• Exploring career possibilities abroad
• The transition from a visitor to a citizen
• Difference between tourism and volunteering
• Calculated profits and unexpected perks
• Motivate yourself through challenges

As one of the most common academic papers, essays may seem easy to write. And with our helpful writing tips, you can definitely succeed in writing an impressive student exchange essay. But if you feel stuck, don’t hesitate to look for professional writing help online.

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Learn more on this topic:

• ESL Resources for Students
• English as a Second Language Learning Materials
• Benefits of Learning a Second Language
• Best Free Language Learning Websites and Apps
• Guide to English Phonetic System
• LPI Essay Samples: An Effective Way to Prepare for the Test
• Essay on Benefits Of Student Exchange Programs
• Writing Your Motivation Letter for Studies Abroad
• An Exchange Student at 17
• Application For A Student Exchange Program Essay example
• Example of letter of motivation
• How Cultural Exchange Enhances Your Experience: Globalteer
• Cultural Exchange & Immersion: Projects Abroad US
• 8 Reasons Why You Should Go on Exchange: Her Campus
• 10 Reasons Why Every Student Should Study Abroad: Go Overseas
• Student Exchange Programs: EF Foreign Exchange
• Why Participate?: Exchange Programs: US Department of State
• Exchange Student Testimonials: Queen’s University
• Exchange Programs: AFS
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An Exchange Student at 17

It almost feels like as if it was just yesterday when I was on my own on a plane not really knowing what to expect but excited for what the future had for me. Now I'm back home with a ton of memories, e-mails to answer, and a lot of stories to share. I don't even know where to start now that I'm writing about my experience of being an exchange student in Appleton, Wisconsin for a whole school year.

Well, I've wanted to be an exchange student my whole high school life. I read about summer programs in a brochure from IFS, and I thought then that living somewhere else for a while and having friends from another country would be the coolest thing in the world. I would be on my own, have my own Indiana Jones adventure, and fulfill my dream of having something different. Pretty soon, at the end of my senior year, Mama and I were applying to IFS and we decided that a whole year would give me so much more immersion and would make the experience so much better. I had meetings in the weekends about rules, how to survive, homesickness, etc. Then I got an email. I had a host family! Next thing I knew, I had a flight booked.

I was so excited and happy and I was telling all my friends about it. I was researching about Wisconsin in books and in the Internet. Compared to what I saw on TV and what I experienced when I traveled to places like Los Angeles, California with my family, Wisconsin was different. It was more of farmland and countryside. I lived in Appleton and its population was around 70,000 and I thought it was a small town compared to our Manila. There was no traffic, they only had one major mall, and everything was in close proximity. I didn't even know what to think of the cold weather. I just brought cotton long-sleeved shirts with me. But when winter came, I needed to get a coat. During the winter, the sun would set at 4pm and it wouldn't go up until around 9. There were days when the temperature would go below freezing and I was wearing around 6 layers of clothing just to keep myself warm. I never even blow-dried my hair before. I had to do it every morning after I took a shower because if I didn't, my hair would FREEZE. The thing I liked best about the cold and the snow was being able to ski. People were so excited for me and telling me all their snow stories (since we don't have it in the Philippines). I have never skied in my life either, so I was excited and proud to learn.

I was placed with the greatest host family in the whole world. They treated me like their own and they are like real family in another part of the world. I had a host mom, a host dad, a brother and sister. Ben would always be sweet and give me hugs and kisses. I loved every minute of it because I never had a younger brother before. It was fun seeing Katie grow up since she started to be a teenager and we would always tell stories in the bathroom we shared. Through e-mails we established that I was going to call them Mom and Dad since I was never used to calling older people by their first names. I felt super loved. They made sure there was tuna in the pantry (since it was my favorite), hugged me when I needed to be hugged, let me stay out late at night with my friends, and even let me have parties in the basement.

I went to an American co-ed public high school and that was a big adjustment coming from an all-girl private Catholic school. The school was new, everyone was different and it was so diverse. I have never met so many kinds of people in just one place. I was scared during the first day of school. I didn't know anyone, I got lost since the school was huge, and people didn't think I knew how to speak in English every time my teachers would say, And here's Elaine she's a foreign exchange student. But pretty soon I started to get comfortable. It was funny how people always got surprised by how good I was at speaking in English. They're like, Wow, you even speak better English than me. I loved answering people's questions like, So, what do you do in the winter? or Where is the Philippines? Isn't that near South America somewhere? or What's it like to have a coconut tree outside your house do you have coconuts everyday? I had the chance to take fun classes like Spanish, photography, and art so I met people with similar interests as me and got to go to field trips. My favorite was going to Chicago to see my favorite painting Starry Night by Van Gogh. I was an honorary member of the International Club and there was even one time I was giving a talk about the Philippines for the school's Global Awareness Week and someone asked me to say something in Filipino. So I said, Magandang Umaga, ang pangalan ko ay Elaine. They thought it was so cool and people started clapping and giving me a standing ovation. Just for saying my name in Tagalog!!!

I made a lot of friends and met so many people. I joined a church youth group, volunteered for a group for teens with cognitive disabilities, an indoor soccer team during winter and the girls track team during spring. Friends took me out to movies, hockey games, restaurants, road trips, rock shows and concerts. Someone even took me to see the Incubus concert! I got to do my first American prank, which was writing on boys cars with lipstick. Everyone was warm, open, and never hesitant in giving hugs. I would say that as much as I missed my family and friends at home, I never really got homesick because I had friends who made sure I was okay. They were all always there for me and helping me with all the adjustments I had to make, like school, getting rides, hanging out, shopping, going to prom, learning slang terms, everything. I will forever remember all the fun times I had with them.

One of the things I had to get used to and eventually enjoyed was how people picked up on my difference. Girls would always tell me how lucky I was to have a year-round tan and ask if I went to tanning salons! I haven't even heard of tanning salons since I got there! Some boys would ask me how I got my hair to be so black. I was shy and surprised by how forward some guys were. Unlike here, guys do not court girls. It's more casual. Eventually, though I got used to it. I realized that guys all over the world are the same. I became excited to be actually hanging out with all these cute boys, getting calls, and going out. Hugging with someone from the opposite sex wasn't even a big deal, and it was something I enjoyed. Going out opened my eyes to more similarities and differences in the American culture. It was one of the times I was so proud of being Filipina. I was different, exotic, and new.

Every month, I met with other exchange students in our area. I made friends with people from Germany, Brazil, the Netherlands, England , Hungary, etc. It was fun when we were together because we saw how language, skin color or height didn't matter. We were all the same. We even got to bond right away because we were all going through the same thing as exchange students so we talked about the differences at home, school, and out countries. I learned so many things about other cultures, and even got to share my own. I remember cooking the adobo for a Christmas party. I was stressed about it but everyone loved it!

Being away for 10 months and living alone in a completely different world has taught me a lot of things. I have grown and my perspective has changed in ways I never would have imagined. I now can say that I am independent, appreciate my family and friends here more, open to new ideas, aggressive, and more confident about myself. Having my own adventure has proven to me that anything is possible and that I can do anything. It was the best time of my life and I will always remember how choosing to go out and discover what the world has in store for me was life-changing and will be something I will always cherish.

Article provided by Exchange Student News

By Elaine Abonal

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International student exchange (Corrected essay)

Some teachers think that international student exchange would be beneficial for all teenage school students. Do you think its advantages will outweigh the disadvantages?

WRITING TASK 2

Write about the following topic.

Some teachers think that international student exchange would be beneficial for all teenage school students.

Do you think its advantages will outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

SAMPLE WRITING TASK 2

There is a common belief that international student exchange programs would bring benefits to all participants. Despite some obvious disadvantages of this projects, I believe that there are outweighed by the advantages.

On the one hand, there are several major drawbacks when teenagers go overseas. Firstly, those exchange programs cost a considerable amount of money, which a handful of students may be inaccessible. For example, students who come from developing countries would find difficult to apply student exchange programs in industrial nations because of the financial burden. Secondly, even with preparation and knowledge about the new environment, adolescents could still experience culture shock, which can affect them in different ways. Another potential drawback is health issues that can occur during the stay in a foreign country.

On the other hand, I believe that the benefits are more significant than such disadvantages. One reason for this notion is that international visitors would have a shinier resume which is valuable for them in the years to come. By working in foreign organizations, they will gain many practical experience that make their profile more competitive. Another reason is that teenagers would have a chance to experience culture exchange. This broaden their mind, and also helps them make new friends for a lifetime. Additionally, after finishing the program, overseas students tend to obtain more opportunities to find good jobs because they have a strong network of friends.

In conclusion, I would argue that the advantages of international student exchange programs are more significant than the disadvantages.

Corrected Writing Task 2

There is a common belief that international student exchange programs would bring benefits to all participants. Despite some obvious disadvantages of this projects those programs’ disadvantages , I believe that there they are outweighed by cannot undermine the advantages.

Avoid using adjectives or adverbs that show high levels of certainty, such as “obvious” or “evidently”.

The word “outweigh” is already used in the topic question. “The disadvantage undermines the advantage” is a good collocation.

On the one hand, there are several major drawbacks when teenagers go overseas. Firstly, those exchange programs cost a considerable amount of money, which a handful of students may be inaccessible the expensiveness of various exchange programs makes them inaccessible to many students . For example, students who come from developing countries would find difficult to apply student exchange programs in industrial nations because of the financial burden difference in living standards between nations . Secondly, even with preparation and knowledge about the new environment, adolescents could still experience culture shock, which can affect them in different ways . Another potential drawback is health issues that can occur during the stay in a foreign country Health issues occur during the stay in a foreign country is another common problem among exchange students .

While joining two sentence clauses into one sentence by using “which” is a good strategy in the Speaking test, it isn’t necessarily effective in writing contexts. Try to change the original complex sentence into a short, simple sentence.

The third sentence in Paragraph 1 is kinda unclear and redundant. The idea of “financial burden” is already expressed in the previous sentence.

“Different ways?” Which ways are you referring here? Try to explain it more to make the paragraph longer and more cohesive.

Try to use the connectives (firstly, secondly, another…) more skillfully. If you keep putting a connective at the start of a sentence, then your writing can be very dull. I advise you to change the structure of the last sentence to make the connective (“another”) appear in the middle of the sentence instead of at the beginning.

On the other hand, I believe that the benefits are more significant than such aforementioned disadvantages. One reason for this notion is that international visitors students would have a shinier attractive resume which is valuable for them in the years to come. By working in foreign organizations, they will gain many practical experience that make their profile more competitive. Another reason is that teenagers would have a chance to experience culture exchange cultural diversity . This broaden broadens their mind , and also helps them make new friends for a lifetime . Additionally, after finishing the program, overseas students tend to obtain more opportunities to find good jobs because they have a strong network of friends wide social circle .

“such “ is an informal word. Use “aforementioned” instead.

“An international visitor” means “a tourist”, not “an international student”.

“Shiny resume” isn’t a collocation, “attractive resume” is.

“Experience” is an uncountable noun, so don’t use “many” here.

You don’t make a “lifetime” friend that easily.

The above conclusion is unconvincing and too short. Either you write one more sentence, or remove the part “would argue that”.

--------------

While it’s okay to write a 252 words essay in a real test, try to write longer when you are at home. You should write approx 270 words, so even after you have trimmed some redundant words, your essay still have more than 250 words.

Overall score: 6.0

Task Achievement: 6

✓ addresses all parts of the task although some parts may be more fully covered than others.

✓ presents a relevant position although the conclusions may become unclear or repetitive (your conclusion is just a paraphrase of Paragraph 2’s first sentence)

✓ presents relevant main ideas but some may be inadequately developed/unclear (the part “which can affect them in different ways” is clearly an undeveloped sentence clause)

Coherence and Cohesion: 7

✗ logically organises information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout. (the ideas in each paragraph aren’t listed in a coherent way) ✓ uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/overuse. (on the one hand, on the other hand; firstly, secondly, another, one reason, another reason, additionally)

✓ presents a clear central topic within each paragraph.

Lexical Resource: 6

✓ uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task (overseas, financial burden, culture shocḳ) ✓ attempts to use less common vocabulary but with some inaccuracy (broaden the mind, to experience cultural diversity) ✓ makes some errors in spelling and/or word formation, but they do not impede communication.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 6 ✓ uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms. ✓ makes some errors in grammar and punctuation but they rarely reduce communication

----------------

OTHER SAMPLE WRITING TASK 2

In my opinion, that sounds cool to have a new friend in my classroom especially the foreigner. The exchange students from the other countries confront with the another people and places. There are many differences between host countries and newcomer countries including language, accent, foods, custom, law, culture, and also people ,Yet it would be a good thing for learning these difference from the friends. We could share the story what we do in daily life or a point of view in any topics such the football world cup matches, the president of U.S. speech or the brand new movies release. It is a chance to learn about living adaptation and communication skills, Besides travelling guide experience when you lead your friends to journey the local attraction is significantly exciting. On the other hand, attending the new people, For some people it is hard situation to compromise with the newcomers. However, time can relieve the distance and harmonise the relationship. The racism is still patent in some countries, It is like the burden to have a connection among the classroom. Therefore, the teacher plays a key role in mediator to prevent the problem if not the unwanted situation may occur. In conclusion, the exchange student has a lot of advantage in almost cases. The opportunities to interact with the foreigner make a lesson to adapt yourselves and gain life experience along with the new friends. The experience makes you stronger and worldliness. None the less, There are only some case having problem about racism that is the sensitive difficulty.

(Written by ณัช เกษม )

----------------------------

Below is the corrected essay

In my opinion, that sounds cool to have a new friend in my classroom especially the foreigner. The exchange students from the other countries confront with the another people and places. There are many differences between the host countries local people and the newcomer countries foreigner including language, accent, foods, custom, law, culture, and also people . , Yet , it would be a good thing for learning to learn these difference from the friends. We could share the story what we do in daily life or a point of view in any topics such the football world cup matches, the president of U.S. ’ speech or the brand new movies release release of a brand new movie . It is a chance to learn about living adaptation and communication skills , . Besides , travelling guide experience when you lead your friends to journey the local attraction is significantly exciting having a local friend along when traveling as a foreigner is exciting and reassuring .

Next time, try to separate the introduction from the firsty body paragraph. By missing a clear introduction, you will lower your Task Response grading a lot.

The first sentence is not only informal ( “that sounds cool” ) but also does not directly answer the topic question. If you write “ a new friend in my classroom especially the foreigner ”, the reader may think that your essay’s main focus is just “a new classmate” in general, not a “foreign” one.

The second sentence is very unclear. Try to join the first and the second sentence into one only.

While South East Asia languages are topic-prominent (the grammar isn’t important, but the topic behind the sentence is), English is much more rigid in terms of grammatical structure. In case of your third sentence, what you are talking about is not the different between two countries , but that of the people of two countries .

The correct idiom here is not “something for doing” , but rather “ something to do/to be done ”

Your last sentence sounds ungrammatical and foreign to a English speaker.

There are many punctuation mistakes presented.

On the other hand, attending regarding of the new people appearance of foreigners , For for some people , it is a hard situation when you have to compromise with the newcomers. However, time can relieve the distance and harmonise the relationship with time, the cultural barrier will be reduce . The racism is still patent prevalent in some countries, It it is like the a burden to have a connection be overcomed among in the classroom. Therefore, the teacher plays a key role in mediator to prevent the problem if not the a unwanted situation may occur.

I guess that you often misuse “ a/the ” since there is no article words in Thai. But that is something you must overcome.

Pay attention to collocations. English native speakers don’t use word pairs like “ relieve the distance ”. “To harmonise the relationship” is fine, but I am doubt it should be use in this context.

In conclusion, the exchange student has having a foreign exchange student in the classroom brings out a lot of advantage in almost cases . The opportunities to interact with the foreigner make a lesson provide a chance to adapt yourselves and gain life experience , along with the new friends. The experience makes you stronger and worldliness more mature . None the less Nonetheless , There there are only some case s having problem about when racism that is the sensitive difficulty obstacle .

Stay faithful to the topic question. Since the question here is “can all the students, both the foreign and the native ones, reap benefit?”, you must address it in your conclusion.

Using “ worldliness ” here is very unnatural. First, “worldliness” is a noun, not an adjective, so it cannot go along with “strong”. Second, it is a vague word when being taken out from the context. I suggest you use something like “ mature ”.

To strengthen your conclusion, don’t put the oppose idea at the end. Instead, put in at the beginning, then affirm your opinion as a contrast.

Overall: 4.5

Task Response: 4

✓ responds to the task only in a minimal way or the answer is tangential; the format may be inappropriate ( failing to separate the introduction and the first body paragraph lowers your band score here from 5 to 4 ) ✓ presents a position but this is unclear ( due to the unclear conclusion ) ✓ presents some main ideas but these are difficult to identify and may be repetitive, irrelevant or not well supported

Coherence and Cohesion: 5

✓ presents information with some organisation but there may be a lack of overall progression

✗ makes inadequate, inaccurate or over use of cohesive devices ( The writer has used some common connectives. Could reach a 6 score next time. )

✓ may be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution

✓ may not write in paragraphs, or paragraphing may be inadequate

Lexical Resource: 5

✓ uses a limited range of vocabulary, but this is minimally adequate for the task

✓ may make noticeable errors in spelling and/or word formation that may cause some difficulty for the reader

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: 4

✓ uses only a very limited range of structures with only rare use of subordinate clauses ( there is no formal, academic sentence; the essay looks like an informal speech )

✓ some structures are accurate but errors predominate, and punctuation is often faulty ( many punctuation faults are presented)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

This essay is corrected by Anh Tran - Let's Write Something Group .

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8.4 Revising and Editing

Learning objectives.

• Identify major areas of concern in the draft essay during revising and editing.
• Use peer reviews and editing checklists to assist revising and editing.
• Revise and edit the first draft of your essay and produce a final draft.

Revising and editing are the two tasks you undertake to significantly improve your essay. Both are very important elements of the writing process. You may think that a completed first draft means little improvement is needed. However, even experienced writers need to improve their drafts and rely on peers during revising and editing. You may know that athletes miss catches, fumble balls, or overshoot goals. Dancers forget steps, turn too slowly, or miss beats. For both athletes and dancers, the more they practice, the stronger their performance will become. Web designers seek better images, a more clever design, or a more appealing background for their web pages. Writing has the same capacity to profit from improvement and revision.

Understanding the Purpose of Revising and Editing

Revising and editing allow you to examine two important aspects of your writing separately, so that you can give each task your undivided attention.

• When you revise , you take a second look at your ideas. You might add, cut, move, or change information in order to make your ideas clearer, more accurate, more interesting, or more convincing.
• When you edit , you take a second look at how you expressed your ideas. You add or change words. You fix any problems in grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. You improve your writing style. You make your essay into a polished, mature piece of writing, the end product of your best efforts.

How do you get the best out of your revisions and editing? Here are some strategies that writers have developed to look at their first drafts from a fresh perspective. Try them over the course of this semester; then keep using the ones that bring results.

• Take a break. You are proud of what you wrote, but you might be too close to it to make changes. Set aside your writing for a few hours or even a day until you can look at it objectively.
• Ask someone you trust for feedback and constructive criticism.
• Pretend you are one of your readers. Are you satisfied or dissatisfied? Why?
• Use the resources that your college provides. Find out where your school’s writing lab is located and ask about the assistance they provide online and in person.

Many people hear the words critic , critical , and criticism and pick up only negative vibes that provoke feelings that make them blush, grumble, or shout. However, as a writer and a thinker, you need to learn to be critical of yourself in a positive way and have high expectations for your work. You also need to train your eye and trust your ability to fix what needs fixing. For this, you need to teach yourself where to look.

Creating Unity and Coherence

Following your outline closely offers you a reasonable guarantee that your writing will stay on purpose and not drift away from the controlling idea. However, when writers are rushed, are tired, or cannot find the right words, their writing may become less than they want it to be. Their writing may no longer be clear and concise, and they may be adding information that is not needed to develop the main idea.

When a piece of writing has unity , all the ideas in each paragraph and in the entire essay clearly belong and are arranged in an order that makes logical sense. When the writing has coherence , the ideas flow smoothly. The wording clearly indicates how one idea leads to another within a paragraph and from paragraph to paragraph.

Reading your writing aloud will often help you find problems with unity and coherence. Listen for the clarity and flow of your ideas. Identify places where you find yourself confused, and write a note to yourself about possible fixes.

Creating Unity

Sometimes writers get caught up in the moment and cannot resist a good digression. Even though you might enjoy such detours when you chat with friends, unplanned digressions usually harm a piece of writing.

Mariah stayed close to her outline when she drafted the three body paragraphs of her essay she tentatively titled “Digital Technology: The Newest and the Best at What Price?” But a recent shopping trip for an HDTV upset her enough that she digressed from the main topic of her third paragraph and included comments about the sales staff at the electronics store she visited. When she revised her essay, she deleted the off-topic sentences that affected the unity of the paragraph.

Read the following paragraph twice, the first time without Mariah’s changes, and the second time with them.

Nothing is more confusing to me than choosing among televisions. It confuses lots of people who want a new high-definition digital television (HDTV) with a large screen to watch sports and DVDs on. You could listen to the guys in the electronics store, but word has it they know little more than you do. They want to sell what they have in stock, not what best fits your needs. You face decisions you never had to make with the old, bulky picture-tube televisions. Screen resolution means the number of horizontal scan lines the screen can show. This resolution is often 1080p, or full HD, or 768p. The trouble is that if you have a smaller screen, 32 inches or 37 inches diagonal, you won’t be able to tell the difference with the naked eye. The 1080p televisions cost more, though, so those are what the salespeople want you to buy. They get bigger commissions. The other important decision you face as you walk around the sales floor is whether to get a plasma screen or an LCD screen. Now here the salespeople may finally give you decent info. Plasma flat-panel television screens can be much larger in diameter than their LCD rivals. Plasma screens show truer blacks and can be viewed at a wider angle than current LCD screens. But be careful and tell the salesperson you have budget constraints. Large flat-panel plasma screens are much more expensive than flat-screen LCD models. Don’t let someone make you by more television than you need!

Answer the following two questions about Mariah’s paragraph:

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

• Now start to revise the first draft of the essay you wrote in Section 8 “Writing Your Own First Draft” . Reread it to find any statements that affect the unity of your writing. Decide how best to revise.

When you reread your writing to find revisions to make, look for each type of problem in a separate sweep. Read it straight through once to locate any problems with unity. Read it straight through a second time to find problems with coherence. You may follow this same practice during many stages of the writing process.

Writing at Work

Many companies hire copyeditors and proofreaders to help them produce the cleanest possible final drafts of large writing projects. Copyeditors are responsible for suggesting revisions and style changes; proofreaders check documents for any errors in capitalization, spelling, and punctuation that have crept in. Many times, these tasks are done on a freelance basis, with one freelancer working for a variety of clients.

Creating Coherence

Careful writers use transitions to clarify how the ideas in their sentences and paragraphs are related. These words and phrases help the writing flow smoothly. Adding transitions is not the only way to improve coherence, but they are often useful and give a mature feel to your essays. Table 8.3 “Common Transitional Words and Phrases” groups many common transitions according to their purpose.

Table 8.3 Common Transitional Words and Phrases

After Maria revised for unity, she next examined her paragraph about televisions to check for coherence. She looked for places where she needed to add a transition or perhaps reword the text to make the flow of ideas clear. In the version that follows, she has already deleted the sentences that were off topic.

Many writers make their revisions on a printed copy and then transfer them to the version on-screen. They conventionally use a small arrow called a caret (^) to show where to insert an addition or correction.

1. Answer the following questions about Mariah’s revised paragraph.

2. Now return to the first draft of the essay you wrote in Section 8 “Writing Your Own First Draft” and revise it for coherence. Add transition words and phrases where they are needed, and make any other changes that are needed to improve the flow and connection between ideas.

Being Clear and Concise

Some writers are very methodical and painstaking when they write a first draft. Other writers unleash a lot of words in order to get out all that they feel they need to say. Do either of these composing styles match your style? Or is your composing style somewhere in between? No matter which description best fits you, the first draft of almost every piece of writing, no matter its author, can be made clearer and more concise.

If you have a tendency to write too much, you will need to look for unnecessary words. If you have a tendency to be vague or imprecise in your wording, you will need to find specific words to replace any overly general language.

Identifying Wordiness

Sometimes writers use too many words when fewer words will appeal more to their audience and better fit their purpose. Here are some common examples of wordiness to look for in your draft. Eliminating wordiness helps all readers, because it makes your ideas clear, direct, and straightforward.

Sentences that begin with There is or There are .

Wordy: There are two major experiments that the Biology Department sponsors.

Revised: The Biology Department sponsors two major experiments.

Sentences with unnecessary modifiers.

Wordy: Two extremely famous and well-known consumer advocates spoke eloquently in favor of the proposed important legislation.

Revised: Two well-known consumer advocates spoke in favor of the proposed legislation.

Sentences with deadwood phrases that add little to the meaning. Be judicious when you use phrases such as in terms of , with a mind to , on the subject of , as to whether or not , more or less , as far as…is concerned , and similar expressions. You can usually find a more straightforward way to state your point.

Wordy: As a world leader in the field of green technology, the company plans to focus its efforts in the area of geothermal energy.

A report as to whether or not to use geysers as an energy source is in the process of preparation.

Revised: As a world leader in green technology, the company plans to focus on geothermal energy.

A report about using geysers as an energy source is in preparation.

Sentences in the passive voice or with forms of the verb to be . Sentences with passive-voice verbs often create confusion, because the subject of the sentence does not perform an action. Sentences are clearer when the subject of the sentence performs the action and is followed by a strong verb. Use strong active-voice verbs in place of forms of to be , which can lead to wordiness. Avoid passive voice when you can.

Wordy: It might perhaps be said that using a GPS device is something that is a benefit to drivers who have a poor sense of direction.

Revised: Using a GPS device benefits drivers who have a poor sense of direction.

Sentences with constructions that can be shortened.

Wordy: The e-book reader, which is a recent invention, may become as commonplace as the cell phone.

My over-sixty uncle bought an e-book reader, and his wife bought an e-book reader, too.

Revised: The e-book reader, a recent invention, may become as commonplace as the cell phone.

My over-sixty uncle and his wife both bought e-book readers.

Now return once more to the first draft of the essay you have been revising. Check it for unnecessary words. Try making your sentences as concise as they can be.

Choosing Specific, Appropriate Words

Most college essays should be written in formal English suitable for an academic situation. Follow these principles to be sure that your word choice is appropriate. For more information about word choice, see Chapter 4 “Working with Words: Which Word Is Right?” .

• Avoid slang. Find alternatives to bummer , kewl , and rad .
• Avoid language that is overly casual. Write about “men and women” rather than “girls and guys” unless you are trying to create a specific effect. A formal tone calls for formal language.
• Avoid contractions. Use do not in place of don’t , I am in place of I’m , have not in place of haven’t , and so on. Contractions are considered casual speech.
• Avoid clichés. Overused expressions such as green with envy , face the music , better late than never , and similar expressions are empty of meaning and may not appeal to your audience.
• Be careful when you use words that sound alike but have different meanings. Some examples are allusion/illusion , complement/compliment , council/counsel , concurrent/consecutive , founder/flounder , and historic/historical . When in doubt, check a dictionary.
• Choose words with the connotations you want. Choosing a word for its connotations is as important in formal essay writing as it is in all kinds of writing. Compare the positive connotations of the word proud and the negative connotations of arrogant and conceited .
• Use specific words rather than overly general words. Find synonyms for thing , people , nice , good , bad , interesting , and other vague words. Or use specific details to make your exact meaning clear.

Now read the revisions Mariah made to make her third paragraph clearer and more concise. She has already incorporated the changes she made to improve unity and coherence.

1. Answer the following questions about Mariah’s revised paragraph:

2. Now return once more to your essay in progress. Read carefully for problems with word choice. Be sure that your draft is written in formal language and that your word choice is specific and appropriate.

Completing a Peer Review

After working so closely with a piece of writing, writers often need to step back and ask for a more objective reader. What writers most need is feedback from readers who can respond only to the words on the page. When they are ready, writers show their drafts to someone they respect and who can give an honest response about its strengths and weaknesses.

You, too, can ask a peer to read your draft when it is ready. After evaluating the feedback and assessing what is most helpful, the reader’s feedback will help you when you revise your draft. This process is called peer review .

You can work with a partner in your class and identify specific ways to strengthen each other’s essays. Although you may be uncomfortable sharing your writing at first, remember that each writer is working toward the same goal: a final draft that fits the audience and the purpose. Maintaining a positive attitude when providing feedback will put you and your partner at ease. The box that follows provides a useful framework for the peer review session.

Questions for Peer Review

Title of essay: ____________________________________________

Date: ____________________________________________

Writer’s name: ____________________________________________

Peer reviewer’s name: _________________________________________

• This essay is about____________________________________________.
• Your main points in this essay are____________________________________________.
• What I most liked about this essay is____________________________________________.

These three points struck me as your strongest:

These places in your essay are not clear to me:

a. Where: ____________________________________________

Needs improvement because__________________________________________

b. Where: ____________________________________________

Needs improvement because ____________________________________________

c. Where: ____________________________________________

The one additional change you could make that would improve this essay significantly is ____________________________________________.

One of the reasons why word-processing programs build in a reviewing feature is that workgroups have become a common feature in many businesses. Writing is often collaborative, and the members of a workgroup and their supervisors often critique group members’ work and offer feedback that will lead to a better final product.

Exchange essays with a classmate and complete a peer review of each other’s draft in progress. Remember to give positive feedback and to be courteous and polite in your responses. Focus on providing one positive comment and one question for more information to the author.

Using Feedback Objectively

The purpose of peer feedback is to receive constructive criticism of your essay. Your peer reviewer is your first real audience, and you have the opportunity to learn what confuses and delights a reader so that you can improve your work before sharing the final draft with a wider audience (or your intended audience).

It may not be necessary to incorporate every recommendation your peer reviewer makes. However, if you start to observe a pattern in the responses you receive from peer reviewers, you might want to take that feedback into consideration in future assignments. For example, if you read consistent comments about a need for more research, then you may want to consider including more research in future assignments.

Using Feedback from Multiple Sources

You might get feedback from more than one reader as you share different stages of your revised draft. In this situation, you may receive feedback from readers who do not understand the assignment or who lack your involvement with and enthusiasm for it.

You need to evaluate the responses you receive according to two important criteria:

• Determine if the feedback supports the purpose of the assignment.
• Determine if the suggested revisions are appropriate to the audience.

Then, using these standards, accept or reject revision feedback.

Work with two partners. Go back to Note 8.81 “Exercise 4” in this lesson and compare your responses to Activity A, about Mariah’s paragraph, with your partners’. Recall Mariah’s purpose for writing and her audience. Then, working individually, list where you agree and where you disagree about revision needs.

Editing Your Draft

If you have been incorporating each set of revisions as Mariah has, you have produced multiple drafts of your writing. So far, all your changes have been content changes. Perhaps with the help of peer feedback, you have made sure that you sufficiently supported your ideas. You have checked for problems with unity and coherence. You have examined your essay for word choice, revising to cut unnecessary words and to replace weak wording with specific and appropriate wording.

The next step after revising the content is editing. When you edit, you examine the surface features of your text. You examine your spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation. You also make sure you use the proper format when creating your finished assignment.

Editing often takes time. Budgeting time into the writing process allows you to complete additional edits after revising. Editing and proofreading your writing helps you create a finished work that represents your best efforts. Here are a few more tips to remember about your readers:

• Readers do not notice correct spelling, but they do notice misspellings.
• Readers look past your sentences to get to your ideas—unless the sentences are awkward, poorly constructed, and frustrating to read.
• Readers notice when every sentence has the same rhythm as every other sentence, with no variety.
• Readers do not cheer when you use there , their , and they’re correctly, but they notice when you do not.
• Readers will notice the care with which you handled your assignment and your attention to detail in the delivery of an error-free document..

The first section of this book offers a useful review of grammar, mechanics, and usage. Use it to help you eliminate major errors in your writing and refine your understanding of the conventions of language. Do not hesitate to ask for help, too, from peer tutors in your academic department or in the college’s writing lab. In the meantime, use the checklist to help you edit your writing.

Editing Your Writing

• Are some sentences actually sentence fragments?
• Are some sentences run-on sentences? How can I correct them?
• Do some sentences need conjunctions between independent clauses?
• Does every verb agree with its subject?
• Is every verb in the correct tense?
• Are tense forms, especially for irregular verbs, written correctly?
• Have I used subject, object, and possessive personal pronouns correctly?
• Have I used who and whom correctly?
• Is the antecedent of every pronoun clear?
• Do all personal pronouns agree with their antecedents?
• Have I used the correct comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs?
• Is it clear which word a participial phrase modifies, or is it a dangling modifier?

Sentence Structure

• Are all my sentences simple sentences, or do I vary my sentence structure?
• Have I chosen the best coordinating or subordinating conjunctions to join clauses?
• Have I created long, overpacked sentences that should be shortened for clarity?
• Do I see any mistakes in parallel structure?

Punctuation

• Does every sentence end with the correct end punctuation?
• Can I justify the use of every exclamation point?
• Have I used apostrophes correctly to write all singular and plural possessive forms?
• Have I used quotation marks correctly?

Mechanics and Usage

• Can I find any spelling errors? How can I correct them?
• Have I used capital letters where they are needed?
• Have I written abbreviations, where allowed, correctly?
• Can I find any errors in the use of commonly confused words, such as to / too / two ?

Be careful about relying too much on spelling checkers and grammar checkers. A spelling checker cannot recognize that you meant to write principle but wrote principal instead. A grammar checker often queries constructions that are perfectly correct. The program does not understand your meaning; it makes its check against a general set of formulas that might not apply in each instance. If you use a grammar checker, accept the suggestions that make sense, but consider why the suggestions came up.

Proofreading requires patience; it is very easy to read past a mistake. Set your paper aside for at least a few hours, if not a day or more, so your mind will rest. Some professional proofreaders read a text backward so they can concentrate on spelling and punctuation. Another helpful technique is to slowly read a paper aloud, paying attention to every word, letter, and punctuation mark.

If you need additional proofreading help, ask a reliable friend, a classmate, or a peer tutor to make a final pass on your paper to look for anything you missed.

Remember to use proper format when creating your finished assignment. Sometimes an instructor, a department, or a college will require students to follow specific instructions on titles, margins, page numbers, or the location of the writer’s name. These requirements may be more detailed and rigid for research projects and term papers, which often observe the American Psychological Association (APA) or Modern Language Association (MLA) style guides, especially when citations of sources are included.

To ensure the format is correct and follows any specific instructions, make a final check before you submit an assignment.

With the help of the checklist, edit and proofread your essay.

Key Takeaways

• Revising and editing are the stages of the writing process in which you improve your work before producing a final draft.
• During revising, you add, cut, move, or change information in order to improve content.
• During editing, you take a second look at the words and sentences you used to express your ideas and fix any problems in grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
• Unity in writing means that all the ideas in each paragraph and in the entire essay clearly belong together and are arranged in an order that makes logical sense.
• Coherence in writing means that the writer’s wording clearly indicates how one idea leads to another within a paragraph and between paragraphs.
• Transitional words and phrases effectively make writing more coherent.
• Writing should be clear and concise, with no unnecessary words.
• Effective formal writing uses specific, appropriate words and avoids slang, contractions, clichés, and overly general words.
• Peer reviews, done properly, can give writers objective feedback about their writing. It is the writer’s responsibility to evaluate the results of peer reviews and incorporate only useful feedback.
• Remember to budget time for careful editing and proofreading. Use all available resources, including editing checklists, peer editing, and your institution’s writing lab, to improve your editing skills.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Home Essay Examples Education Exchange Student

My Experience Of Being An Exchange Student

• Category Education
• Subcategory Learning
• Topic Exchange Student

I live in Mexico City with my mother and both of my siblings. My mother is Mexican, but her mother is Lebanese; however, her father is Mexican. My father, who is American, lives in Vermont with his brothers; along with their Lebanese father, and Mexican mother. I was raised and educated based on a combination of all their cultural backgrounds. It’s ironic how my family has always been united by a strong bond when nowadays there is barrier surging from these three specific countries.

Colegio Del Bosque is the school that taught me how to be independent, responsible, and polite. It is the teachers to whom I owe my desire to always give my best; however, my friends are the ones who made me see my creative side; they made me believe in myself. As a child, I had the opportunity to experience new chapters in my life that helped me change the way in which I see the world. In 2015, I was an exchange student for two semesters at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont. During that year, I realized how different their culture was compared to mine. I specifically noticed how students from all social classes were having the same education in one big classroom (something that will rarely happen in Mexico City); this curiosity made me eager to learn about the differences and similarities both cultures seemed to have. Reading and participating in both economies helped me see society’s everyday life struggles. Learning about the enormous social inequality that not only Mexico but that the majority of the world currently faces, has given me the desire and motivation to someday square the circle. Throughout my high school years, I’ve done PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Adobe Photoshop certifications. I was recognized as an honor student roll during my exchange student year, as well as receiving an excellence diploma in science. In 2016 and 2017 I was

Our writers can write you a new plagiarism-free essay on any topic

Colegio Del Bosque is the school that taught me how to be independent, responsible, and polite. It is the teachers to whom I owe my desire to always give my best; however, my friends are the ones who made me see my creative side; they made me believe in myself.

As a child, I had the opportunity to experience new chapters in my life that helped me change the way in which I see the world. In 2015, I was an exchange student for two semesters at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont. During that year, I realized how different their culture was compared to mine. I specifically noticed how students from all social classes were having the same education in one big classroom (something that will rarely happen in Mexico City); this curiosity made me eager to learn about the differences and similarities both cultures seemed to have. Reading and participating in both economies helped me see society’s everyday life struggles. Learning about the enormous social inequality that not only Mexico but that the majority of the world currently faces, has given me the desire and motivation to someday square the circle.

Throughout my high school years, I’ve done PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Adobe Photoshop certifications. I was recognized as an honor student roll during my exchange student year, as well as receiving an excellence diploma in science. In 2016 and 2017 I was the only student of my entire class to participate at The National High School Contest in computer science in Anahuac’s University; I as well participated in the 2018 National Robotics League Contest. I was also chosen as one of the twenty delegates of my class to represent Colegio Del Bosque in the GCIMUN International High School Conference in New York City in May 2018. As for today, I am taking a beginner’s finance course at the Academy of “Bull&Bear” in Mexico City.

Hult’s International Business School mission and vision that offers students will help me expand intellectually. My goal is to someday change the world, in order for this to happen, I must gain the ability to guide and lead others, learn how to develop new and better ideas, challenge myself, and take risks. I want to study business to expand my creative intellect, as well as to strengthen my communication and negotiation skills. Working in a multicultural community will make me step out of my comfort zone. The experience of traveling and discovering the unexpected has the power to develop different open-minded solutions that could solve worldwide humanity problems. I am convinced that even a small business or a single innovative idea can someday turn out to be the change that the world needs; by creating an impact in people’s lifestyles without having to hide their different geographic or demographic characteristics.

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What Are the Benefits of a Student Exchange Program?

Student exchange programs are hugely popular across the world but how do they benefit students? Are they really that good?

Not only do students get to experience travel to other countries but also students who participate in student exchange programs exhibit higher degrees of awareness, acceptance for cultural diversity and an increase in their cultural capital .

The social impact of student travel is well-known. This is the reason why it is such a popular method of learning and stimulating intellectual curiosity in young minds.

These programs have been designed to enable student learning at a whole different level. But the main goal is to get them out of their comfort zone so that they not only experience enhanced learning but also personal growth.

However, despite its many benefits, people falsely believe that the exchange programs are solely for the benefit of learning a new language. While that is definitely one of the ways, it is not the only aspect of this program.

One has to acknowledge the cultural element that increases their global perspective and also broadens their knowledge of the world that exists outside their homes.

If you are Looking For Student Exchange Program , then this article will tell you all there is to know so that you can make a well-informed decision.

What is a Student Exchange Program?

Let’s first start with the basics – what is a student exchange program?

The exchange program is a reciprocal travel program where the students get to travel abroad and be hosted by a partner institution. In return, they have to host the same school at a later stage.

It is a highly recommended program for students because it gives them an opportunity to immerse themselves in local culture. As you live with your host family, you will get to experience their local lives, their customs, and live like a family member during the duration of your program.

The Benefits of Student Exchange Program

As a parent, it may be daunting to send your child abroad at a young age. However, you need to understand that these are their formative years and any learning at this stage will shape their lives in the future.

If you are still contemplating the decision, then perhaps these benefits will help you make your mind.

Student exchange programs increase tolerance for other cultures:

One of the biggest advantages of an exchange program is to give your child a worldview.

It helps them see things more objectively and become more tolerant towards cultures and their customs. Some of these programs also offer an academic credit that can be used back home to further your grades.

As a result, more and more people are now open to the idea of sending their children abroad for an exchange program.

Students get global exposure:

With the global exposure, your child learns ways of the world that opens up their mind and makes them capable of thinking out of the box.

Mingling with people of different cultural communities gives them an international perspective that can add on to their college applications.

It also helps them communicate with people across cultures confidently.

Students can master the local language:

The best way to master a language is to practice it with native speakers. If you are planning to brush up your Spanish, then a cultural exchange program in a Spanish speaking country will advance your skills significantly.

Since the academics will also be in the local language, you will also be able to improve your writing and reading skills.

They develop self-confidence in students:

Needless to say, when you live away from your home in another country, you will soon build up your confidence and develop cultural sensitivity.

These are life skills that will help you fit into the global work environment with ease and also make you feel confident when interacting with people from a different culture or country.

While it may be daunting at first, it is only a matter of time when you will be able to develop your self-confidence.

This is why it is advised to learn in a new environment so that the students can develop these skills at a faster pace.

Prepares students for university:

Student exchange programs can be a life changing experience.

At the end of it, you will come out feeling independent, confident, and capable of taking on life’s challenges. As a teenager, when you go abroad to study, you will automatically become more equipped to handle your university life and other future endeavours.

As more and more employers as well as universities look for a global experience, the student exchange program will certainly make your CV look brighter.

Read all these points thoroughly and research some more about the student exchange programs before taking the plunge. It is crucial that you do this with an open mind so as to make the most of your experience.

So, if you are looking for ways to enhance your CV for college applications, then this is one of the most effective ways.

Student Exchange Program Videos

Student Exchange Program FAQ

A student exchange program is a reciprocal travel program where the students get to travel abroad and be hosted by a partner institution. In return, they have to host the same school at a later stage.

Students exhibit higher degrees of awareness, acceptance for cultural diversity and an increase in their cultural capital . Students also get to experience other countries, they can master the local language, develop their self-confidence in students and help prepare themselves for university.

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A Reflection on Study Abroad

May 25, 2017, michelle greenfield.

If you had told me my first year that I would choose to study abroad, I would have thought you were crazy. Why on earth would I want to leave a place like Princeton? After all, hadn’t I worked hard my whole life to attend this school? Why would I want to willingly leave such an amazing school to go study elsewhere? However, after spending the past three months in Panama, I can honestly say that studying abroad was one of the best decisions I ever made at Princeton.

Living in another country gave me the chance to learn about a new culture, meet new people and find new places to explore. I improved my Spanish and learned what it means to do field research. Most importantly though, I learned how to live in the moment and appreciate the small things.

I have been living at Princeton for more than two and a half years now. I know the ins and outs of the school. I know the dirt paths that I can take to cut 30 seconds off my commute from up campus to down campus. I know where to find late night snacks and cookies. I know in which study spots I am most productive. I know how to run from volleyball practice to bio review sessions strategically so that I am not missing more than 5 minutes of either. I’ve become so used to campus that I am constantly moving from one thing to another, never stopping to smell the flowers. In Panama, apart from literally stopping to smell (and count and watch for hours) every single flower in my transect (see my previous blog post here ), I took the time to stop and admire everything since it was all new to me.

I would look at every billboard on the side of the road, trying to translate it from Spanish to English. I would "oooh" and "ahhh" at the beautiful trees and flowers we saw on our walks through the forest. I would make smoothies from the mangos that fell from the tree outside our schoolhouse. I would look for dolphins every time the ocean was in view. I wanted to see everything and not miss out on any experience or opportunity that presented itself to me.

Now that I’m back on campus, I have a new set of eyes. Everything that was once common is new once again. The beautiful architecture of Blair Arch causes me to pause as I walk by. The buildings that were remodeled while I was gone entice me to enter and visit. Even the posters on the lamp posts that I always used to walk by cause me to stop and see what is happening on campus. I’m spending time to look all around me and appreciate the beauty that Princeton is.

Studying abroad opened my eyes to the world around me. This is a lesson that I don’t believe I could have learned in the classroom. It required exposing myself to a new situation filled with new people and new experiences. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had. If there were one piece of advice I can offer to younger students considering studying abroad, it would be to GO! Go out into the world and experience life. Find some place that excites you. It is 100% worth it. Study abroad was one of the most formative experiences, and I know I will carry the lessons I learned in Panama with me for the rest of my life.  

Related Articles

A look into princeton’s piirs global seminar: an opportunity abroad, things i missed the most about princeton while abroad, new friends across the pacific.

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AP®︎/College Macroeconomics

Course: ap®︎/college macroeconomics   >   unit 6.

• Currency exchange introduction
• Supply and demand curves in foreign exchange

Lesson summary: the foreign exchange market

• The foreign exchange market

Lesson summary

• A currency is being bought and sold, rather than a good or service
• The currency being bought and sold is being bought with a different currency.

Key takeaways

Why the demand for a currency is downward sloping, the equilibrium exchange rate is the interaction of the supply of a currency and the demand for a currency, key graphical models, common misperceptions.

• We are used to thinking about buying things with a currency, so many new learners are confused about what the price should be in the market for a currency. Buthe price of an orange is never given in oranges; it’s given in some other currency. Just like an orange, a dollar can’t be bought with itself, but instead it needs to be bought with some other currency.
• A common misperception is to confuse 1) the things that cause shifts in the supply or demand of a currency with 2) changes in quantity supplied or quantity demanded. To keep this straight, ask yourself “why is this change happening?” If a change is happening in response to a change in the exchange rate, then you are moving along a curve. If a change is happening in response to something else, the entire curve shifts.
• It might seem like a time saver to take short-cuts on labeling graphs, but this is never a good idea. Take your time labeling the foreign exchange market carefully using the elements of a market:
• Demand - the demand for the currency that is being exchanged
• Supply - the supply of the currency that is being exchanged
• Quantity - the quantity of the currency that is being exchanged
• Price - some other currency that is being used to buy the currency that is being exchanged

Questions for review

• China and Ghana are major trading partners. The currency of China is the y u a n ‍   and the currency of Ghana is the c e d i ‍   . In a correctly labeled graph of the foreign exchange market for the cedi, show the impact of an increase in imports from Ghana to China. Then, explain what is going on in your graph. I tried my best. Can I check my work? In order for China to import more goods from Ghana, it will need more cedi to buy Ghanian goods. Therefore, the demand for the cedi will increase. As a result of an increase in the demand for the cedi, the exchange rate of yuan per cedi will increase (in other words, it will take more yuan to buy each cedi).
• List 3 things that would cause the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar, in terms of Yen, to increase.

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Essay on Exchange Rates | Foreign Exchange | International Economics

Here is an essay on ‘Exchange Rates’ for class 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on ‘Exchange Rates’ especially written for school and college students.

Essay # 1. Meaning of Exchange Rate:

The rate of exchange is the rate at which the currency of one country is exchanged for the currency of another country. It is the price paid for a unit of foreign currency in terms of the home currency.

The exchange rate existing between two currencies can be expressed in two alternative ways:

Firstly, it is a ratio of one unit of foreign currency to a certain number of units of the home currency.

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Secondly, it is a ratio of certain number of units of the foreign currency to one unit of the home currency.

For instance, if one U.S. dollar can be exchanged with Rs. 60, then the rate of exchange between these two currencies can be expressed as:

(i) 1 U.S. dollar = Rs. 60 or

(ii) 1 Re. = 1.67 Cents

At a particular point of time, there does not exist in the foreign exchange market a single or unique rate of exchange between two currencies. There is rather a large spectrum of exchange rates as per the credit instruments employed for the transfer function. There is a sight rate in case of foreign bills of exchange, a T.T. or cable rate in case of telegraphic transfers. It is also called as a spot rate. There may be a usance rate or long rate.

It may be applicable to foreign exchange transactions over one month to 3 months period. There is also forward exchange rate which applies to future exchange contracts. It is, therefore, clear that there is the existence of a large structure of exchange rates in a foreign exchange market at a specified point of time.

Suppose the rate of exchange between rupee and dollar is – 1 U.S. dollar = Rs. 60. This rate of exchange may not hold itself. There are possibilities of variations in it. In case the exchange rate becomes 1 U.S. dollar = Rs. 58, it signifies that dollar has depreciated relative to rupee.

Previously 1 U.S. dollar could buy Rs. 60. Now it can have in exchange only Rs. 58. At the same time, it means the rupee has appreciated against dollar. On the opposite, if the exchange rate becomes- 1 U.S. dollar = Rs. 62, it means dollar has appreciated relative to rupee and one dollar can now buy Rs. 62. The rupee, on the other hand, has undergone depreciation.

The rate of exchange between dollar and rupee can be maintained at the level -1 U.S. dollar = Rs. 60 through arbitrage. Arbitrage means the purchase of foreign currency in the market where its price is low and its sale in a market where its price is relatively high. Suppose in Mumbai, the exchange rate is – 1 U.S. dollar = Rs. 60 and it is – 1 U.S. dollar = Rs. 56 in New York.

The speculators or arbitrageurs will start buying dollars in New York and sell it in Mumbai, thereby making a profit of Rs. 4 per dollar. Such transactions will result in a fall in the price of dollar in Mumbai and a rise in New York. Ultimately, the price of dollar in terms of rupees will become equal in both the markets and arbitrage will come to an end.

Essay # 2. Determination of Equilibrium Exchange R ate:

Since the rate of exchange is the price of one currency expressed in terms of another, it is determined, like every other price by the forces of demand and supply. The demand for and supply of foreign exchange together determine the equilibrium rate of exchange. The equilibrium rate of exchange is defined as the rate at which the demand for foreign exchange equals the supply of foreign exchange.

It can be viewed also as a rate at which the par value of the home currency with foreign currency is exactly maintained. The rate of exchange not only has no tendency to change, there is also neither under-valuation nor over­-valuation of the home currency (or foreign currency).

In the words of Scammel, an equilibrium rate is “that rate at which over a standard period during which full employment is maintained and there is no change in the amount of restriction on trade or on currency transfer, causes no net change in the holding of gold and currency reserves of the country concerned.”

R. Nurkse has defined the equilibrium rate of exchange from a different viewpoint. According to him, the equilibrium rate of exchange is the “rate which over a certain period of time, keeps the balance of payments in equilibrium.”

It is mentioned that the equilibrium rate of exchange is determined by equality between the demand for and supply of foreign exchange. The relevant question is whether the demand and supply forces pertain to the home currency or foreign currency. In this connection, it must be pointed out that the rate of exchange can be determined either by the demand for and supply of foreign currency or the home currency.

In either of the two cases, the equilibrium rate of exchange will be exactly the same. In the present analysis, the demand for and supply of foreign currency (the U.S. dollars) will be considered for determining the equilibrium rate of exchange between dollar and rupee.

Demand for Foreign Exchange:

The demand for foreign exchange is the derived demand. The demand for U.S. dollars in India arises because of the demand for American goods and services from India. If exchange rate of dollar with rupee is relatively lower, the Indian importers will have a strong inducement to import goods and services from the U.S.A.

It will signify a larger demand for dollars. On the opposite, the relatively higher exchange rate of dollar with rupee will act as a disincentive and lesser quantities of goods and services will be imported from the U.S.A.

As a consequence, there will be a less demand for dollars by this country at a higher exchange rate of dollar. This inverse relation between the exchange rate and demand for foreign exchange (dollars), the demand function for dollars slopes negatively. It may be shown through Fig. 22.1.