Communication matters on a student exchange. Slang, jokes, and colloquial speech all bring fresh challenges in a new country. Not to mention navigating streets teeming with people, keeping your cool in the heavy heat, or finding your way in a challenging new world.

That’s what Nitin Keswani and Joshua Padayachee have discovered as Year 11 students living with their new ‘families’ in Singapore while attending United World College South East Asia with their new housemates.

“An exchange makes you improve your communication, especially across different cultures,” Nitin says. “While you might speak the same language as the people around you, there are differences in the way that you use that language, especially in casual situations. Slang and jokes are often used slightly differently, and it takes time to adjust. Now, I have a better awareness about how communication and language can change across the world and have an impact on international relationships and connections.”

For Nitin, his Singapore stay also has brought a better understanding of “the daily life of people in a different part of the world”.

“Experiencing that is so valuable when you strive to appreciate another culture,” he says. “From the outside, it may seem easy to see the large and obvious differences between cultures. However, when you are living inside another person’s day-to-day life, you come to understand – and appreciate – the many small differences between our worlds.”

Nitin adds that his “big city experience was amazing”, with the bustling atmosphere bringing “a fun and exciting feeling every day, especially at night”.

“Of course the high-density landscape was the opposite of Christchurch’s sprawling nature. Instead of open spaces, green places, and low buildings, the high-rise buildings are crammed together.”

Joshua cites his cultural immersion as having “changed my view of the world, allowing me to see things in a new light”.

“I have learnt that across different languages, countries, and backgrounds, people at school all share common ground, like humour, having fun, and helping each other out,” he says.

“I have had the opportunity to communicate with a variety of people, opening the door to forming connections that have turned into friendships. I have also become more independent and adaptable in a foreign environment, having to push myself outside my comfort zone.”

Their sentiments are backed by fellow Year 11 Finn Tupuola. Having made the most of his time at Dunn School in Los Olivos, California, Finn, too, sees the value in experiencing another way of life, leading to a better understanding of different perspectives informed by often very different backgrounds.

Meanwhile, both Kever Thorley and Louis Holland have enjoyed a treasured American tradition – Prom Night – during an exchange at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, along with relishing the overall school experience.

The senior students also acknowledge the benefits of “seeing how living in a different culture changes the way you view things”.

For Kever, the time in Tennessee highlights that “everyone is different” and being able to befriend many people from different backgrounds underpins a better understanding of multiculturalism.

“It has been an opportunity to learn that the world is a lot bigger than we think but it is still possible to connect with other communities,” Kever says.

Along with Alex Doutch, who attended St Paul’s Co-educational College in Hong Kong, all the boys have now welcomed their exchange students to Christ’s College.