My year in an Irish High School

We asked three students who graduated from the ISI High School Programme to describe their experience

Anton from Germany

At the start I was a bit scared if everything will go well as I had never been to Ireland before. The first weeks were quite hard for me, I didn’t know anybody but my host family helped me through this time. I joined a local soccer club, and this helped me aswell to find new friends. The first school weeks were pretty scary and most of the time I found it hard to talk to anyone.

After a month at school, I made my friends, this was through the Basketball team. This made my school life so much easier. It didn’t take me long to get close to those people, nearly every weekend since we have met and enjoyed our time together. This is the most important thing at an exchange is to try and talk to people and don’t be shy. Throughout the year I experienced the full Irish life, the contact with young people was really important to enjoy the year and helped me become better with the language. I have to say that my friends I made here are friends for life, I’ll always count on them and they’re always there for me.

After 10 months I sadly have to leave this place ‘My 2nd home’. I will never forget this year and the experience. I have to say that this exchange to Ireland was the best decision in my life so far.The worst thing is I have to leave this place and my friends and host family, they are a part of my life now. I cant wait to come back and see my friends again.

Unai from Spain

Hello my name is Unai, and I’m going to tell you about my experience in Ireland. I was already in Ireland twice. Once in 2013 and 2014. I really enjoyed the experience but not as much as I did the High School Programme with ISI. One of the best bits was my first work experience in a Sports Centre. I worked for 2 weeks and I really enjoyed it because I helped a lot of people.

At first I was afraid of was the school, I wasn’t afraid I was more curious but it was brilliant. I was in transition year and it was the most enjoyable time ever.

Now I know how people feel when they go to work away from their family, but that wasn’t the point, I didn’t feel like I wasn’t at home, I felt like I had another home in Ireland.

This experience was awesome, I hope I can come back next year!

Eloisa from Mexico

If I had to descirbe the experience in one sentence it would be: “I wouldn’t change it for anything”.

Going to a different part of the world may be difficult and scary aswell, I was terrified when I was on my way here, I really didnt know what to expect from it. New school, new friends, new family, new surroundings for a year which at first felt like forever.

I came here and luckly, I got one of the most humble, nice, honest and understanding host families I could ever get. There are no words to describe how thankful I am for getting this family. I thought I was going to be in my room every weekend and every day because if you dont know your way around, well its a bit hard to go out. But that didnt happen at all. I got this amazing host sister from Germany, Paula. She stayed here 3 months less than I did and to be honest I wouldn’t be able to imagine my year without her. We were inseparable and the amount of memories I now have here are infinte. Now she is like my sister and even thought she is back in Germany we still talk everyday and even with the distance we are still inseparable.

School was amazing. I remember crying with my mom on the phone at the start because I was too scared to go to school, not being able to make any friends, not fitting in, not understanding well enough. She calmed me down and gave me the confidence I needed to keep this journey going. First day came and within the first 10 minutes I started talking to this girl. Now I consider her like one of my best friends. After that day, I realized that maybe it wouldn’t be as bad after all. throughout the year I made lots of friends. And now I’m a few days from leaving and I can’t be more sad about it.

Watch: Mikel, Nuria and Luzie talk about their experience on the ISI high school programme.