To The Upcoming CBYXers

Authored By:

Marli W.

It’s December again, and that means the next round of CIEE CBYX hopefuls have just submitted their applications.

I remember what the application process was like for me. For a few months, all I thought about was what I would write for my essays, learning German, and how great it would be to get into CBYX. I would read the blog posts of current CBYXers and binge watch exchange student vlogs on YouTube. I was also part of a group chat of other students applying to exchange programs, and most of them were feeling the same way. If you’re one of this year’s applicants, I have a few pieces of advice.

 

  1. If you’re in the CIEE region, it’ll be a couple months before you find out if you’ve been invited to an interview. Use this time to work on your German, especially if you’ve never taken it in school! Also research German culture. A good YouTube channel is Wanted Adventure; the videos are by an American woman who now lives in Germany and talks about the differences in culture between the two countries.
     
  2. See if you can find any current or past exchange students on social media. We can’t tell you how to do well in the interview, but we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have! (I’m easy to find on social media— hit me up!) You can also try to connect with other current applicants to exchange programs. I joined a group chat of 50+ applicants, many of them applying to CBYX, and now I have friends in pretty much every region of Germany and a great support system.
     
  3. Enjoy life right now. While it’s good to be preparing for your potential exchange year, the waiting period(s) can make you a little obsessive. Enjoy the holidays with your family. Spend time with your friends. You’ll be missing them next year!


 

That’s all for this blog post! 

Sometime next week I’ll be talking about German Christmas traditions, so stay tuned.

 

Bis zum nächsten Mal,

 

-Marli