School Exchange

German School of Toulouse student Felix talks about being part of the first school exchange organised for pupils from German schools in Europe.

My host family
I was lucky enough to take part in the 10-day school exchange this year, organised for the first time for pupils of German schools in Europe. I chose Helsinki. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but an initial meeting with my host family via FaceTime reassured me. We got along very well during my stay and they helped me explore many things, such as the city of Helsinki, museums about the history of Finland, and a boat trip to Tallinn, Estonia’s capital.

The German School in Helsinki
With 800 students, the German School in Helsinki is much bigger than ours. I was surprised that students and teachers were on a first-name basis, which seems to be quite common in Finland. The students in my class were nice, and I felt comfortable there. We also did some things outside the school, like visiting the Linnanmäki amusement park.

What if we did it again?
I would heartily recommend this experience. You get to know another culture, make new contacts and come back with lots of positive impressions and experiences. I am very grateful to the German Schools in Helsinki and Toulouse for letting me take part in this exchange (which was too short). I would also like to express my warmest thanks to my host family who helped make my visit so pleasant.