Anna Oklestkova, senior, is one of many students who came from another country to experience American life through Cam High’s student exchange program.

For foreign exchange students whose first language is not English, communicating would normally seem like a hassle, but for Oklestkova, who came from the Czech Republic in August, speaking English, “isn’t a big deal.” She felt really excited for the year, and looked forward to meeting new people at the school.

In contrast, Rahel Pfeuti, from Switzerland, deems the variation of English and her native tongue as a significant challenge. “I’m really nervous and it’s hard to communicate with people,” said Pfeuti.

They may have different generalized opinions of the United States, but both students saw American transportation as an inconvenience because of its dependency on the automobile. “My country has buses, subways, trains, etc. to travel from city to city,” said Oklestkova.

The U.S. also presents a variety of differences in its education. In Switzerland, according to Pfeuti, students are not able to choose what classes they would like to take during high school and their school’s day lasts later into the day.

From being the new kid on the block to having a bounty of friends and from fearing day to day life to looking forward to the school day, both Pfeuti and Oklestkova have adjusted to their new environment as well as any stranger to a country could ever hope to.