“It’s so modern! I’m in awe of the Infinity Centre and I’m loving the weather and how green the Sunshine Coast is!”
These were the first impressions of Matthew Flinders Anglican College and the Sunshine Coast from international exchange student Helena Ager when she arrived from Schule Schloss Salem School in Germany as part of the Round Square International Exchange Program last term.
During Term 1, Flinders welcomed students from Canada, Denmark and Germany to experience life as a Flinders student. In Year 10, Flinders students are given the opportunity to experience another school in another country as part of the Round Square International Exchange Program.
This year, 17 Flinders students are travelling to the UK, Canada, the USA, Denmark, Germany, France and Japan, and in return students from the exchange schools will experience life at Flinders.
After Helena spent a term at Flinders, we caught up with her before she headed back to Germany to ask a few more questions about her time at Flinders and on the ‘Sunny Coast'.
Read her reflections below.
Helena now has the opportunity to show her Flinders host student, Seb S, her school, which she described as looking a bit like a castle! Seb is spending Term 2 in Germany and we look forward to hearing all about his experiences on his return.
As a certified Round Square School, Flinders connects and collaborates with the 250+ like-minded schools across 50 countries in the Round Square network, all offering world-class exchange, service learning and leadership programs.
Q. Helena, what motivated you to choose Flinders and the Sunshine Coast for your exchange?
“I was just incredibly lucky to be sent to Flinders and the Sunshine Coast in general. In my application for exchange I defined Australia as my ‘dream exchange country’, and true to my wish, Mrs Peters (the Round Square Co-ordinator at Salem) introduced me to your school and the possibility to go there as the most fitting option. It was simply the best present she could have possibly given me!
Q. How does your school differ from Flinders?
“I felt like my school and Flinders do have many similarities regarding values and pedagogic concepts, for example, inter-House tournaments. But still my time at Flinders was shaped by experiencing differences. What really impressed me was the huge selection of special subjects, like woodwork, cooking or psychology. Here in Salem we do have the opportunity to do those activities in the form of clubs, but not as actual subjects. I think it’s a great opportunity to try out a special interest.
“Other than that, I admired the atmosphere at your school. The students were disciplined in a way that was made out of respect and motivation, and everyone seemed so kind-hearted and open minded, it made my experience even more special. Yes, I would say the whole Australian lifestyle made an impact on the school and its way of working, that is just different from Germany.”
Q. What did you learn from your exchange experience?
“One of the biggest takeaways from that time, next to all the friendships I was able to form, was that I learnt to hold onto optimism and kindness although I am stressed out. I really admired all your students for their ways of managing stress, without discomforting the people around them. Although all of my friends there had a lot on their plate they still took the time to hang out and look after each other and even forget about all their problems for a moment. And that is a treat I want to reach as well.
“Other than that I had a lot of fun playing volleyball at lunchtime and at the beach, and although I was not the most talented player I had a lot of fun, because I realised it was not about the good serve or hit, but about the time we spend together. And it was that combination of ease, effort and fun that made my time so special.”
Q. What were some highlights?
“There were so many great moments; it is hard to choose. My favourite memory was at the beach, where we had a big get-together and BBQ with my Flinders host, Seb, and my friends...I think I will never forget that feeling at the sunset. Seeing kangaroos and koalas at Australia Zoo or having a bush walk around Kondalilla Falls was definitely a highlight. I loved the breaks at school as well, where we could just chat and laugh after an exhausting lesson and enjoy our lunch.
“Finally, I have to mention the lessons as a highlight, because next to the usual nice time with classmates, the feeling of pride, after I mastered something I didn’t feel like I was capable of, was more than rewarding. Finally, I have to mention another highlight that one could not have expected: the Sky Family. They treated me just like one of their own and therefore made my stay the best I could have dreamed of.”
Q. What else would you like to share with us about your time at Flinders?
“I wanted to thank everyone at Flinders for welcoming me so warmly, I really had one of the most amazing times of my life! I just wanted to express all that happiness my time at the school and in Australia brought me!”
Read more about the Round Square opportunities available at Flinders here.
