I stayed in America for a ten-month exchange program from September 2016 to June 2017. I lived in a small town, Elkins in West Virginia with my host mom Eileen, and also another exchange student who comes from South Korea, called Mark.
I studied in Highland Adventist School. It was a good chance for me to study different subjects, including English Communication, Bible, Literature, Entrepreneurship, Mathematics, Personal Finance and Spanish. I learn a lot from my English communication lesson. Throughout the lessons, I learn how to communicate with others, like what I should tell in a discussion and how to explain my ideas clearly. All of these skills improve my spoken English.
In my school, students study more subjects than us in Hong Kong, but with fewer lessons, and of course, they don’t suffer from great study pressure like us. The teaching style in the US is also different from Hong Kong. Teachers told us a lot of things that are not mentioned in the textbooks. It makes me to be very attentive in the lesson. The best thing about my study is that I did not have much homework after school as the education system in the States requires students to read more, spend time with family or do something they are interested in, instead of studying only. The education system in the US really helps students explore more and discover what they want to do after they grow up.
This exchange program brings me so many unforgettable moments. In addition to study in Elkins, I traveled to Washington DC, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Boston. The most unforgettable experience i had in the USA is watching my first NBA game. I love basketball so much that watching a real NBA game is my best dream come true. I spent almost six hours on the bus to travel to Cleveland to watch Cavaliers against Washington Wizard. We heard that Lebron James hurt his eye during the practice and he may not be able to participate in the game. But when we saw Lebron James appeared on the count with his jersey, all the audience was screaming including me. It was the best memory I had in the USA.
I gained a lot from the 10-month program as I learnt how to talk to others politely, how to ask questions if I do not understand what others said to me, how to study and live  independently. I also learnt different types of culture, not only American but also Korean culture. This program also inspires me to think of my life and future plan. This is definitely an eye-opening experience and it is one of the best memory in my life.