The Wealthy American?

       No way! I live in an area where the pizza places don't dare come to deliver in my neighborhood. Anyhoo, I only have about $60 dollars saved up for baggage fees. My parents have ordered a credit card for me but they are only for basic needs as I don't want to but my parents into debt.

       When I return from the CBYX program, I plan to attend college with the scholarships I earned and maybe get a job at the haunted houses during halloween season. I'm not sure if I'll be able to find a job while in college but at least something in part time since I plan to be a full-time student. 

        Global student says that a ratio of 1 in 5 people go to college in the united states and wants to know the ratio for Germany and I can't find a clear answer for that as all these statistics seems to be scrambled and vary depending who did the study but there are plenty of people Germany who attend college or university after high school.

        

        

Issues in Host Country

The Environment: What are some of the environmental issues in your host country? What are the causes? Air pollution from coal burning industries creating acid rain that damages forests. There is pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage. 

Health Issues: 30 to 40 percent of the population have health problems related to diet. In 1994 the Advisory Council for the Concerted Action in Health Care was started to educated the children and public about sports, dental care, sex education, prenatal and postnatal care, the dangers of drug abuse, etc.

Economic Issues: High levels of unemployment, 2.5 million children live in poverty (2009),

Educational Achievement: 10% of children are illiterate and 21. 6% are only able to do 4th grade level math or less

Gender Issues: Traditionally, a women's role is to have children, work in the kitchen and go to church however times are changing where the country needs women to be able to both work and care for her children. Sadly, the image of a working mother is considered a "rave mother" who doesn't care well enough for her children. (I sincerely hope the day will soon come when everyone is treated equally no matter what you are)

Entertainment Snapshot

Country's favorite sport: soccer (also most popular in the world!!)

Other sports played: ice hockey, rugby, bobsledding, luge, skeleton, cycling, field hockey, basketball, handball, motorsport

Favorite musicians: They like all types of music, you can't just pick favorites, there too many to choose from!

Traditional forms of music: Opera, folk music, classical

Favorite foods: Rolls, pork, beef, poultry, trout, vegetable soup, stew, spargel, noodles, cheesecake

Other forms of entertainment: restaurants, cafes, shopping, theme parks, water arcades, zoo parks, festivals

Host Country Economic Snapshot

GDP (gross domestic product): $2.940 trillion


Unemployment rate: 10.6% in 2004


Poverty line: NA


Percentage below poverty line: 15.5%


Average family income: 2,040 euros a month


Percentage of workforce in:
                                                Agriculture: 2.4%
                                               Manufacturing: 4.9 million workers
                                               White collar: NA
                                               Service/tourist: 71.3%
                                               
Main industries: iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals,machinery, vehicles, machine tools,electronics, food and beverages,shipbuilding, textiles


Main imports: machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals


Main Exports: machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufacturers, foodstuff, textiles


Currency: Euros
Exchange rate: $1.44= 1€


Prevalence of modern communication devices: 


Television: 51.4 million in 1998


Cell phones: 64.8 million in 2003


Internet users: 39 million in 2003

Political Facts about Germany

Independence/National day: October 3, 1990 (unification of West and East Germany)

Constitution day: August 11, 1919

Country from which they gained independence: Gemany wasn't exactly taken over by a country but by duchies and minor kingdoms.

Year of Independence: 1871

Key events in political history and years they occurred: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1053880.stm it has EVERYTHING

Leader/President: Christian Wulff

Political parties: Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU)
                        Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU)
                        Social Democratic Party of Germany (SDP)
                        Free Democratic Party (FDP)
                        The Left (LINKE)
                        Alliance '90/The Greens (GRÜNE)


Current political situation: Chancellor Merkel insists that Greek parliament must approve new austerity package to qualify for further EU assistance.


Political system: Federal Parliamentary Republic

Social Facts about Germany

Population: 82,431,390 (july 2005)

Life expectancy: 78.65 years

Fertility rate: 1.39 children born per woman (2005)

Mortality rate: 4.16 deaths/1,000 live births

Ethnic groups and percentage of each: German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)

Religious groups and percentages: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%

Languages spoken in order of prevalence: German

Literacy rate: 99% (1997)

Percentage that goes to a university: 35% of school leavers go to a university

Average income: €3,626 to €6,097 for experienced employees

Geographic Snapshot of Host Country

Continent: Europe


Capital: Berlin


Size in square kilometers: 357021 sq. km


Neighboring countries: Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark
Climate: same as Kansas (or similar)! Goes through all 4 seasons, Spring,Summer, Autumn and Winter. 


Natural disasters: Flooding


Natural resources: coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials,  timber, arable land

Stereotypes about America (for global student)

Stupid and don't know anything: Many schools pass students just to let them go up a grade.

Fat and lazy: According to WebMD, 63.1% of adults in the U.S. were overweight or obese. They were also less likely to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the week.

Anorexic: All I see in magazines on the front pages while grocery shopping is "tips on losing weight" or a story about a celebrity's excess weight loss with pictures of them looking like a skeleton because they are trying to get the perfect body.

Arrogant and obnoxious: The reality TV shows always have rich people arguing over something such as clothes, relationship-trouble, not getting what they want, dating shows, etc. Mainly show people arguing or fighting over something pointless.

Anticipation and Expectation Exercise

A. What are the five things that you are most looking forward to about studying abroad?

1.  Living in Germany!

2.  Meeting my future host family.

3.  Making new friends. 

4. Tasting German chocolate. (I hear its super yummy!)

5.  I'm secretly hoping there will be soccer team I can join. 

B. What are the five things that currently worry you most about going overseas?

1. Not being able to understand the language.

2. Not having friends.

3. Using a debit card. 

4. Getting bad grades in school. 

5. Being lost.

C. What are the five things (people, places, activities, etc.) you believe you will miss most from home when abroad?

1. My family.

2. Friends

3. My zombie-victim

4.  Mexican food.

5. My house and bedroom

D. What are the five things (people, places, activities, etc.) you believe you will miss least from home when abroad?

1. Certain people. 

2. the milk sold in America. 

3. school spirit

4. television

5. (can't think of one)

E. My greatest single challenge overseas will be:  Adapting to a new lifestyle.

Top Ten Reasons to Study Abroad

1. I have always wanted to be a foreign-exchange student. I simply want the experience of visiting Germany as a new student unfamiliar to the customs, culture and learning to adjust. 


2. Learn a new language! I can speak English and Spanish but that's only because my family is mainly Mexican (mixed with other races and whatnot). I personally think people who know multiple languages are awesome. 


3. I want to see a different part of the world! The only place I've traveled to is France for 2 weeks to meet my uncle and his family. 


4. Make new friends that will last a life-time. I want to make new friends and create a friendship strong enough to stay in touch forever. 


5. Gain self-confidence. I am shy when I meet new people, enough said. 


6. Soccer is popular in Germany!! That's my favorite sport! :)


7. Try new foods. I'm a vegetarian and I simply hope there will be a variety of foods for me to eat. Once I know a bit of German, I will look up a few recipes online. I don't think I'll be able to make Mexican food in Europe (but I could be wrong!)


8. Resume builder. I'm not sure if this experience would help out for future jobs but all my teachers say it'll look great on college applications. 


9. Gain independence and learn how to be a true leader! I believe this experience will help out with that. 


10. With all the reasons listed above, it will make for a lovely adventure! I'm not the only one. There 50 other students in the CBYX program and I'm grateful to be one of participants!