Student exchange: Jasmine
Posted: 06 August 2018
Schools exchanging:
Rockhampton Grammar School in Queensland, Australia and Regent’s School in Bangkok, Thailand
Duration:
One month reciprocal exchange
About:
Jasmine Wooley from Rockhampton Grammar School in Queensland, Australia took part in a one-month student exchange to Regents School in Bangkok, Thailand. Jasmine embraced all the school had to offer, both academically and culturally. During her time at Rengents, she boarded at the school and took part in all classes including Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Maths, Geography and Global Studies. “I learnt many interesting while in Thailand including that kindness is highly valued and should be expressed in Thai culture,” says Jasmine “I learnt of these cultural qualities through trips around Bangkok and amazing conversations with my friends.”
The exchange gave Jasmine the opportunity to learn a lot about herself “That I am an independent woman and will test myself no matter what. I am a hard worker who also enjoys spending time with lovely people who value me for who I am,” explained Jasmine “I feel that I am stronger because of my exchange. I have learnt how to be a better person and improve my school results even further. I have learnt how to overcome challenges, stand up for what I believe in and be the person I can be on a daily basis.”
“One of the most difficult hardships I encountered was the fact that I had never gone overseas before and I was travelling by myself. Overcoming this challenge was an amazing feeling and I am so much more confident in myself. I have always loved to be independent and this was a clear test to see if I could really do what I had set my mind to. I also experienced some money issues where I couldn’t access my bank account for a week. Being overseas and without my mother there to deal with the situation, I was forced to take control and sort the issue out myself. When I finally sorted the situation, I felt proud of myself for sorting the issues out for myself.”
“This exchange has definitely given me new values, beliefs, a sense of multi-multiculturalism and made me develop new character strengths. This exchange has made me more employable and has encouraged me try to new things even if I have no experience in that field. If it wasn’t for this exchange, then I may never have had the courage to join the army. Round Square has done so much for me and I look forward to giving back to the community. I am especially excited to be going to Canada for the international conference in September this year and I am honored to have been given a bursary to go.”
Student advice
Jasmine has some good advice for anyone thinking of applying for a exchange, “I would say to another student, definitely give it a go. It is a challenging but great experience. The benefits for personal independence, international experiences and cultural understanding are invaluable and have made a big impact on me. It is a great experience all around and because of that, I plan to do more travel at school and after school. My next plan is to go to Vietnam at the end of senior to do some service work.”
Rep’s advice
Jonathan Burr, RS Rep from Rockhamton Grammar School says, “The Round Square opportunities are very important for The Rockhampton Grammar School. As we are a small regional town, it is important to provide chances for our students to expand their horizons beyond their community. The many programmes that we run under the Round Square banner are often the first time most students have ventured beyond their isolated regional environment.”
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