How did you felt about going to a foreign High School before you came to the U.S.?
Consuelo: I was nervous in Chile because I’ve gone to the same school with the same people since I was 4. So I have never been “the new girl”. Also I was scared that I couldn’t understand the people and the people couldn’t understand my English.
Lisa: I was excited to go to an American High School, but I was kind of scared, that I wouldn’t fit in at all, but it turned out very well.
Miguel: I was really excited, I thought (and I still think) that is a one-in a life time opportunity, and I was really excited, not scared at all, for meeting new people and living an American life for a year. Of course the moment to say goodbye to my parents was hard, but it wasn’t a goodbye, it was a “see you soon”. I was really excited.
Umang: I was really excited. Looking forward to meet new people and make new friends and come into a completely different school system. It was going to be a completely new life style.
Teresa: Before I came here, I was really nervous to go to a new school because had never changed schools before or been the “new girl”. But I was also excited to see how it would be and how the students & teachers react to me and how my classes would be.
Jimena: I was nervous and excited at the same time.
How was your first day at Nordhoff High School?
Consuelo: It was pretty good. The kids and teachers were really amazed because I was from Chile, South America; so they came to me and asked me questions about my country and how did I like Ojai. It was not to hard to talk with the people, they were all really nice and patient and talked slow so that I could understand them.
Lisa: It was great. I was nervous, but I knew already a few people from marching band. Everybody was really nice, helped me with my classes and the teachers were all awesome.
Miguel: I’m not gonna lie, my first day at Nordhoff was not nice. I didn’t know anybody and I didn’t know what to do. I was also curious because everything was so different and new. But only the first day was terrible.
Umang: It was scary!!!! I was nervous, But excited at the same time. People were just staring at me… I was really cool though. I met a few people and became friend with them.
Teresa: My first day was not good, it kind of sucked, because I was scared of all the people and was really shy. It wasn’t because of the people, just because I didn’t open enough before.
Jimena: It was good. I was really nervous but all the people from here were all really nice and that helped me in a great way.
How long did you need to make new friends in school? Where do you found your best friends?
Consuelo: I made friends the very first day that I was here, but I met my best friends in parties or activities after school or on weekends.
Lisa: It took me about two week to find the group where I would fit in. It was the group in which I hangout at lunches, all the guys and girls from marching band.
Miguel: I needed like 3 days or so, because then I got to know the people in marching band, who are awesome, and the homies of the water polo team, who are the funniest and the coolest dudes in this town!! Haha.
Umang: I played a lot of sports and that really helped me to make new friends. Also Clubs helped me to meet new people. Students in the classes I took turned out to become my best friends.
Teresa: I didn’t need a long time to meet a lot of people but I found the most friends in the sport teams in which I was each season because I spent so much time with the same people.
Jimena: I didn’t take a long time for me, maybe just a week. I found my best friends in my classes and in the tennis team.
Do your Counselor or the teachers helped you if you didn’t understand things at the beginning?
Consuelo: Yes, they helped me. My teacher asked me to come into their classrooms after school so they could explain me the things that I didn’t understand. One teacher sat me close to classmates that are good students so they could help me during class.
Lisa: My counselor helped me in the first month, because I wanted to change into Spanish what turned out great.
Miguel: Yes!! During their help they basically repeated it slowly and had patience and understand me situation which was way more than I expected. That made me really happy!!
Umang: Yes!!! The teachers were really supportive. My counselor Nixon helped me with everything. Especially the help with my schedule was really helpful.
Teresa: Yes, my Counselor helped me and answered all the questions. I had to change my schedule a few times, the counselor always supported me and helped me to do it quickly.
Jimena: Yes, they gave me always extra time.
How would you describe the atmosphere on Campus?
Consuelo: It’s friendly.
Lisa: It’s really nice, everyone is relaxed, no one is cursing, all the time.
Miguel: One word: awesome!
Umang: It’s lively <3 and enjoyable. Hanging out with friends in the quad is always fun. The activities for school spirit are always exciting. Rallies are the best part!!! Don’t miss out any football games!! They are fun and a great way to hang out with friends.
Teresa: The atmosphere is really nice and friendly.
Jimena: Friendly :D
What are your favorite classes at Nordhoff? Why?
Consuelo: I think art and U.S. history. Art because since I’m little I love drawing and painting, but I don’t really have a lot time to do it in Chile, so here I really enjoy it. And U.S. history because I always knew about the World Wars and stuff, but I always wanted to hear the American point of view of it, it’s interesting.
Lisa: 1. Wind Ensemble, because I get to play clarinet and I make music everyday as everybody in the class, that’s awesome. 2. U.S. History with Mr. Hoi because he is just an awesome teacher and his class is always exciting.
Miguel: Graphic Arts & Weightlifting: Mrs. Farley, I just wanna say thank you, you’re the best and make people learn while having fun. I’m sad I came only for the second semester in that class. Also I love Photoshop. Working out for free every single day, with a class full of homies and the funniest and friendliest teacher ever. What should I say more?!
Umang: I enjoy all my classes at Nordhoff. U.S. history, Physics and Graphic Arts are my favorites. History because Mr. Hoi is really interesting and funny. Physics because I’m just very interested in it. Graphic Arts because Mrs. Farley is the best.
Teresa: My favorite classes are U.S. history and Video Production, because I like Mr. Hoi and Mr. Friedman a lot and they are really fun teachers!
Jimena: World history because the teacher is funny and always makes me laugh.
What advices do you have for new exchange students? What things do they should know before going to Nordhoff?
Consuelo: Don’t be shy because of your English, the people are not going to make fun of you and to interact with people is the only way to learn. Be really open and don’t judge about people, there are amazing people everywhere. And my last advice is to enjoy this experience and have fun. It is your responsibility to make your experience as good as it could be. Also you should know before coming here is that doing homework is as or even more important than tests and talk always with you teachers if you need help.
Lisa: Get involved in as many things as possible, music, sport, anything. All guys are great here in Ojai at NHS, so no worries, you’ll fit in just fine.
Miguel: Just be yourself!!! Do lot of sports so that you can meet new people and can make friends. The school administration is really supportive, so if you have any problems I request go for it. The year is going go by really fast. So make the most of it :D!!! Love life and make it count!! I hope you have a great year.
Umang: Most important advice of all: Be open!! This school is full of people that want to get to know new people. So just relax and chill! You’ll have an awesome time. And also get in a sport team as soon as possible. There you gonna make awesome friends!!
Teresa: Be open and try everything, new classes, sports, meeting totally new people every day! And don’t worry too much about school, you can always ask your host parents or teachers/ friends for help.
Jimena: Get involved in extra curricular activity. That’s best way to meet new people. Also have FUN and ENJOY.
What would you do better if you could return to the beginning of the school year?
Consuelo: At the beginning I just saw the “the bad side” about differences between my school back in Chile and Nordhoff, so what I would do better if I could return to the beginning is just start enjoying it since the beginning because this is a one in a life opportunity.
Lisa: I can’t think about anything. I’d try to be less shy and just go and talk to people.
Umang: Go to more games and events to support school.
Miguel: I don’t know, everything has been almost perfect, but I guess I would try to meet even more people and go more around, and also try to play football, at least with friends, because I have never played it still!!
Teresa: I would play volleyball instead of doing Cross Country, even though it was fun.
Jimena: Don’t be shy!
Now everyone wants to say something to YOU:
How did you felt about going to a foreign High School before you came to the U.S.?
Consuelo: I was nervous in Chile because I’ve gone to the same school with the same people since I was 4. So I have never been “the new girl”. Also I was scared that I couldn’t understand the people and the people couldn’t understand my English.
Lisa: I was excited to go to an American High School, but I was kind of scared, that I wouldn’t fit in at all, but it turned out very well.
Miguel: I was really excited, I thought (and I still think) that is a one-in a life time opportunity, and I was really excited, not scared at all, for meeting new people and living an American life for a year. Of course the moment to say goodbye to my parents was hard, but it wasn’t a goodbye, it was a “see you soon”. I was really excited.
Umang: I was really excited. Looking forward to meet new people and make new friends and come into a completely different school system. It was going to be a completely new life style.
Teresa: Before I came here, I was really nervous to go to a new school because had never changed schools before or been the “new girl”. But I was also excited to see how it would be and how the students & teachers react to me and how my classes would be.
Jimena: I was nervous and excited at the same time.
How was your first day at Nordhoff High School?
Consuelo: It was pretty good. The kids and teachers were really amazed because I was from Chile, South America; so they came to me and asked me questions about my country and how did I like Ojai. It was not to hard to talk with the people, they were all really nice and patient and talked slow so that I could understand them.
Lisa: It was great. I was nervous, but I knew already a few people from marching band. Everybody was really nice, helped me with my classes and the teachers were all awesome.
Miguel: I’m not gonna lie, my first day at Nordhoff was not nice. I didn’t know anybody and I didn’t know what to do. I was also curious because everything was so different and new. But only the first day was terrible.
Umang: It was scary!!!! I was nervous, But excited at the same time. People were just staring at me… I was really cool though. I met a few people and became friend with them.
Teresa: My first day was not good, it kind of sucked, because I was scared of all the people and was really shy. It wasn’t because of the people, just because I didn’t open enough before.
Jimena: It was good. I was really nervous but all the people from here were all really nice and that helped me in a great way.
How long did you need to make new friends in school? Where do you found your best friends?
Consuelo: I made friends the very first day that I was here, but I met my best friends in parties or activities after school or on weekends.
Lisa: It took me about two week to find the group where I would fit in. It was the group in which I hangout at lunches, all the guys and girls from marching band.
Miguel: I needed like 3 days or so, because then I got to know the people in marching band, who are awesome, and the homies of the water polo team, who are the funniest and the coolest dudes in this town!! Haha.
Umang: I played a lot of sports and that really helped me to make new friends. Also Clubs helped me to meet new people. Students in the classes I took turned out to become my best friends.
Teresa: I didn’t need a long time to meet a lot of people but I found the most friends in the sport teams in which I was each season because I spent so much time with the same people.
Jimena: I didn’t take a long time for me, maybe just a week. I found my best friends in my classes and in the tennis team.
Do your Counselor or the teachers helped you if you didn’t understand things at the beginning?
Consuelo: Yes, they helped me. My teacher asked me to come into their classrooms after school so they could explain me the things that I didn’t understand. One teacher sat me close to classmates that are good students so they could help me during class.
Lisa: My counselor helped me in the first month, because I wanted to change into Spanish what turned out great.
Miguel: Yes!! During their help they basically repeated it slowly and had patience and understand me situation which was way more than I expected. That made me really happy!!
Umang: Yes!!! The teachers were really supportive. My counselor Nixon helped me with everything. Especially the help with my schedule was really helpful.
Teresa: Yes, my Counselor helped me and answered all the questions. I had to change my schedule a few times, the counselor always supported me and helped me to do it quickly.
Jimena: Yes, they gave me always extra time.
How would you describe the atmosphere on Campus?
Consuelo: It’s friendly.
Lisa: It’s really nice, everyone is relaxed, no one is cursing, all the time.
Miguel: One word: awesome!
Umang: It’s lively <3 and enjoyable. Hanging out with friends in the quad is always fun. The activities for school spirit are always exciting. Rallies are the best part!!! Don’t miss out any football games!! They are fun and a great way to hang out with friends.
Teresa: The atmosphere is really nice and friendly.
Jimena: Friendly :D
What are your favorite classes at Nordhoff? Why?
Consuelo: I think art and U.S. history. Art because since I’m little I love drawing and painting, but I don’t really have a lot time to do it in Chile, so here I really enjoy it. And U.S. history because I always knew about the World Wars and stuff, but I always wanted to hear the American point of view of it, it’s interesting.
Lisa: 1. Wind Ensemble, because I get to play clarinet and I make music everyday as everybody in the class, that’s awesome. 2. U.S. History with Mr. Hoi because he is just an awesome teacher and his class is always exciting.
Miguel: Graphic Arts & Weightlifting: Mrs. Farley, I just wanna say thank you, you’re the best and make people learn while having fun. I’m sad I came only for the second semester in that class. Also I love Photoshop. Working out for free every single day, with a class full of homies and the funniest and friendliest teacher ever. What should I say more?!
Umang: I enjoy all my classes at Nordhoff. U.S. history, Physics and Graphic Arts are my favorites. History because Mr. Hoi is really interesting and funny. Physics because I’m just very interested in it. Graphic Arts because Mrs. Farley is the best.
Teresa: My favorite classes are U.S. history and Video Production, because I like Mr. Hoi and Mr. Friedman a lot and they are really fun teachers!
Jimena: World history because the teacher is funny and always makes me laugh.
What advices do you have for new exchange students? What things do they should know before going to Nordhoff?
Consuelo: Don’t be shy because of your English, the people are not going to make fun of you and to interact with people is the only way to learn. Be really open and don’t judge about people, there are amazing people everywhere. And my last advice is to enjoy this experience and have fun. It is your responsibility to make your experience as good as it could be. Also you should know before coming here is that doing homework is as or even more important than tests and talk always with you teachers if you need help.
Lisa: Get involved in as many things as possible, music, sport, anything. All guys are great here in Ojai at NHS, so no worries, you’ll fit in just fine.
Miguel: Just be yourself!!! Do lot of sports so that you can meet new people and can make friends. The school administration is really supportive, so if you have any problems I request go for it. The year is going go by really fast. So make the most of it :D!!! Love life and make it count!! I hope you have a great year.
Umang: Most important advice of all: Be open!! This school is full of people that want to get to know new people. So just relax and chill! You’ll have an awesome time. And also get in a sport team as soon as possible. There you gonna make awesome friends!!
Teresa: Be open and try everything, new classes, sports, meeting totally new people every day! And don’t worry too much about school, you can always ask your host parents or teachers/ friends for help.
Jimena: Get involved in extra curricular activity. That’s best way to meet new people. Also have FUN and ENJOY.
What would you do better if you could return to the beginning of the school year?
Consuelo: At the beginning I just saw the “the bad side” about differences between my school back in Chile and Nordhoff, so what I would do better if I could return to the beginning is just start enjoying it since the beginning because this is a one in a life opportunity.
Lisa: I can’t think about anything. I’d try to be less shy and just go and talk to people.
Umang: Go to more games and events to support school.
Miguel: I don’t know, everything has been almost perfect, but I guess I would try to meet even more people and go more around, and also try to play football, at least with friends, because I have never played it still!!
Teresa: I would play volleyball instead of doing Cross Country, even though it was fun.
Jimena: Don’t be shy!
Now everyone wants to say something to YOU:
Exchange student interview
Ojai. June 4. 2012
From the top on the left to the right: Miguel (Spain), Consuelo (Chile), Umang (India), Teresa (Germany), Manny (Germany), Jimena (Mexico), Lisa (Germany).
Consuelo: Don’t be shy, be open, enjoy everything, learn, listen and have a lot of fun.
Lisa: You are a lucky kid, this gonna be the best year of your life, except if you mess it up, but that’s really hard here in Ojai.
Umang: It’s a great school!!! Make a lot of friends!! The year will go by quickly. So make the most of every second. Talk to people and you’re gonna love it!! … And miss it :/. Don’t be shy and I hope you have a wonderful time.
Miguel: Enjoy, be open, try new things, be happy, don’t become homesick because you gonna see your friends and family back. And remember, there are two Californian words that describe everything perfectly: … JUST CHILL!! :D
Teresa: Have fun and enjoy your year!
Jimena: Good luck!! And have fun and enjoy it :DDD!!
Manny: I created this website & interview for my Government AP project. I hope the informations on this site were helpful for you. I wish you an amazing year here at Nordhoff High School!
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