<p>Is anyone else going? I am super excited. Do you know when we get our family assignments/any more information?</p>
<p>Yup, I’m going. I don’t know that much, but I think you can email administrations and they’ll tell you all that stuff. Apparently you find out about family stuff only few weeks before you leave.</p>
<p>Awesome, maybe we’ll be in the same class. ^^;;; What made you decide to go to China? Where are you going now–like, do you go to an affiliate school?</p>
<p>Nothing really made me decide; I just felt like it and it seemed like a cool experience 
right now I go to the American School of The Hague. How bout you?</p>
<p>I go to Phillips Exeter. And same, I just thought it would be a really great chance to see a different culture. I originally wanted to do SYA Japan, but that got cancelled after the earthquake, so then I decided to see the cancellation as a “one door closes, another opens” opportunity. It’s going to be a good experience, I can tell.</p>
<p>Do you speak any Chinese? 'Cause I sure don’t! Not yet, at least. I can read some just because I know some Japanese, but not very much, and sometimes the characters mean different things.</p>
<p>Wow, it seems that a lot of people doing SYA go to affiliate schools. Do you know other people going? I have no way of knowing anyone it seems, since I live in The Netherlands. I’m kind of an international guy, so that’s the main reason I’m doing this (I’ve lived in Holland, Belgium, Brazil, Iceland, Russia, the U.S., and the U.K.). </p>
<p>That’s funny though; I also wanted to apply to SYA Japan too! But I was also really interested in China, so it didn’t make too much of a difference to me. And also, I’m SO happy to hear that there is another person doing this that doesn’t speak much Chinese. I don’t know any right now, but I’m planning to learn the basics during the summer. I also got this cool t-shirt, subway map and bumper stickers from them so that’s got me happy.</p>
<p>There’s three girls from my school, myself included; though one of them is only staying for the first quarter, I believe. I know a lot of people are having trouble finding out about their financial aid status, so that’s a putting a strain on peoples’ plans.</p>
<p>Well, now you know me, so that’s something! ^____^ Where in the US did you live?</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a lot of people who don’t speak Chinese, since it was one of the only programs that didn’t have a previous experience requirement–and that’s in addition to the fact that it’s a popular language right now.</p>
<p>Same, I’m probably going to do some Chinese study over the summer after I do a homestay in Japan (I was supposed to do this program last year, but it, too, was cancelled due to the earthquake), which ends around mid-July. </p>
<p>I got the shirt and other stuff, too! Except I forgot to bring it to school with me. XDDD It’s sitting at home right now–but I mean, at least now I can ensure it’ll be in nice condition when I wear it over the summer/in China, right? ><;;</p>
<p>Wow, first quarter; that seems kinda short. And yeah, I could only apply for the scholarship since the financial aid thing seemed to only be for people in the U.S. But then I didn’t get the scholarship so I didn’t think I was going to go. Then luckily because of my parents jobs the State Department is going to pay for the whole thing :P</p>
<p>There should be a Facebook group made for us too, if anyone feels like doing that 
And I lived in the U.S. twice, once in D.C. and once in VA. </p>
<p>Also I’m kind of glad I’m going in without a certain amount of language so that I don’t have to be stressed about the placement tests that you take if you’ve already studied it.</p>
<p>I was so confused when you said you forgot to bring it to school with you. But now I’m like OHHHHH boarding school, right. Well I guess next year won’t be a huge change for you since you already live away from home. Are gonna a junior or senior?</p>
<p>Woah, your parents work in the State Department? That’s awesome, no wonder you’re such a world traveler! I’ve only recently become interested in politics and government, and I figure the best way to learn is by doing, so I’m hoping to get an internship there the summer after China.</p>
<p>Oh, good idea on the Facebook group (except for the fact that it’ll be useless while we’re in China… XDDD). I’ll see what I can do.</p>
<p>Gah, placement tests tend to stress me out wayyy more than they should. Like, what if I place below where I’m supposed to be!? What then?!</p>
<p>Yeah, I’ve been living here for almost two years now, so I think adjusting in the sense of homesickness will be okay. Of course, it’s a different country, so that changes things a bit, but I don’t think I’ll have to worry so much about missing my family as much as missing the US in general. The only time I’ve lived abroad for a significant amount of time was this past summer, when I did a homestay in Tokyo for a month–and I was so giddy and excited to be there that I didn’t miss home at all, really (I cried when on the train to go home ;~;). </p>
<p>Also, I’ve forgotten to ask–how is it living in Holland? I’ve heard it’s really pretty there (then again, people say that about everywhere–which maybe isn’t such a bad thing, but I digress).</p>
<p>I do move around a lot, but it really makes you tired of it to some extent. And also you’re lucky that you’ve actually been to Asia, the only time I’ve been is on a trip to Siberia.</p>
<p>That’s so true about the Facebook thing, but I just hope that my family has Internet because apparently it’s random if your family does or not.</p>
<p>Holland is pretty nice, but I only moved here this past summer so I’m not completely used to it yet. I don’t want to make you confused, but I also half live in Belgium. It’s cause my Dad got posted there for NATO and so he has to live there. But yeah I go to school in Holland, and it’s only a 2 hour drive to Brussels. It sounds kind of stupid to be moving now for me I guess, SYA will be my third high school. -___-</p>
<p>You should definitely make the Facebook “group” though, so we can find more people doing this. I’ll join it then and we’ll be really cool for being the ones that started the group. I think.</p>
<p>By the way, do you know when/where we are leaving from? I’m guessing I’ll have to take a flight from here to the U.S. so I can leave with the group or something.</p>
<p>Haha, I haven’t flown around that much compared to a lot of kids I know here at school. Japan was a total pilgrimage for me, I’ve wanted to go there literally my whole life–in first grade, my grandmother got called in for a parent-teacher conference because apparently I wouldn’t stop complaining to my teacher that I wanted to learn Japanese, not Spanish. It was weird, considering I was just a random little white girl from a really small town in the middle of nowhere. I finally got to study Japanese in high school (there were no Japanese teachers back home), so the homestay was pretty much a dream come true.</p>
<p>Oooh, I didn’t know that about the internet. I think I might get a phone card with a data plan just in case (my dad and I primarily use the internet to communicate).</p>
<p>Nah, I understand about the living in two places thing. I half-live between my grandparents and my dad.</p>
<p>If this will be your third high school, what grade will you be going into? I’m a sophomore now, so I’ll be a junior when I’m there.</p>
<p>Since I’m pretty sure SYA is based in the States, that’s probably where all the flights are departing from. I think there will probably be an East Coast flight and a West Coast flight (you should take the West Coast one 'cause I’ll be on ittt~). I heard there’s an in-flight orientation (whatever that means).</p>
<p>EDIT: I messaged you the Facebook group!</p>
<p>Yeah that’s interesting, I’ve also always been interested in Japan (and China) but I’ve never actually been to either. </p>
<p>About the phone card, that sounds like what I would want to do too just so I could email whenever I wanted. The weird thing is though that I asked them about it and they said, “We advise that students buy a cell phone once they arrive in Beijing. It is much cheaper than bringing and using your US phone.” That sounds kind of weird to me; I’d rather take my phone that I have right now unless I had a contract or something. AND I don’t even have a US phone so ha.</p>
<p>I’m a sophomore too. I was in Moscow for 9th grade and now I’m in The Hague for 10th grade. </p>
<p>I heard though that there is only one flight though, and I wouldn’t be surprised it’s leaving from the west coast. </p>
<p>We should more people for the Facebook group too, but I guess we don’t know anyone else :P</p>
<p>And an in-flight orientation? That sounds really weird. Just sayin.</p>
<p>Yeah, I want to have internet while I’m there. Have you made a Renren or a Weibo yet?</p>
<p>Ahhh, is there only one? I really didn’t know. We’ll find out soon enough, in any event.</p>
<p>I wonder if there’s a way to find more people… I know some kids from Andover must be going, but I don’t know who they are.</p>
<p>I know, right? Like, what would it include? Don’t we already have a week-long orientation, anyways?</p>
<p>Nope, I haven’t made either yet, nor do I know how. I am nowhere near that organized; maybe i’ll ask one of my Chinese friends about it. I’m gonna get started on the language, though, before anything. Have you made one?</p>
<p>I don’t know if there’s a way to find more people; we might just have to weight for them to find us. I have a friend in Andover, but I guess that won’t be any use unless he knows someone that’s going.</p>
<p>A week long orientation seems pretty long, but I’m not complaining. Apparently we’re also told to read certain books before we go. I hate thinking about all this though, but then remembering about all my current schoolwork and stuff. :P</p>
<p>Hey guys,
@konikamano I saw your post and I also got accepted to SYA China for the 2012-2013 school year! I’m am SO excited! 4 months until we all meet each other!
So, just curious, is there a facebook group? I deactivated my facebook a couple months ago to focus on my grades but now I want to reactivate it to join the group! :D</p>
<p>How does one survive without Facebook? </p>
<p>This is the group [Log</a> In | Facebook](<a href=“http://www.facebook.com/groups/292237694185138/]Log”>SYA China 2012-2013 | Facebook)</p>
<p>Wait, is it seriously only four months? Dang.</p>
<p>Did someone leave the Facebook group? I swear there were 4 people… and that’s a pretty sad amount </p>
<p>The amount of forms and stuff right now is killing me.</p>
<p>I have no idea how the forms are going. They’re all at home with my folks and I haven’t heard a thing about them. What are they basically about?</p>
<p>And yeah, there were four people, but one of them told me she isn’t going to go anymore (she’ll be going in the summer with her brother).</p>
<p>The forms are basically either asking you questions about what kind of family you want or telling you stuff like the packing list/what books to bring. And some stuff about math class, SATs, etc. And you have to get a physical…</p>