GERMAN – PUBLIC HIGHSCHOOL – ICX
Price range: € 750 through € 11,660
Flights not Included
You have the choice of 2 different stays, Classic or Select. Classic means you can be placed in anywhere in Germany, but with Select you can choose one to three cities in order of your preference, the choice is yours!
Learn German in a Highschool in Germany
ICX offers you the opportunity to go to Germany for a school year, a semester, or for three or four months, where you live with a host family and attend school. What a decision! It will undoubtedly have a positive impact on your future life.
Not only will you be able to speak German fluently after this time and have experienced the German way of life first hand, but you will also have made many friends, some of whom will even become lifelong friends.
A school and family stay in Germany is a great opportunity that many young people from all over the world take advantage of. Seeing the world from a completely different perspective is a truly lasting experience – an experience that almost no exchange student would want to miss after completing their stay in Germany.
Discover something new
Different countries, different customs. That’s precisely what makes it so exciting. Where else can we learn a language as quickly and as well as in the country where it’s spoken? It’s also interesting to see how a different education system works and what subjects Germans value.
Both sides always benefit from this. Anyone living abroad as a guest for an extended period also becomes an ambassador for their own country. By sharing your experiences, you might completely reshape our perception of your homeland.
Welcome to Germany
Germany is a country of many faces. On the one hand, bustling cities, on the other, tranquil landscapes; flatlands and the sea in the north, high mountains in the south. The climate is temperate, although some think it could be a bit warmer.
Over 83 million people live in Germany, the country in the heart of Europe. A country with much to discover and a rich and varied history. Among the most significant historical events was the reunification of the two German states in 1990.
Pure culture
Cultural life in Germany has a long tradition. For centuries, there were many centers, including smaller ones, where art, music, and theater were specifically promoted. Building on this foundation, a diverse cultural landscape spread throughout the country developed, featuring excellent opera houses, museums, libraries, and other state-funded institutions.
High School Preparation Course in Oldenburg
Your German High School exchange program will start in Oldenburg – with workshops, sightseeing and lots of activities. You will meet other exchange students from different countries and learn more about Germany and the German school system.
- 3 days in January/February and August/September
- included in the price – no extra costs
- Â Transfer included from airport or train station to your accommodation in Oldenburg
If you won´t attend High School in Oldenburg, we will take care of your necessary transfer to your Host Family.
| Duration | 3 months, 4 months, Academic Year, Deposit, Semester |
|---|---|
| Level | Classic, Select |
Requirements for participation
To participate in our Germany program, you must meet certain requirements.
You are…
- … students of a general education school
- … between the ages of 15 and 17 at the start of the program
- …in good health
- …open-minded and adaptable
- … ready to actively participate in family life and school lessons
Furthermore, you should be able to demonstrate good academic performance and have basic knowledge of the German language. You have sufficient German skills if you
- have participated in at least three years of German lessons at school  or
- You have attended a German course with at least 300 lessons.
Your host family in Germany
Living with another family is a completely new experience. However, after a short settling-in period, you will feel like a member of your German host family.
At ICX, we take the utmost care in selecting these families. After all, it’s about you feeling welcome and secure. This requires qualities such as open-mindedness, sociability, and tolerance. These are the same qualities, along with flexibility and adaptability, that we also expect from you.
Only families in stable social and financial circumstances are eligible. From our perspective, this is essential for you to live in a safe and trusting atmosphere with your host family. To ensure that suitable host families can afford to accommodate and support an exchange student for many months, they receive financial assistance to cover the associated costs.Â
Anything but a coincidence
We want you to feel comfortable. But who is a good fit for whom? That’s exactly what we at ICX try to determine beforehand. This way, certain preferences – from both sides – are taken into account. Therefore, it’s important that you honestly describe your hobbies and other interests in your application.
As you can imagine, there’s no such thing as a “typical” German host family. Host families differ in their social and professional standing, their education, and their family composition. Besides traditional families, there are also childless couples who are happy to host an exchange student. The same applies to single mothers or fathers and parents whose children no longer live at home. Some of them live in a big city, others in the countryside.
“Hello, here I am!”
Even before your trip to Germany, you will receive comprehensive information, including the address and telephone number of your host family. This gives you the opportunity to get in touch from home. You can then discuss directly and at your leisure how you envision a successful living arrangement.
Your school in Germany
During your stay in Germany, you will attend school as usual. This has several advantages: You will get to know many peers right from the start, improve your German skills, and significantly broaden your horizons.
In other words, it is the place through which you can be integrated into the foreign society quickly and without problems.
The German school system
High School Germany – German Education System
https://www.studying-in-germany.org/german-education-system/
The German school system is certainly different from the system you know from home. All children from the age of six are required to attend school in Germany. After four years of primary school, the system is divided into three levels:
- Secondary school
- secondary school
- High school
While comprehensive schools do exist, there are relatively few.
Based on your age and prior knowledge, you will likely attend the tenth or eleventh grade of a Gymnasium (academic high school). The Gymnasium is the school with the highest academic standards.
The full program
Like your classmates, you will complete a full course load, do homework, and take exams. A high level of commitment is expected of you.
Classes begin at 8:00 a.m. and usually end around 1:30 p.m. Instruction is given five days a week (Monday to Friday). Extracurricular activities, such as computer science, sports, and music, are offered in the afternoon. The start of the school year depends on the federal state and varies from the beginning of August to mid-September.
Don’t worry about language difficulties.
It might be a little difficult at first due to language barriers. But don’t worry: everyone understands. You can be sure that the teachers will do everything they can to help you settle in quickly as an exchange student.
By the way: You have to cover the costs for school supplies, books – unless they are provided by the school – and the use of public transport to school yourself.
We are here for you!
Personal support and guidance for our exchange students is a matter of course for us. Throughout your stay in Germany, you will have a dedicated ICX contact person on site.
This coordinator will be in contact with you and your host family and will also keep you informed about your academic progress. You will receive their name and address with the documents from your host family. Our coordinators are in close contact with the ICX office in Oldenburg and ensure that all program details are adhered to.
Your coordinator knows your host family from a preliminary visit and several phone calls. It’s important to know that you can approach them with any questions at any time.
ICX can place you in the following cities:
Introductory seminar in Germany
The program begins with a multi-day introductory seminar in Oldenburg. Together with other exchange students, you will be prepared for what awaits you here.
In small working groups, important topics, practical life advice and aspects of the entire program are discussed.
Seminar content:
- Life in a German host family
- the German school system
- Insurance matters
- Reporting obligation
- Residence permit
- Pocket money
- Program guidelines
We will also discuss the following questions:
- How do I open a bank account?
- What do I need to know about using public transport?
- Which authority is responsible for what?
- What should I do if I get sick?
Starting in northern Germany with students from different countries
Those who wish to spend a full school year in Germany (starting in the summer) will begin their stay in Oldenburg with other exchange students in the international group. Naturally, you will also explore this interesting city together. In addition, a diverse leisure program awaits you. You will have lots of fun and plenty of time to experience the unique atmosphere of this typical North German city.
During these first few days, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to get to know both the international group of ICX exchange students and the responsible ICX staff. It simply feels good to take those first steps in a foreign country together.
All costs – hotel, full board, leisure program and the journey from Oldenburg to the host family’s home – are already included in the program price.
The introductory seminar in winter will take place with a minimum of 5 participants. If fewer than 5 participants start the program in winter, each participant will receive an individual introduction. Â
