The first week of school is one of the most stressful times of the year. Students worry about getting to the right class or finding a place to sit at lunch.

But try starting school in a different country where you don’t know anyone. Many would be nervous about such a big change.

“Meeting new people and adjusting to a new schedule is always hard,” senior, Claire Jenkins said. “But if I were an exchange student I would be very scared to be in a completely different country with so many unfamiliar faces.”

Alma Dzanko, an exchange student from Bosnia, said she was extremely nervous about her first week.

“The schools here in the U.S. are really really different and EHS is huge compared to my high school in Bosnia,” Dzanko said.

However, Zoya Galstyan, an exchange student from Armenia, didn’t seem worried.

“I wasn’t nervous the first day because I had a really nice host mom here and she told me that everything will be fine,” Galstyan said.

She also said she was excited about her upcoming year at EHS and that this was her first time visiting America. She did, however, mention she was a little home sick. She said she missed her family, but more importantly the food.

“I really miss bread, and a lot of other foods that we have in Armenia,” said Galstyan.

Alma Dzanko agreed with Galstyan and that she misses traditional foods from back home.

But despite America’s lack of good bread, both girls describes America as being a very hospitable country and are enjoying their time here at EHS.

Although Galtsyan may not be fearful for the new school year, there may be others who still have those first week of school jitters.

Jenkins’s advice for new students at EHS, whether that be incoming freshman or students from another country, is to not be afraid to put yourself out there.

“There are a ton of great people and opportunities at our high school,” said Jenkins.