NOD Voices

The Nacel Open Door Blog is a place to share stories, experiences, photos, information, videos, advice, and just about anything else related to the exchange experience for host families and students.

advisors angle

Advisor's Angle: Describing Emotions in English Part 2

Learning a second (or third, fourth, fifth) language is an exciting prospect. Nacel Open Door participants arrive to the USA ready to study and interact in English.
Back to school

Back To School Advice

"Time goes by really fast, especially if you are a senior in high school," I thought as I was standing at the exit door of Logan Airport in Boston while thinking about what I had done during the summer.
Kalina

You vs. Culture Shock & Homesickness

The first part of your stay is all honeymoon. You are loving it there, you love America, and everything is so great. Well, that’s not going to last forever, because once you get into a routine and things stop being as exciting as they were, you’re probably going to start missing home.
Mid-Autumn Festival; Holidays Explained

Holidays Explained: Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest holiday celebrated by cultures and countries in east Asia and expats around the world.
Header

Your American Family

 

Kalina

American High School Stereotypes vs. Facts

 

Advisor's Angle: Starting Out Right

Advisor's Angle: Starting Out Right

 

Vitoria

What Would I Have Done Differently During My Exchange Program?

 

Teen slang

American Teen Slang in 2018

 

NOD students come to the U.S. to improve their English, but some words in our culture that they learn from their American counterparts won't be found in a dictionary.

American Bucket List

American Bucket List

 

Our students talk about their time in America as a dream come true. In our year-end surveys, most students say that their time here was too short.

leane

What 2017-18 Exchange Students Will Miss & Remember

Towards the end of the 2017-2018 program year, we asked AYP students a series of questions about their experiences in the USA.
Friends

Infographic: Document Your Adventure

For our Short Term Program students, a month in America can go by in a blur! To help you capture all your memories of your time in the USA, check out the tips below! (This applies to host families, too!)