Follow the jump links to learn more about Switzerland
Lifestyle and Family Living
Teen Life
Dress and Appearance
Diet and Meals
Educational System
Geography and Climate
Population
Language
Government
Religion
Spending Money
Safety and Support
Fun Facts Lifestyle and Family Living
The Swiss value hard work, sobriety, thrift and independence. They prize tolerance, punctuality, cleanliness, orderliness and a sense of responsibility.
The population is made up of four ethnic groups: German Swiss, French Swiss, Italian Swiss and Romansh. Germans dominate with 65% of the population. The French are located mostly in the west; the Italians in the south.
Though ethnic variety divides Switzerland, the Swiss are unified by the common custom of having pets (90% of Swiss families have a cat or a dog).
Family privacy is important.
The nuclear family is the most important social unit. On weekends, families are often active together, taking trips or visiting family or friends.
Teenagers are generally given a fair amount of independence. To get around, you can rely on well-organized public transportation, but many Swiss also walk and bike. It is easy to get around, and cities are in most cases easily accessible.
AFSers most frequently live in suburban areas (60%), rather than urban ones (20%). Even in small towns, though, cultural activities such as theater or music are always available. Placements are generally in German-speaking communities.
Swiss host families, like all AFS host families worldwide, are volunteers and are not paid. They open their homes to students in order to share their community and culture as well as to enrich their own family lives.Teen Life
Social life in Switzerland may differ greatly from what you are accustomed to. Family activities vary widely. A sociable family will often invite friends and relatives to their homes. On the other hand, you may have a host father who is happiest when you leave him alone with his newspaper.
It would not be unusual for your host family to plan a few family activities for you to participate in. They may even want to show you off in their community. You should make yourself available for such occasions.
You should also look for a chance to join a club or to get involved in community activities such as village festivals, gymnastics meets or historic celebrations.
Since schools offer virtually no social activities (except an occasional fraternity or orchestra), social life must be organized on your own initiative. You will be expected to create activities outside of school.
Many Swiss teenagers play one or more kinds of sports and are members of a sports club or team, and they have practice once or twice a week. Many also play a musical instrument and take lessons in the evening. Many young people are involved in scouting. During the week, high school students usually do not go out because they have homework to do.
On weekends, however, young Swiss frequently go out in groups or sometimes with just one friend. They like to meet with friends, go to movies, discos or parties or just hang out in a local café or at each other’s homes. Most of the time, girls will be expected to pay for themselves, as equality between the sexes is the norm.
AFSers interested in going skiing should bring extra money since this activity is expensive.
The Swiss appreciate nature and the outdoors. They love to go hiking, skiing and bicycling. You will most likely do a lot of walking and biking to get around. The Swiss also enjoy walks, watching movies and attending cultural events.Dress and Appearance
Swiss teenagers generally wear casual clothes and dress like people in other western countries. Often the same outfit will be worn for a number of days.
Bring warm winter clothing such as a heavy jacket, scarf, gloves and boots.
For the summer, light clothing, such as jeans and T-shirts, is appropriate.
It will also be helpful to bring a musical instrument, if you have one, or outdoor sports gear.Diet and Meals
The evening dinner is the main meal of the day and is an opportunity for the family to eat together, exchange views and make plans.
Swiss families tend to care about healthy foods. They cook with chicken or beef broth rather than with oil, and salads and vegetables are plentiful.
Vegetarians will find plenty of options.
Breakfast is usually bread, butter and jam, and yogurt or muesli (a natural grain cereal).
For lunch at school, students usually pack food from home or buy a warm meal in the cafeteria.
Swiss cuisine is mainly a union of French and German alpine cuisine. One famous dish is fondue in which Emmenthaler and Gruyère cheese is melted with white wine and eaten with bread cubes.
Rosti (a crispy, fried, shredded potato) is the Swiss-German national dish.
Although Switzerland does not have a seacoast, fresh-water fish are eaten.
Switzerland is famous for its chocolate. It is eaten frequently and used often in cooking.Educational System
Swiss schools require foreign students to have some knowledge of German or French.
For AFSers with little or no language background who live near Zurich or Berne, AFS Switzerland organizes four weeks of language training (the whole day, five days per week) after you have been placed with your families and prior to the start of school (students who attend this intensive language training start school upon completion of the four-week course). Most other students attend an intensive language course at a private language school or receive two to four hours of tutoring a week.
Switzerland is divided into 26 cantons, and the school system is under cantonal authority. Therefore, systems and names vary a lot. However, the following generalizations can be made: school starts in August and goes to the end of June or the middle of July. Classes are Monday through Friday, some with a half-day on Saturday.
The Swiss school system is very competitive, and you are expected to participate fully and actively. You will probably be placed in a maturitätsschulen (high school) which has several sections (classical, modern languages, scientific, commercial). A broad range of academic subjects is available, but the main compulsory courses will be German/French, math, history, geography, biology and physical education. One or more additional languages other than the one spoken in the canton are generally studied.
Class relations may be different from what you are used to. Teenagers in Switzerland tend to have fewer, but closer, friends and to move in smaller circles. Your school classroom is one of the best places to make friends. A class of approximately 20 students will stay together for all lessons.
Since lessons cover most of the day, there are not many extracurricular activities offered by schools. Swiss students tend to get involved more in clubs and teams on their own. You can ask your host family, AFS volunteers or new schoolmates for suggestions of activities to pursue outside of school. Local information.
All instruction, with the exception of foreign languages, is done in German or possibly French. In the beginning, you may find it hard to follow, but as you learn more of the language, school will become less challenging, so be patient, work hard, and keep at it!
While it may be possible to obtain academic credit for the coursework you successfully complete abroad, AFS cannot guarantee this. Please discuss your plans with your school before you go abroad.
Geography and Climate
Switzerland is located at the heart of Western Europe and is bordered by France, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Italy. Switzerland, proud of a long history of political neutrality, is not part of the European Union.
The country can be divided into three general regions: the Alps, which occupy the central and southern regions; the Swiss plateau and the Jura, mountains that border France in the northwest. Most of Switzerland’s big cities are in the Swiss plateau, but Switzerland is more than 60% mountains, often covered with forests.
The climate varies according to altitude and region but is generally temperate. While winters can be long and snowy, summers are mild and dry.
Switzerland’s climate ranges from Mediterranean hot around Ticino in the south to more temperate Central European. Temperatures generally vary between 20° and 25°C (70’s°F) in summer (June to September) and between 2° and 6°C (35°-40°F) in winter (November to March). The Alps also sustain glaciers.
Population
The population of Switzerland is 7.6 million. Berne is the capital, and Zurich and Geneva are the principal cities. The main groups are defined by their native language: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansh 1%. Switzerland has a big immigrant population, and it is very common to meet non-native Swiss.
Language
The official and written languages are German, French, Italian and Romansh. The Swiss-German dialect is spoken in the German-speaking areas of Switzerland. Romansh is a language that derives directly from ancient Latin and has survived and developed in the isolation of Alpine valleys.
Government
The Swiss Confederation consists of 26 sovereign cantons with a constitution that was adopted on May 29, 1874. Federal authority is vested in a bicameral legislature. A parliament elects the president who serves one year and is succeeded by the vice president.
Religion
Approximately 41% of the Swiss are Roman Catholic, and approximately 35% are Protestant. Religious affiliations generally reflect the native language. Although most French-speaking Swiss are Catholic, the city of Geneva is mainly Calvinist (Protestant).
Spending Money
The Swiss franc is the official currency.
Your program and country information packet (provided in the months prior to your departure) will give you an idea of how much spending money is appropriate and whether you should arrive with any amount of the local currency in hand.
Host families pay only for ordinary family events in which you are expected to participate. When you do such things as shopping for yourself or going out with friends, the expenses are your responsibility. Depending on the cost of living in your host country, we recommend you budget about $100-$300 per month.
Remember: never travel with large amounts of cash. Instead, bring travelers checks or follow the advice in the country and program information packet. Another option for obtaining money while overseas is to use a debit card linked to a checking account back home (but try not to use a debit card for daily purchases since there are ATM and currency exchange fees). Or, you can transfer money using wiring services such as Western Union.
You and your parents should determine a budget and preferred money transfer plan before you depart so that you are not caught without spending money while abroad.
Be conscientious of your spending since conspicuous consumption may not be viewed favorably and spending more than your peers and family may create a distance between you and them.
Safety and Support
AFS has the utmost concern for the welfare, safety, and security of our participants. We’ve been exchanging participants throughout the world for 60 years—that’s six decades of history and experience in international education with an exemplary record of safety, security, and service.
AFS maintains a network of experienced staff and trained volunteers who provide support in each country. In the event of an emergency, 24-hour assistance is available to students, their parents, and the host families. Furthermore, your AFS tuition includes comprehensive medical insurance coverage to ensure that medical care is available to our participants anywhere in the world and at all times.
While we have the above support structures in place, we also encourage you to take responsibility for your own safety and we give you the guidance to do so. Many of the AFS orientation activities, both at home and abroad, are intended to give you the tools to stay safe. We also provide country-specific safety tips to each participant prior to departure.
Learn more about the >AFS safety and support network.
Fun Facts
- Switzerland is the only country with a square flag.
- As part of Swiss democracy, all political matters are decided through referendums.
- Since Switzerland’s formation, it has claimed neutrality and therefore is not part of any international political organization.
- The popular typeface “Helvetica” was created in Switzerland and is named after the country’s Latin name, Confoederatio Helvetica.
