When I first arrived in Switzerland, I found it a bit hard to get to know Swiss people. It seemed that they already had friends and did not need to make new ones! This gave me the initial impression that Swiss people were unwelcoming or reserved. The stereotype of Swiss people is that they are not outgoing. As I spent more time in my university, I began to meet more Swiss students and I realized that my judgement of them was not correct. I soon found that I could not meet Swiss students because a lot of them went home on the weekends. Here, most people stay in their hometown for college, so they remain close to the house where they grew up and where their parents are typically still living. This means that a lot of students remain friends with people they knew in elementary school. I soon found that Swiss people are extremely loyal and often keep friends their whole lives. While it can be tough to get to know them initially, these people are so warm and friendly once they open up.
I have also had to confront some stereotypes that Swiss people have about the U.S.A. When I first meet people, they ask me immediately about American politics. People will ask me if Americans eat McDonalds and other fast food all of the time.
