High School in the United States

That's of course mostly what my stay here is all about; the High School experience. How are schools in Belgium different from the US? And how am I doing at school now? Read on to find out more.

As mentioned in the previous blog, I have changed host families. Not only did I change to another family, I'm also going to another school now. Otherwise I had to drive an half hour (one hour in total) each day commuting to my previous school. Because that was of course much better, that way I didn't have to drive half an hour to go to school. I transfered from Tesoro High School to San Clemente High School. There are also big differences between both schools, although they are of course more similar than the school in Belgium.

Just a fun fact: the new school is right next to the beach!  :).

In contrast to schools in Belgium, you have a different class composition for each subject in the US. This is because in the US students draw up their own timetable. In other words you follow your own lesson plan and do not go in a certain direction (such as humanities, languages, economics, ...).

Consequently and one of the things I ran into at first is that you get to know a lot more people here. This does not immediately imply that you are the best of friends, but you always have someone to talk to. In Belgium you have one class group, and you follow each subject together. Of course you get to know each other very well, but you don't know the rest of the school. I think there's an advantage here in the US, for example because you are obliged to open up more towards each other.

Just like in the movies, we have long corridors with lockers here. I've gotten quite used to it by now, but I can still remember being very impressed with it in the beginning. And of course not to forget: the yellow school bus. I do not have to take it myself, but they do drive around here.

Most seniors drive to school by car. They are allowed to drive from the age of 16. I found it quite scary to get in the car with a minor. But as with most things it has become so commonplace that I can't wait to get my driver's license to take myself to places. So I drive to school with my two host sisters, with Brenna driving.

Another very big difference here at school is that you feel the 'school spirit' much more than in Belgium. This is mainly due to the many sports and clubs organized by the school. I have the feeling that in this way everyone has some sort of 'sense of togetherness', and that naturally creates a good atmosphere at school. I think they should perhaps also organize something like this in schools in Belgium, because that 'sense of togetherness' is sometimes missing, or it is/is used differently than in the US.

Although the 'school spirit' is much more present in America, I do have the feeling that I get a better curriculum in Belgium. I have already studied a lot of material last year in Belgium that seniors (final year students) receive this year.

You get lunch here at school for free, as long as you take a fruit or drink with it. There are enough options so everyone can find something to their liking. From pizza pieces to chicken sandwiches, everything is available in the cafeteria. Although I often bring my own lunch, which is slightly healthier, I also like lunch at school!

School attire is also very different in the US. Some kids go to school here, and you can take this very literally, wearing their pajamas. In Belgium, everyone should dress 'chic'/'casual' to go to school. That is not the case here. Much more laid back, as comfy as possible. In the beginning I thought that was quite strange, but in the meantime I also just dress comfortably to school. Not with the pajama pants, but still as comfortable as possible :).

These are of course just a few examples of differences, but these stood out to me the most. If you want to know more about a certain topic, please let me know via a message! I'll be happy to answer anything!

A very nice blog next week, because we're counting down to Christmas and New Years!

Happy holidays everyone!