i’ve received quite a lot of anonymous questions about what school is actually like here, so I decided to collect the ones I’ve been asked most often and answer them all in one post.
p.s. everything below is based specifically on MY school. The system, rules, schedules and even the experience of making friends can be completely different in other schools or states!
right now, I’m a senior, so I’m in 12th grade. I have 8 classes this semester, although some of them are only one-semester classes, meaning I’ll switch to different subjects in the second semester.
also, there are 7 exchange students at my school in total, including me, and only one other student is here through FLEX. we all know each other and spend quite a lot of time together!
💬 “what does your schedule actually look like?”
our schedule is probably one of the biggest differences from what I was used to in Ukraine.
4 days a week, I have 4 classes per day, and each class lasts around 1.5 hours. we only get about 4 minutes to get from one class to another.
then there’s one day when we have all 8 classes, but each one is only around 45 minutes.
💬 “is it true that there’s basically no homework in american schools?”
well… whoever told me that definitely lied 😭
since I’m taking 2 AP classes, I actually have quite a lot of homework. I also missed around two weeks of school, so right now I’m trying to catch up on everything I missed.
I’ve been writing a lot of notes and essays, completing assignments and making up tests..
but it’s going pretty well so far! I already had tests in Sociology and U.S. History, and got A+ on both, with both being among the highest scores in my classes :)
💬 “can you use your phone at school?”
absolutely not😃
at my school, phones are prohibited by law, as are headphones and other personal electronics. the only exception is the school-issued laptops that we use for studying.
we also aren’t allowed to carry backpacks or bags around school. everyone leaves them in their lockers and only takes what they need for the next class.
so yes, when I say I can’t really take photos during school, I mean it.
💬 “are Americans actually friendly? and how do you find people to sit with at lunch?”
honestly, yes!
I know a lot of exchange students worry about coming to a new school and not knowing who to sit with at lunch. but my experience so far has been really positive.
during my first few days, I actually approached people from my classes myself and asked if I could sit with them. after that, several people started approaching me first, asking me lots of questions and inviting me to sit with them.
so my biggest advice is: take the initiative.
don’t wait until someone notices you. introduce yourself, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to approach people first. most people are actually really curious about you, sometimes they’re just nervous about making the first move too.
💬 “are all your classmates seniors as you?”
no!
even though I’m a senior, most of my classes have students from different grades.
for example, my Spanish class has freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors all together. other classes can have completely different combinations - some might have mostly juniors, for example.
there are some exceptions, though. certain AP classes can be restricted to seniors. my AP Government class, for example, is senior-only.
and honestly, I really like having classes with people from different grades. it makes it much easier to meet people outside your own year.
if you have any more questions about school, I’ll be happy to answer them! you can leave them in the comments or send them through my anonymous messages.
and there’s more content coming this weekend, so stay tuned :) 🇺🇸🤍
