transferring to a public high school in the US
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EP. 26 transferring to a public high school in the US
After recently starting my freshman year of high school in the States, I was thrown into a completely different environment from the two schools that I used to attend in China. From the way the teachers taught to how my fellow classmates interacted, and finally, to the learning environment, everything had changed dramatically. It is hard to spot which type of school in the two cultures worked better for me, but these differences have reshaped me as a person. Today, I want to discuss these changes and how they have reconstructed my identity.
us high school.
chinese international school.
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The Academic Contrasts Between the Two Cultures
In the area where I lived in China, there were typically two types of schools. Chinese public schools and international private schools. I attended both of them, each for two years. I want to mainly use my experience in the international school as a way to compare to my experiences now. As I have never attended high school in China, I mainly resort to my judgments and beliefs according to the middle school curriculum.
Are Schools in the US Really Easier?
Many people have a stereotypical idea of US high schools, especially in China. I’ve heard many Chinese students laugh about how easy the American curriculum is. They joke around at how they can easily score full marks on the SAT in middle grade, a test that American students study for perhaps throughout their whole high school career. Though for many excellent students in China, the US high school curriculum is, in fact, much easier compared to the concepts they may be studying, however, in my opinion, what I’m learning now is just as hard and perhaps even harder than what I was learning in China. I believe this difficulty comes from two main sources. The first is the option to choose difficult classes, and the second is the amount of self-control and independence we must have in our learning.
Image of a Classroom Inside an American Public High School. Image from US News.
1 - Choice in Your Classes and Curriculum
The first and biggest difference between the classes is the amount of choice and freedom one has in one's own classes and the difficulty level in each class. The summer before starting freshman year, I had a counseling meeting with my high school counselor, where we sat down for around an hour and discussed what classes I would be choosing next year. I was completely shocked by how much freedom I had in the classes I would be taking and how easily I was given the chance to choose a harder-level class than what the rest of the grade was taking. Yes, if you followed the traditional curriculum and took Geometry I in your freshman year, Chinese students your age would most likely be learning much more advanced math than you. However, if you believe your ability surpasses Geometry, you could take a placement test for pre-calculus or Algebra 2. If one had the ability, you could even take calculus in your freshman year. The root of our prejudice surrounding the “easiness” of classes in US public schools comes from comparing the typical to the typical. However, for students who know their abilities and strive for harder classes in America they could possibly even be learning ahead of the Chinese curriculum.
This completely new exposure to the amount of opportunities surrounding your classes that were offered in the public schools shocked me. When I was studying in China, though some people could take classes that were harder outside of school, there wasn’t much flexibility in the classes you chose to take inside school. While I’m taking classes with juniors and sophomores now, I would have only been able to take classes with those of the same grade as me back in China.
An example of some of the classes you could choose in the sciences at my school.
2 - Freedom and Responsibility in Your Learning
In a way, transferring to an American public high school was almost a “pre-college” experience for me. For the students who have always been learning in US public schools, block schedules and the ability to have so much choice may be familiar. However, as a student of a different country, suddenly being given the freedom to choose courses, not being limited to a homeroom, planning my own time during free study periods, and experiencing different schedules every day was eye-opening, and different. Suddenly, I became the one in charge of my own life. I had complete responsibility to get to each of my classes, ask questions, and choose the classes that fit with my future.
My school’s confusing block schedules - a different schedule every day.
One aspect that I admire the most in my school is the clubs. There is a club for every culture, every contest, and every interest. However, your teachers didn’t remind you to sign up for the clubs, you had to choose what you wanted to commit to, and which activities you wanted to attend in your spare time. After our school club fair, I spent the next few weeks of my lunchtime running from one club meeting to another, trying to decide which ones I wanted to join officially. Your future was entirely in your own hands. Apart from making sure you go to school, everything else, from extracurriculars and sports to contests, teachers shouldn’t have to remind you, you have to make the commitment yourself.
While in China, I was always exclaiming and complaining about how US students ended school at 3:30 or even 2:30, compared to the 5 -7 p.m. late classes many took in China. However, I’ve realized that these extra 7 hours were completely up to you, they were amazing opportunities for you to work on yourself. They were the time for you to expand on your own hobbies outside of school, go to sports practices, and meet with teachers. In China, while teachers could assign specific tasks, keep you accountable, and provide resources after school, in the States, mostly everything was up to you. For me, it was a huge struggle trying to manage my time and make use of all the free afternoons that I had gained. My school’s tennis team took so much time out of my afternoons, so much that I didn’t plan my homework and extracurricular work well enough. This sudden freedom was almost unfamiliar, sometimes overwhelming, but thrilling.
What are the Effects of Such Freedom and Responsibility?
This freedom has two typical effects. The first is the stereotypical image of American students partying around and not learning when presented with so much time outside of school. But at the same time, for those who want to take control of their own lives and future they use the freedom to work on themselves, slowly developing willpower and long-term habits.
When presented with the choice of fun or work, most will choose to enjoy that fun and save the work for later. I tend to do that too, but after being in this environment and dynamic for quite a while now, I am slowly starting to learn that your choice to work hard now, to push yourself, is much more important than the fun that you’ll forget all about. Freedom can be disastrous for many, but it will also provide many opportunities for growth and development for others.
When Given the Choice of Freedom, There is So Much You Can Do.
I believe these two styles of learning environments in China and the US are for two types of people. While US high schools provide more opportunities to do extracurriculars, hobbies, and sports outside of school, the amount of freedom and responsibility put on yourself can slowly down spiral.
On the other hand, those who might want to focus on academic contests and scientific projects would benefit more from the Chinese learning style. As the Chinese way always goes, the amount of homework and practice you get will let you remember the concepts forever. However, this environment can sometimes restrict your potential, limiting the amount of exploration and paths that you can try to find what you truly want to do.
There is no need to declare one type better or more challenging, as they are rooted in different values completely. For me, after starting to settle into the dynamic here, I feel like I’ve been given more opportunities to explore my passion and use the resources at the school to help me. Seeing your future and your opportunities lay in your own hands has changed the way I view studying, my habits, and my lifestyle.
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Socialization Contrasts Between the Two Cultures
For me, I was lucky to find a group of friends who shared similar values about school and the world with me. Between the two cultures, the biggest difference I’ve noticed is how diverse everybody is here in the States. Because one is able to join so many different clubs, go to different classes with people, and join a diverse amount of sports, you have so many different opportunities to meet new people. Joining the tennis team at my school benefited me the most, helping me meet my friends that I spend time with now. In China, I also had a group of friends that I enjoyed spending time with, we were extremely tight and hung out all the time. However, I had few little opportunities to meet different people.
Some of the Amazing Friends I Have Met.
The contrasts in the way people interact are almost a reflection of the two different academic values. The heavy emphasis on exploration and trying new things in your learning is exactly that in your friendships. You are given different environments and times to meet new people, and it is up to you to grab those opportunities.
I know people from many different cultures, races, and interests. Though certain groups of people I am not close to, I am content with the people in my life right now. I think in China, I was afraid of stepping out and talking to new people. However, with the environment that is in my school right now, it is easier to reach out and start the conversation simply.
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Throughout time, I have grown as a person, and this new environment that I am in now has helped reshape the way I view myself and my future. While I think my past environment helped me create habits and goals, the environment I am in now has paved a tangible path toward my future for me to step onto. It has given me the courage and determination to walk that path, knowing that it is up to me, and nobody else.
with love,
joy