Life and School
School
School is going to be a huge part of your life while you are in the U.S. After all, it’s the main reason you are coming to the U.S. So, what is a typical American high school like? That is a hard question to answer because high schools in the U.S. are all different. We will do our best though and hope that the following information gives you a better idea of what you can expect.
First of all, there are two different kinds of high schools in America: Public high schools and private high schools. One of the major differences between public and private high schools is how they are paid for. Public schools are funded through taxes and private schools charge tuition to help cover their operational costs. The class size usually differs too with public schools typically having larger class sizes. Private schools usually try to keep their class sizes smaller so that they can offer more individualized instruction. Public schools are open to everyone in the district but private schools may be selective and choose whom they admit. Usually you can wear casual clothes to public schools (i.e. jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, athletic shoes, etc.) but private schools generally have stricter dress codes and may require that a uniform be worn (i.e. dress slacks, button up shirts, sweaters, skirts, ties, dress shoes, etc.).
The school year usually begins in late August or early September and finishes in May or June. You will have several short vacation periods during the school year. For example: Christmas/New Year’s break (late December to early January – 1 to 2 weeks) and Spring Break (March or April – usually 1 week). You may also have some public holidays like: Martin Luther King Day (3rd Monday in January), Labor Day (1st Monday in September) and Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November). These holidays are just a few examples; your actual holidays will depend on your school.
The school day typically begins between 7:00 and 9:00 in the morning and finishes around 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon. Depending on each school’s particular schedule and the classes you are taking, you could have anywhere from four to eight classes each day. Each class will be held in a different room and you will have a few minutes between classes to change rooms. You will have a lunch break and possibly other small breaks or what’s known as ‘Study Hall’, a break where you have a chance to review notes, study for tests or complete homework.
There will be certain classes that are required for you to take (Math, English, History, Science, etc.) and other classes that are optional, called electives. These may be classes like choir, creative writing, photography, etc. Some schools also have classes know as ‘AP’ (advanced placement) classes. These classes are college level and can be taken during high school for college credit.
You will find that Americans put almost as much emphasis on sports as they do on academics. It’s rare to find a high school that doesn’t offer multiple sport options throughout the year so you will have plenty of opportunities to get involved athletically (some common school sports are: soccer, baseball, American football, basketball, tennis and track). Games and other sporting events are big social gatherings and are usually well attended by students of the high school as well as family and friends of those competing.
There may be dances or other special events throughout the year as well. Some common events are: Homecoming dance (October), Powder Puff football game (this is an American tradition – the girls play football and the boys are cheerleaders. It usually happens right before the homecoming dance), Sadie Hawkins dance (November or December), Winter Ball (January or February) and Senior Prom (usually in May).
We could go on but this is already a lot of information and we don’t want to overwhelm you. Hopefully it gave you a better idea of what to expect and helped you to see that attending high school here is going to provide you many opportunities and experiences, both academically and socially.
Your Host Family
A wide variety of families are interested in hosting exchange students so you may be living with a double parent family who has young children, an older couple without any children living at home or maybe even in a single parent home. When we are searching for the perfect host family for you, we keep in mind your interests and hobbies and try to match you up with a family with similar interests or one who is open to learning and experiencing new things. Although every host family is different, one thing they all have in common is a desire to host. Whatever type of family you are placed with, they will be caring, friendly and excited to welcome you into their family!
What to expect
The most important thing we can tell you about what to expect from your time in the U.S. is that it may not be what you expect at all! Even if you have been to the U.S. before, maybe on this program or a similar one, this visit is going to be a new experience. It will be important to keep an open mind so that you can gain as much as possible from your time here.
America is a very culturally diverse country. Traveling between states, even going from one community to the next, can sometimes leave you feeling like you have traveled to another country. The way people talk is probably one of the most noticeable differences but everything, from restaurants to shopping malls, architecture to clothing style, can vary greatly depending on what part of the U.S. you are in.
In all areas of the U.S., there are a few things that almost everyone seems to experience on some level while they are here.
- “I can’t speak English!” You’ve been studying English for years and you feel pretty confident of your English ability…until you step off the plane. Your coordinator or host family is there to welcome you. They greet you warmly and you open your mouth to return the greeting. Nothing, you can’t think of a single thing to say. Relax, this is normal. You may feel like you have forgotten every word of English you ever learned but it will get better. The first 2-4 weeks will probably be very hard for you but it will get easier every day that goes by and, before you know it, you’ll be talking like the locals.
- “I don’t feel at home here.” No matter how many times your host family tells you to “make yourself at home”, you most likely will not feel at home for at least the first few weeks, maybe even longer. Give yourself time. At first, you may wish you had never come to America but, as you get to know your host family better and begin to adjust to your new surroundings, you will start to feel more comfortable and, sooner than you expect, you may find that you really do feel at home.
- “I’m homesick.” Even though you are excited for your adventure in the U.S., in the beginning, all of the changes can be overwhelming. The bed feels different, the food tastes weird and you don’t understand any of the jokes your host father tells. Everything is new and strange and you miss the comfortable familiarity of home. Although you may just want to lock yourself up in your room and write long e-mails to your family and friends telling them how much you miss them, the best way to overcome your homesickness is to spend as much time as you can getting to know your host family and making new friends. Get involved in activities at school and in the community. The more you involve yourself in your new life in the U.S., the faster you will get over your homesickness and find that, although you still miss your family and friends back home, you are enjoying yourself and look forward to telling everyone back home about all of the new things you are learning and experiencing.
Policies
All of our policies and program rules are listed in your handbook but let’s take a couple of minutes to talk about a few of them in more detail.
Drinking – The legal drinking age in the U.S. is 21 and underage drinking is considered to be a crime. If you are caught drinking alcohol before you are 21, you will most likely be fined and will probably face other consequences as well. You may be thinking “Wow, Americans are crazy!” Well, you are probably right about that but this is still a law of our country and must be respected, no matter how silly it might seem.
Even though the drinking age is a very strictly enforced law in the U.S., many high school students drink anyway and you may find yourself pressured to join them in order to ‘fit in’. This is called peer pressure. We know that peer pressure can be intense, we’ve all experienced it. Anyone who is pressuring you to do something illegal just so you can hang out with them does not have your best interest in mind though. Try to think about that if you find yourself in this situation. Stand up for yourself and what is right and you will earn the respect and friendship of those worth having as friends. You are an amazing, unique person with much to share; you don’t need to drink alcohol to prove yourself.
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” ~Dr. Seuss
Driving is pretty dangerous; there are a lot of maniacs on the road. So, to make sure you stay in one piece during your time here in the U.S., driving is off-limits, even if you have a driver’s license.
If available, you can take a driver’s education course while you are here but there are some rules that go along with that:
- Your parents/legal guardians would have to give written permission. They would be responsible for any costs required for the course, getting your license and any other costs related to it (for example, if you get in an accident…). Neither your Host Family nor we will assume financial responsibility for you to qualify for your driver’s license.
- Many driver education courses require you to complete a certain amount of driving time to pass. All of this driving must be done with the driving instructor; it can’t be done with anyone else.
- Once you get your license, you will need to give it to your CETUSA Coordinator until you complete your program.
Your host family will help you out with some transportation and you can also use public busses, bike or walk so you shouldn’t have any problems getting around. You will also likely make friends who will be happy to help with rides if you share gas money with them.
Hitchhiking is illegal in some parts of the U.S. Even where it’s legal, it’s very dangerous so, whether you are with a friend or alone, do not hitchhike. Walk, take a bus, bike, call your host family or coordinator but, please, don’t get in a car with someone you don’t know. It’s not worth the risk.
Don’t Get Arrested! – As long as you’re following the program rules, it’s pretty unlikely that you are going to get yourself arrested but, if you have any questions about what the local laws are, be sure to ask your host family or coordinator. As a general rule, if you’re not sure it’s legal, don’t do it.
No Sex – We’ve got your attention now, don’t we? We didn’t make up this rule to keep you from having fun or to force you to be someone’s idea of a perfect teenager. Believe it or not, this rule exists to help you have the best experience possible here in the U.S. Boyfriend/girlfriend relationships are discouraged and sex is off limits so that you don’t get so involved with one person that you miss out on everyone else around you.
Romantic relationships, especially when they’re new, tend to be consuming and exclusive. You can get so wrapped up with dream boy/girl that you stop developing and maintaining other friendships and you may miss out on a lot of great experiences. If you keep your relationships at the friendship level, you free yourself to experience and learn everything that you can while you are here. So, get out there and get to know people but keep the mushy, romantic stuff to a minimum, okay.
Smoking – The legal age to purchase tobacco in the U.S. is 18 but, even if you are 18, you will not be able to smoke while you are on program. Many people are sensitive or even allergic to cigarette smoke. We expect you to show consideration for those around you by not smoking while you are here in the U.S.
Member of the CET Management Group