How would I explain to a foreigner what American School Life is like?

[Exotic♕Queen♛]

I was just having a conversation with a Korean and they asked me, what American schools are like and said they heard that it's common for American kids to hate school. Aside from us hating school, all I could say that it's a lot less dramatized and glamorized than what you would see in our films, TV shows, etc. but I feel that was too vague. My reply was mostly focused on us hating school and told from my experience that I felt it common for anyone from anywhere in the world to hate their school. But back on explaining school life in general, what would be a better way to explain school life in the States, and how different it actually is when portrayed in American media? This is more focused on middle schools, junior high, and high school. I feel universities for the most part are similar.

 

 Edit: I just remembered how a long time ago I encountered a girl from Australia once who asked the same thing along with "Do you have prom?! What's it like?!"

 

[NSFL]

In my school it was like make sure you have a lot of connections and friends so you don't get shot 

[Honeystan]

I don't know. Mine was a small school from a small town. Less than 300 students in the joined middleschool/highschool. Everyone knew each other. Students were pretty friendly with teachers and teachers knew everyone's parents by name. 

[A Hamster Named Loneliness]

well except for private schools, public schools don't require students to wear uniforms, whereas in Korea, all students have to wear uniforms. So students have more individuality. Also where i went to school, a lot of students just wanted to graduate on time without much complications. 

[xRibbonsx]

so I've seen a lot of sexual stuff happening during breaks or in toilets (teen movies mostly). How accurate is this depiction?

 

And I wonder if teachers are strict, I think you're fortunate cause you don't usually get one of those angry screaming teachers.

[A Hamster Named Loneliness]

so I've seen a lot of sexual stuff happening during breaks or in toilets (teen movies mostly). How accurate is this depiction?

 

And I wonder if teachers are strict, I think you'll fortunate cause you don't usually get one of those angry screaming teachers.

 

i think it depends on the school and student body, but that kind of stuff didnt happen at my high school at all (like i never heard any gossips of sexual activities going on when i was in high school). 

[Faette]

well except for private schools, public schools don't require students to wear uniforms, whereas in Korea, all students have to wear uniforms.

Except plenty of public schools around here do.

 

I would tell them that school varies a lot from place to place. Even people who go to the same school can have vastly different experiences, and the quality of schools vary a lot.

 

If they're looking for basic info, I would probably mention how the grades are split up between elementary vs middle/junior high vs high school, as well as the different tiers from college prep to honors etc. As well as mention that some schools have a huge focus on the sports (as well as what the popular sports are here, basketball, American football, but also things like lacrosse or track depending on the area and ranking of the school). And then probably mention the hours we go to school, what level of freedom you've had picking out electives, the amount of homework (the honors/AP level in my high school rival the amount of hours spent studying compared to Japan or S Korea for example, not all of us had a ton of free time like you would think based on stereotypes). Then I would probably mention how school clubs happen around here, and things like yearbook, theater, or other extra-curriculars.

 

But I think it would probably be best to just say, it's really different from place to place (and esp state to state, rich vs poor), but here has been my experience.

[Exotic♕Queen♛]

so I've seen a lot of sexual stuff happening during breaks or in toilets (teen movies mostly). How accurate is this depiction?

 

And I wonder if teachers are strict, I think you'll fortunate cause you don't usually get one of those angry screaming teachers.

Unfortunately teen sex and even pregnancy is very common, at least when I was a teen IDK if it's still like that now. From research, I heard UK was tied to us in terms of teen pregnancy rates. There were 2 instances from when I was in high school. One (which could of been a rumor) of 2 of my classmates fucking near a dumpster. And most memorable, because everyone knew and talked about it, even teachers, was there were this freshman lesbian couple (Freshman = 1st year) were caught having sex in a bathroom stall. The most disgusting part was that at least was of them were on their period and left their menstrual blood all over the walls as if someone had a Satanic blood sacrifice. They did this twice and got suspended.

 

Some teachers are strict, some are chill, others are in between.

[SugaJam]

Depend on where your school is, big or small city? East coast or West Coast. 

 

From my perspective, a lot of things depict on TV shows does happened in my school, albeit a lot less dramatic. There was definitely drug, alcohol, and gang related stuff, but that belong to the outlier group and they usually try to keep it under radar because my school was one of the top in the district. Bad kids don't necessarily stood out as bad, neither good kids. Some of the best drug dealers are the teacher pet, A students in my school. There are so many social cliques, and since classes change so often, it feel like you constantly have to look for a place you belong. My school was pretty diverse-ish, 30% Asian, 30% White, 10-20% Hispanic, and the rest. There were a lot of dances, cultural activities like international festivals held by students, and other class related activities. I think there were a good mix between academic/ volunteer/ sport focused kids. 

 

I think you could emphasize the freedom that the students have, but that also mean more consequences. Kids get to pick the class and hours they want. It depends on teachers, but some allow you to call them on first name basis. Homework are mandatory but honestly, no one punish you if you don't do it. Basically, you are allow the freedom to do/not do thing, but you deal with the consequences. I would also explain about how club work, there is a lot of autonomy in how student clubs are run. The focus isn't on study, we usually emphasis a balance between academic/sport or academic/ volunteer work. I think the hours are pretty flexible, some students are much busier because they choose to be involved in more activities. School-work honestly is a breeze, you have to try a bit more to get an A, but cruising by should net you an B-C easily. You have to try extremely hard to get an F though. 

[Exotic♕Queen♛]

well except for private schools, public schools don't require students to wear uniforms, whereas in Korea, all students have to wear uniforms. So students have more individuality. Also where i went to school, a lot of students just wanted to graduate on time without much complications. 

All Japanese schools have to wear uniforms too. I noticed this in their dramas and animes so one time in one of my classes back in HS we interacted with an English class of an all girls school in Osaka for a project and I asked them if there are some schools that let you wear your normal clothes and they answered no. Also not all private schools in the States require uniforms, some do some don't.