School and such things

I was so surprised when I found out... school is still boring in another school. What I have often found myself thinking when extremely bored in class is... I'm in Germany... Whoa. That's so cool. and then I'm not so bored. Because this is cool. And not to be taken for granted.

School system (just background info to help to understand the rest of this post. not important and probably boring.)

School in Germany starts at age 6 with first grade and they stay at this elementary school until the fifth grade. Germany has three different forms of high school. In fourth grade it is decided by recommendation of teachers which school the students should attend. The first is called Hauptschule. Any child has the opportunity to attend Hauptschule and they are done usually after the ninth grade (although some go to the tenth). This school provides kids with basic academic knowledge and prepares them for work in public service.

The next level of secondary schooling is the Realschule. Kids who attend Realschule finish after the tenth grade (unlike Gymnasium, Realschule does offer technical and home economic classes) and then may either go and complete their Abitur in the next highest level or they may complete an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships last for three years and are available for really every single type of work. Many people in Germany choose this route. I actually think that America could learn something from this way of doing things because I feel that American high schools really try to prepare every student for college while not every student should go to college. Working as an apprentice for three years is much more valuable for some because you are actually able to get the real-life job experience. During an apprenticeship you also attend basic classes to learn the theory behind the job you do.

The highest form of secondary education in Germany is called the Gymnasium. This type of school finishes after the twelfth year (that was recently changed from the thirteenth year) and you must be capable to attend this school. They do not offer any sewing, home economics, computer, or technical classes. Rather, kids take economics, social sciences, history, German, PE, biology, chemistry, physics, art, music, geography, math, English, Latin, and another language (French or Spanish). Once students are in the eleventh grade they choose two classes that they want to take as their most important classes. These two they will have class more often in a week compared to their other classes. These are called LK classes. Also, something I found interesting, kids in the ninth grade sometimes take physics. At the end of the last year of Gymnasium the kids have to take and pass a really big exam called the Abitur. After they have received passing marks on that, they will usually go on to college, though they may complete an apprenticeship also. Oh, yeah. College is free for any student who has passed their Abitur.

The German schools operate on a block schedule. So for the base classes (not the two classes the kids have selected to specialize in) they have that class one day in the week for a two hour block and on another day in the week for a one hour half-block. The LK classes have two blocks and one half-block per week. This was different to me when coming here as my school in American didn't have block schedules at all, and I don't think I like this way better. I will say that I always have enough time to get my homework done before the next class and I don't have to worry about getting homework in multiple classes all due the next day. But, I don't think kids can really concenrate and give their best for two hours long in one day for just one class. Also, I don't think they cover nearly as much material because it is just impossible to go quickly when you meet only twice a week. (But perhaps what they do cover the kids have a better understanding of and they learn more? I couldn't say for sure)

School starts at 7:45 AM. There is twenty minute breaks between each block. School usually lasts for three blocks for most kids (until 1 o'clock) but some days during the week it can be four blocks, in which case it would end at 3 o'clock.  Most students only have eight periods once or twice per week.
There is no school lunch. The schools usually have like a little cafe somewhere that is run by the parents and has food that you can buy. But most kids just eat lunch at home after the sixth period. Also, kids bring food to school and eat it in the breaks. Almost always bread rolls with meat or cheese inside (but never both).

My school here still uses overhead projectors and often the kids will take transparencies and write stuff on them and do presentations that way. They don't really do any self-research, instead just using texts and information that the teachers give them. There is basically no use of computers. Also, the kids have homework but they never turn it in and do not receive grades for it. The grades are based half on the tests (which are only like four per year) and their participation in class discussion (this can include reading their homework for the class). It's their responsibility to do their homework so they are more prepared when it comes time for the test. Kids are heavily graded on their participation in class, which means how much you say and the quality of what you say.

The schools operate for ten weeks, with two week breaks (for fall, Christmas, and Easter) in the year. They only have six weeks off for summer, so school ends usually in July and begins again right away in September.

Grading system

The Germans don't use letter grades and rather number grades. 1-6 is possible, also with a +/- when appropriate. The numbers would usually be interpreted as follows:

1 = A

2 = B

3 = C

4 = D

5/6 = F

Here is how the percentages match the grades, which is very different than my high school in America. Where I attend, anything below a 70% is failing; here, that is an average grade. It is very impressive when a German student receives a 1 for a grade. 

Which is better-American or German school?

I honestly can't say whether one country has a better school system than the other. It is simply impossible to compare because they are too different. The main reason for this is that in America, we have all students mixed together in one High School. In Germany, they separate the kids who do really well in school and the kids who do really poorly in school. So obviously if a student from a German Gymnasium came to American High School they would laugh at how easy some of the materials are here. But if a student from a German Hauptschule came to America, they would probably find some of the materials really difficult. That is just the way it is. 

I really do appreciate the Gymnasium system though. There is a lot more thinking being taught to the students. They don't learn information but rather they learn how to think and analyze and interpret information. I appreciate that. They put more emphasis on discussion and critical thinking and they would never have multiple choice or fill in the blank questions on a test. Their tests are usually one page text with information on it and then there are only three assignments. Writing assignments. For example, in a German or English test the first assignment would usually be about comprehension of the test, the second assignment about analyzing (so this would include characters and stylistic devices) and the third is usually a reply to the author or a what do you think the authors intention was. The students often write eight pages for these three assignments. 

Another thing is that the text books have so many original source information. For example, actual speeches from historical figures or diary entries or so on instead of just a summary from the textbook company. I also think that is important and useful for learning. Also, some kids from my grade started learning Spanish this year and from day one the teacher only spoke in Spanish. And it's now close to the end of the year and they can actually like speak and converse in Spanish already. They really do learn the language when they take the classes in school. And they begin with English in the first grade now (if I'm not mistaken) and then Latin or ancient Greek, and Spanish and French are optional. 

School for me

Since I'm not required to bring any grades or proof of completion back to America, most teachers do not give me grades. I only receive grades for my English, English history (which is a ninth grade history class taught in English), and math. So far I have received all 1s and 2s on those classes. I do have to do the tests for the other classes as well, but only get graded on my attempt. 

I understand most of what happens in school but of course there are always words which I just don't know the translation for, so the teachers understand that very well. I do my homework most of the time and of course participate in all of the tests. For classes I have: English, English History, German, PE, Social Studies, Pädagogik (not sure how to translate this... I could maybe call it parenting or like the method of teaching), math, geography, and music. 

My school is called the Ursulinen Gymnasium and is a private (previously Catholic, all-girls) school. Thankfully we don't wear uniforms. There are two Gymnasiums in my town, and this one was previously the girls school and the other was previously the boys school. Now they both accept both girls and boys (thankfully). My school only, however, accepts 30% boys and 70% girls, as well as 75% catholics and 25% non-catholics. So every morning in school the kids say a prayer, which of course we are not required to participate in. There are still nuns that walk around my school-grounds but they no longer teach the classes. 

The only picture I can find of my school campus.. Not sure where they all went. This is a door to one of the buildings that the nuns do their work.

My school is actually built right on the corner of the old wall that used to surround the old city. One of the four original towers still stands right on our school grounds, which is extremely cool. :) I can't remember exactly how old it is and can't seem to find any information on the internet but it was really old. 

Partial view of the tower on my school grounds. Taken from the school website. 

New building of my school. Taken from the school website.

Street I walk down to school. Taken from the school website. 

There is also the Church of St. Walburga in my town that I pass everyday on my way to school. It was first built in the 11th century and the hall that stands today was completed in 1370 AD... Literally before America is said to have been discovered by Christopher Columbus. That's what I love about living here--there is so much history all around me. It is absolutely unbelievable how old some of these things are. Within the church is a thing called the Judgement Seat. It functioned as a court of sorts and just between the years of 1628-1630 73 people were accused of witchcraft, and all accused were executed.

View of St. Walburga Church on my walk home everyday.

Inside of the church

Judgement Seat

The brightest part of my school day is always seeing the other exchange student, Oli. She is one of my very best friends and has had a big impact on my time here, just with her friendship. She is also from America (Maine) and is also with CBYX. We are great friends which is wonderful because I have heard many stories of exchange students who don't get along going to the same school. There is also a girl from Cape Town, South Africa at our school! She is great and it's really interesting to hear her English compared to ours and to hear about her culture from home and everything. We often all go out to ice cream together.  <3

Oli and I

Us again. We are literally so cute.

So, I never wanted a blog but...

Hey guys! I've been feeling extremely guilty about never telling anyone in America about what I've been up to so I decided to create a blog. Now, I am sure that it will not be updated periodically or even often. Most likely you will find posts here very seldom. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if I never posted anything here again. Egal.

So I'm actually less than three months away from being home and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I am definitely excited to come back and have the comfort of familiarity again but I will also definitely miss being here. I will miss the language most of all, I think. I'm afraid that I will lose all of my ability to speak and understand when I go back to America because I will be so far from it. I'll also miss my amazing German family and friends and maybe the most, I will miss my fellow exchange student friends.

A little bit on the culture

The culture isn't that different. The US and Germany are both western countries so nothing has made my mouth hang open in shock. What small differences that I do notice could just be differences between people and have nothing to do with the country they come from. It's obviously impossible to make any statement about the entire county; it simply won't be true.

Also, the first couple of posts on here will just be about my perception of Germany thus far and differences and interesting things I encounter. Maybe I will post about things I have actually been doing? Maybe not. Don't count on it.

People

Before coming here, I was told that Germans are very straight-forward people and that they will tell you exactly what they are thinking. I have not found that to be the case. In fact, the people I know are more gossipy and the kind that are nice to each other's faces and then talk behind their backs, but I think that is only because I go to a much larger school here than in America. I don't think it has anything to do with Germans.

One stereotype that I do find to be true about many Germans is that they are tall. I remember one birthday party of a friend where there was both Americans and Germans there, and despite the fact that all of the Americans there were older than the Germans, the Germans seemed much older just because we were all so much shorter than them. Literally every pair of pants I have purchased here has been ridiculously too long... They reach past my toes when I have the ends pulled over my feet, and I cannot find shorter heights. It is not amusing.

Another difference that I have encountered is that many people here really care about their appearance. This could be because I go to a Gymnasium (highest form of high school.) but all of the students dress up every single day. I have never seen anyone wear sweatpants or yoga pants to school and they never would, ever. They would also never wear sweatpants or pajama pants to the store for any reason at all. Also, everyone wears skinny jeans. Not just girls. Not just young people. Everybody. Every single guy wears them (at least teenagers) and even most adults wear them. Maybe not always skinny skinny jeans but always slim leg. Never boot or flare pants. Also, every single guys's shorts in PE only reaches above the knee, which is something I would never see in my american gym class. It looked totally stupid when I first got here. Also, nearly all of the males at my school put gel in their hair. Which I kind of think is a good thing because it looks like they care about their appearance, and 4 times out of 5 it makes them look much more attractive. To be honest, when I first came here I thought that all of the guys were gay because they were wearing bright skinny jeans and had gel in their hair.

Cars

Germans are famous for their Autos. I was really shocked at the cars driving on the road when I first got here because there are so. many. station wagons. (or combies? Or hatchbacks? Or whatever you prefer to call them.) Nearly everyone has a station wagon. I find them incredibly unpleasing to the eye but they are sensible. This also probably has to do with the town I live in, which is no city. When I first came to Germany and spent two weeks in a temporary family in the city-center of Düsseldorf I saw many fancy Mercedes, Audis, and other cars you would expect to see here. I have also seen less than ten pick-ups since I got to this country, which is a huge shock to me considering the amount of pick-ups on the road in North Dakota.

Also, almost all vehicles are manual, and all of the kids I know getting their license have to learn to drive a manual. The only people that have automatic cars are grandmas and grandpas (according to one of my German friends). On the bright side, I learned how to drive a manual car now! The roads here are extremely narrow  and very twisty. The traffic lights are placed before the intersection, which I dislike because then it is hard to see the light if you're behind any other cars. The Autobahn is really cool, and I appreciate that they have no speed limits there, and people can choose their own preferable speed and take into consideration gas mileage.

Transportation

I have come to love and to hate the public transportation system. First of all, they do not have school buses anywhere in this country. All the students just ride regular buses to and from school, which is weird but also sensible because the buses are running at all times anyways. The schools provide each student with a school ticket, so the transportation is still free as it would be with a school bus. The trains are nice... Meaning, the trains are useful since you can't get your license until eighteen here. One People often don't believe me when I tell them that I got my license when I was 14 and that I am allowed to drive with no restrictions. That's definitely one thing I miss the most--having the ability to get in a car and go when I need to. It's like junior high all over again for me, always having to ask my host mom for a ride when I want to go see friends. Technically, I could drive here because a foreign license is valid for six months in Germany before needing to obtain a German license, but I have no car and no insurance (and it's against the rules of my organization).

So, as I have no other option for going from place to place, it is nice to be able to travel with the trains. I find them expensive though. To be fair, they are probably not that expensive to most people. (For example, it costs me $27 to go about 60 miles to Düsseldorf) For exchange students, though, that is what kills us (or at least our bank account balances), especially since we travel so often (again, that could just be me). Germany is only the size of Montana (by land area), so for (some) Germans to travel 60 miles is, like, a pretty big big deal. To them (and I was told this by a German) they think that a distance of that amount is far enough that the people there have an entirely different way of thinking. (Of course this is not all Germans. I am not trying to make any generalizations.) When I lived in North Dakota, I would go to Fargo (an hour away) weekly. Just to buy shampoo and conditioner because I would need to go that far. So, to me (and to most American exchange students that I know), traveling within Germany is no big deal.

There is also not a perfect system for tickets within the trains and buses. As in, you aren't required to have a valid ticket to get on. Sometimes there might be a ticket checker on the train  but this is never guaranteed and so many people could get away with riding for free. The thing is, Germans do not do that. They will pay no matter what, even if they know quite surely that they won't get checked. I appreciate that. It's also smart because if you get caught without a ticket you will need to pay a fine of $55, which is probably way more than you would have had to pay for a ticket anyways. Trust me, I know about this one.

Cell Phones

Cell phones are an important part of life these days, whether that is a good or bad thing, I'm not so sure. I know that I depend on mine a lot. It has kind of been my security blanket to home ever since leaving. With it I can keep contact with all my American friends and family. I can also always count on it to get me home when I'm lost (that is, if it doesn't die and leave me in the middle of a field in the dark) or be a quick resource to google an unfamiliar word. I do wish I would depend on it less, though, and have made big efforts to use it less and have tossed around the idea of deleting my facebook in an attempt to be less caught up in online world.

Anyways, I would say that at least half of my class (if not more) in America has an iPhone. That is not so here. I know less than ten German that have iPhones here, because they are just simply too expensive. That's because, it's really seldom that Germans have a contract with a cell company. They more often have pre-paid plans. For example, I pay $12 a month for 300 texts, 300 minutes, and 300 MB of data. The text limit is no problem because everyone, including adults and people all over Europe (and the world I think), uses Whatsapp which is a free texting app. It's totally great and uses an internet connection to send messages. You can send regular text messages, pictures, videos, and (my very favorite) voice messages and you can have group messages. It's wonderful and I wish that it was more popular in America.

So if sending messages with Whatsapp requires data, then what do we do when we run out of our 300 MB of data? (which trust me, is not a lot of data. For the first four months I was here I would burn through all of the data in the first two days of the month. Now it will last me like 20 days.) Well, what the magic is is that once you use up your data, you still have data. It's just a little bit slower and costs no extra money at all. So for $12 a month I have a cellphone with everything I would need.

Separate posts about food and school are still to come!

So I would say that's a pretty good start to what life is like here. I've made separate posts for food and school, as I didn't want this post to be too long. I'm not spending a lot of time writing or proofreading these so I hope there aren't too many spelling mistakes!