German Exchange | spectrum-newspaper

Parking Lots & The Pledge of Allegiance: A German Student's Crash Course in American High School

Guest writer: Lara Palte

Writing this makes me feel like I’ve stumbled right into the set of a classic American high school movie. Seriously—back home in Germany, a school newspaper would be more like a distant dream than an actual thing. But first, let me introduce myself: I’m Lara, 17 years old, and love artsy things like music and photography. Most importantly, though, I’m an exchange student from Germany who landed in Canton not even two weeks ago. Already, I’m noticing some major cultural surprises at school here, which brings us to this article.

Let’s dive into some of the most surprising differences I’ve noticed so far! My first taste of American culture hit me before I even set foot in Canton High. Right off the plane, there was my first American flag—and let’s just say it wouldn’t be my last. Back home my school has the exact same amount of German flags as Canton High which would be just one. Here, it feels like there's one on every corner! Could you imagine if the situation were flipped and there was just one American flag in the whole school? High school here in general is so different from what I know from home. I started to notice differences before I’ve even put one foot into the maze that you call Canton high. What I’m talking about is that huge, no lets say massive parking lot. Back home, most students bike to school, and our tiny parking lot is strictly for teachers. I remember one student who dared to park in the teachers' lot—he got a call over the loudspeaker telling him to move his car. But here? If you don’t drive, your world might just shrink to the size of your own backyard!And yes, I’ll admit it: “Everything is bigger in America” is not just a myth. Just look at Target, the Big Gulp, or the endless soda refills. And those pickup trucks I thought were just a Hollywood thing? People actually drive those!

Back to school life, though—my biggest shock? The morning pledge. Suddenly, everyone was standing, hands on hearts, and I was like, “Wait, what’s happening?”. You can really feel how proud everyone is of their county. Still, a routine like that seems so unusual and would not be possible in a German classroom. But beyond that, the whole school system feels so much more personalized. What you can take as a class is something we learn in a unit of a class that is more general. Here, you get to pick from *hundreds* of classes. Meanwhile, back in Germany, we might get 20 choices if we’re lucky.

Overall, I’m incredibly grateful for the chance to experience what life in America is really like. I think I’ll watch American movies with a new perspective now! I hope the exchange continues beyond our German class, and wont end with it, as I’ve met so many wonderful people who I’m proud to call my friends. I made memories here that will stay with me forever.So, that’s my impression of high school life in America—a world of flags, parking lots, and endless choices. Truly the land of the free.