Hello from the West Coast of the USA! This month’s theme is education, which I will be discussing specifically from an American point of view.
The main steps regarding education are preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, and university. Currently, I am in high school with 2 years left before I leave to attend a university. At my high school, I take six classes this year: world history, chemistry, computer science, Latin, English, and math. My favorite is definitely world history! I also take a Spanish class at my local community college, which is also one of my favorites! My school day typically lasts from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, along with my online Spanish class twice a week during the afternoon-evening.
In the United States, to get into a good university, good grades and taking advanced classes are not enough. The university-application process is very competitive, so activities done outside of school, extracurriculars, play a major role. For instance, I am part of many clubs at school, such as the Latin club and the Model United Nations club, in addition to doing ballet competitively. Top schools in the United States include the “Ivy Leagues” on the East Coast, like Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, as well as Stanford and UC Berkeley on the West Coast. Moreover, universities are often very expensive in the United States, especially private, out-of-state ones.
As for end-of-the-year exams, most schools throughout the USA offer AP tests. AP tests are taken in May for students enrolled in AP classes, which are more advanced classes. Currently (as of early May), I am preparing for 3 AP tests: AP world history, AP English, and AP computer science principles. AP tests are useful in that they can clear college class credits. While these AP tests are in early May, regular class finals are usually the last week of school, which is the first week of June this year. Good luck with your final exams for those who have them!
- Camille Roussel - USA (West Coast)