I really tried to write about something new, something, that nobody has written down yet, but I realized that I am not creative enough for something like this at the moment, so I will maybe come up with it in my next post. At least I hope so.
To describe my day, we had school as normal, went to the YMCA, the fitness center here in Charles City, and after that, we ate at a restaurant with an “All you can eat”-Pizzabuffet to vanish the effect of the training at once.
So one thing I wanted to say about school in America: I really like the fact that you can upgrade your grades with extra work, for example reading a book or watching a movie and writing a short summary. So if you want to get better grades, you have to do something, but if you do not want to, it is okay, it is up to you, just an option.
And another thing that I noticed, or maybe just thought, is that there is not such a big pressure as in Germany, because if you do not pass a class in America, it is bad, but you can still work on. In Germany, if you fail in two classes, a whole year is worthless from one moment to the other. And that is what you always have in mind, but here in America, everything is a little more stress-free, so you have got the chance to think about school not in an pressured or even feared way, but in a chance to learn something.
And one thing I wanted to say about an exchange: it is a chance for everybody who takes part in. It does not matter whit whom you are staying, because you do not just even learn the language, you learn self-confidence, you learn to open up your mind and your mouth to ask for or about something. And it is not only about getting to know a whole new, interesting and wonderful country and the people there, it makes you think about your own country much more deeply and critically.
Okay, that was very dramatic. To say it in a shorter way, I love it to be here and I do not want to leave so soon.
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ReplyDeletethat's a wonderful post, Alexa. You show off the way you've gone already...
ReplyDeletethis is a great entry, but believe me there is more to it than you just see now. As far as I know no education is really stress-free though obviously Americans can make school more fun for you than we can
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a very insightful entry. Correct: You learn a great deal about yourself and your capabilities. Much individual growth occurs on a trip like this. I like the fact that you have an open mind and a willingness to have new experiences. I feel this is extremely important. These people have a more meaningful and memorable time in their new environment. I have had these feelings too, and so have our US students when they come to Germany. We learn about ourselves and how we feel about our own country on a deeper level. When we are in Germany, we, too, love our stay and find that we don't want to leave so soon because we are enjoying the opportunities that this GAPP exchange gives us. To live with families and experience daily life in a family and to attend a school for two weeks give a greater understanding of knowing more about a country that we are interested in. Language learning is the basis for this, but there is so much more to this trip, for you coming to the Midwest and for us coming to northern Germany. I just wish more people would choose to do this, plan for it and make it happen. This is truly education and learning outside the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very true that German schools put a lot more pressure on kids to do well. Like you said if we fail a class we just have to take that class again not the whole year again. I think it would be very stressful to have so much pressure put on you, but I also think it would make kids take school a lot more seriously.
ReplyDeletePaige F.