High School Life In Cody, Wyoming vs. Abroad
By: Kyler Stinson
Imagine leaving your house at seven in the morning knowing you will not be home till that digit comes across the clock again 12 hours later. Well, this is not a figment of the imagination, but reality for one of our foreign exchange students, Lena Volken from Zermatt, Switzerland, where she has ten-hour school days, five days a week. Many other aspects are different, including classroom rules, school activities, and the structure of schooling.
Different cultures pose different social standards. Such as expectations in the classroom, Paula Peña Lopez, another foreign exchange student at Cody High School from Almeria, Spain, said, there is “no drinks, food, or gum in class.” Rules like these are standard worldwide. Paula and Mr. Beardall also talked about the relationship between students and teachers, with Paula stating, “Relationships between students and teachers are greater in the United States.”
School activities are a cornerstone of school life in Cody, but not in Europe, where most of our foreign exchange students come from. All sports and activities are done through clubs. The belief is that separating school and extracurricular activities creates a better learning environment, but Lena said, without activities, “school is very boring.” Despite this, Lena and Paula both participate in extracurricular activities such as jujitsu, tennis, and boxing. Also branching out with the new opportunities in Cody, trying wrestling, cheer, and youth for justice.
Students in Switzerland and Spain both graduate from primary school at the age of 15 and have the option to continue their schooling or enter the workforce. However, Lena has a schooling system that is slightly different from a standard European education system, with schools still comprising primary and secondary schooling, as well as optional upper secondary learning. This approach is more hands-on, where students earn salaries while working and attending school. Opposed to Paula, who has a standard European education system with primary and secondary school, with an optional upper secondary school that offers more university-based learning. Paula also added, “Getting into college in Europe is much harder,” which is making her lean toward attending college within the United States.
People approach education in various ways worldwide. Some schools offer primary and secondary education, while others span grades K-12, and still others provide hands-on upper secondary learning. Some schools offer school-integrated activities, while others do not. Some schools allow students to bring food and drink into class, while others do not. From Spain to Switzerland to the U.S., we all have differences. Differences that bring us together.