Hello, everyone. My name is Mia Jlussi, I am fifteen years old and currently a 10th grader from Sankt Ansgar School in Hamburg, Germany. I have been in the U.S. for just over a week now with a group of 23 Germans as part of our exchange program. I am spending two weeks here in St. Charles, Illinois, before heading to New York City for three days and then returning home. Most of us stay with our American exchange students, but a few of the American exchange students are just hosting students even if they did not visit Germany.
My very first impression of North was simple: Everything is huge. From the hallways to the cafeteria to the number of students, everything feels at least twice as big as in Germany. The variety of classes here is also amazing; I was really surprised to see subjects like cooking, interior design and even child development. In Germany, we usually only have academic subjects like math, English, German, history, physics, chemistry and a lot more.
At home our life looks very different. We have a weekly schedule, which means everyday has a different schedule of classes. Since most students take public transportation to school, very few people get dropped off by their parents or drive by themselves. That is also something that surprised me here in America. Everyone drives everywhere. In Hamburg, it is much more common to take the bus or train.
Another big difference is that we usually do not switch classrooms during the day. The teachers here are super friendly and relaxed compared to what I am used to. The classes are shorter, which I love. It makes it easier to stay focused. However, I still get lost sometimes while trying to find the right classroom.
So far my favorite experience has been our visit to Chicago. It was amazing to see such a big city with so many tall buildings. We also visited Starved Rock, which was really beautiful. In the summer, when the Americans visited us, we went to two northern cities in Germany: Schwerin and Cuxhaven.
What I miss the most from home are my friends, family and the long breaks between classes. In Germany, we stay in the same classroom for most subjects, so running around the school all day is definitely something new for me.
So far, my experience has been great. Americans are incredibly open, kind and welcoming, and I have already met so many amazing people. I am really looking forward to seeing more of the U.S. and, of course, visiting New York.
Even though I have only been here for a short time, I can already say this exchange will be something I will never forget.
