As the 2023-2024 school year started in the beginning of September, I, a 17 year old exchange student from Taiwan, took my first steps into Summit High School. There were a lot of culture shocks with this different school life. 

First of all, the students in Asia wear uniforms every single school day. Surprisingly, students here at Summit can wear whatever they want, which makes everyone look more unique and able to show their own personality. I’m shocked, of course, but I also enjoy this cultural difference. 

Another big difference is, instead of moving around between classrooms each period, students in my country have their own desks and stay in the same classroom all day. Many people may ask, “Then how are you going to have different classes?” The interesting part is that it’s the teachers that are moving, and students just stay at their own seats. The advantage of this system is that the students don’t need to be distracted from the adjustment of both space and time. 

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Summit’s recent assembly. I can’t imagine my math teacher back home doing a “Barbie” themed dance in front of the students! The assemblies in my county are very serious and are all about showing respect to the teachers. Summit’s assembly was the best assembly I have ever witnessed in my life, bar none. 

However, I struggled to figure out how the schedule at Summit works. The schedule in my country is consistent Monday through Friday, meaning there is no random rotation. Based on that, there will be five different schedules for the five school days in school. Everyone in the same class has the same schedule, and students can’t make their own schedules or decide which classes they want to take. Therefore, the schedule in my country is simpler, but it’s still fun to get the chance to choose your own classes. This feels more natural and comfortable. 

This is just the beginning of school for me. I’m sure there’s more for me to experience and learn about during the whole school year. It’s a special chance to know how other cultures work and how they live. It’s also nice to accept and learn from each other.