For many years, the high school’s senior class has been home to numerous foreign exchange students. Most years there are more than any other area schools. Every year is a chance to meet new friends and learn about new cultures. One thing everyone wants to know is how their lives are alike, and different, from the American teenager.
Schooling, for example, is one of the biggest topics people want to know about. In most countries, teenagers go to school for a standard 12 years. Students in Colombia, however, spend less time in the classroom.
“It’s nice to have only 11 years,” Juan Morales, a student from Risaralda, Colombia, said. Thailand runs school longer than the United states, requiring students to take 13 years of classes.
A large difference between American teenagers and teens from other countries is the amount of time spent, or not spent, studying.
“I study every day after school,” Avery Kim, a student from Busan, South Korea, said. “I’m always studying for at least four or five hours.”
On the other hand, Tino Imsirovic from Kassel, Germany said he only does 30-45 minutes after school.
After teens get out of school for the day, they partake in various activities. Sports are popular all around the globe, but America is one of the few countries to have school-sponsored teams.
“I have a sport class,” Isabelle Sophoseranee, a student from Bangkok, Thailand, said. “We don’t have sport clubs, but I go to a fitness club outside of my school when I want to exercise.”
“The best part about turning 16 was finally being able to drive,” junior Miranda Lira said. Although it is so common in America for teenagers to get their license at 16, many other countries have to wait until they are 18.
“I don’t need a car,” Imsirovic said. “Public transportation is so prevalent it doesn’t affect me.”
Although the lives of teenagers vary, what they do when they hang out with friends is pretty much the same.
“When I’m with my friends, we watch movies, go bowling, shop, eat, and sing karaoke,” Sophoseranee said. Morales, from Colombia, said he plays golf and goes swimming with his friends. In Vietnam, Avery Kim watches movies, bowls, and goes out to eat with her friends.
It seems that no matter where a teenager comes from, there is one thing they all do: use their cell phones.
“All the time I use my Blackberry to text my friends,” Morales said. Kim and Sophoseranee also said they text a lot.
Where you grow up has a cultural effect on the everyday events a person goes through, but a smile is the same in every country of the world.