House of Knowledge

Learning is a fundamental key to be successful in society. The best place to learn is in school because it gives students the standards, basics, and soft and technical skills. Due to that reason, my parents have always taught me the importance of self commitment in school life. I keep the best memories of my school path first in Ivory Coast and then in France, because school was my second family and home. In this world, everything has its rules, so students have to understand the school’s rules and be focused in class. However, French and the U.S. school system are very different. Thus, now that I am a student in the U.S, and to achieve my goals, I need to shift the way I acquire knowledge.

One of the characteristics of the French grading system is based on a score note for each course. When I was a student in France, according to each class I attended, I received a number out of twenty. These figures represented my different assessments for the homework and the final exam. It allowed my parents to know my level and my strengths and my weaknesses accurately. These numbers were points of reference, and easy to understand. On the contrary, students in the U.S. receive a letter grade from a grade scale depending on their performance. My child always gets at least a C from his homework, and the report card shows the different letters obtained in each class during the semester. On the other hand, for some classes in the U.S. students can get a percentage score, and at the end of the semester, the final grade given by the teacher is still a letter.

Moreover, studying in France is supposed to be free regardless of the school. Even though there are some additional fees, the cost of school remains affordable. Money is a sensitive topic in the U.S, and one that is in just about everyone’s mind regularly. That is especially true for college students getting a higher education means constantly thinking, worrying and stressing about how to afford it. The U.S. education system provides several types of scholarships in order to help students. Without scholarships, some students give up school or they have to work full time. In the U.S, when students register for school, they can apply for financial aid, and they may be offered loans as part of their financial offer. A loan is money somebody borrows and must be repaid with interest. It can be stressful knowing that after finishing school, students have to deal with an outstanding debt.

Sports also play a big part of U.S. culture, especially at school. Students in the U.S. are encouraged to practice sports at school. It is a national tradition, and it starts from elementary school to university. In France, students practice sports at school from an early age too, but it is just for fun, and to create a team spirit. In fact, the spirit of competition already exists, and it is very developed in school sports in the U.S. This competition to reach the high level sport sometimes creates frustration among students, and especially an exaggerated rivalry between the sports clubs of the different schools. Unfortunately, soccer, which is the most popular sport in France, is less practiced at school in the U.S.

Adapting to this new way of learning is not always easy, and it is very challenging. When I decided to go to school in the U.S. I was very confused about how it would work, and I was not sure how to overcome those barriers. Now I am being advised by a school advisor who helps and guides me through the school process. Getting out of my comfort zone allows me to learn  a lot of new things, especially about myself.