Moving to USA. Just a few Questions about Highschool and other stuff ^^

[Zaperking]

Well, I'm moving to North America soon, and since I'm totally clueless about how it works, I thought some American Chrono lovers fill me out or help me out a bit XD

I mean, I've lived in New Zealand and Australia, and they're the same, but America is soo different.
I have to learn the imperal system of measurement. Inches, Feet, Yards etc :O (I used to think a yard was like a literal side of a backyard o.o)

So I have a few questions about highschool there, and if anyone can provide extra info, please do ^^

1) What is the cerificate of education called once you pass year 12 (senior year)? Here it's VCE (Victorian certificate of education).

2) How or what do you do to get a higher mark for the certificate? Do you do exams or ?

3) What are the compulsory subjects you need to learn (in the Sophemore year).

4) Do you have forms? Or like home rooms.

5) Do you go to classes always with the same people, or do you all go to different classrooms depending on your subject and teacher? (So like not how it is here where each class has their own set of teachers and no one splits up except for electives).

6) Do all highschools have cafeterias?

7) I read that some schools begin at 7:30am! Wow. Like what time do most people wake up? 5am!? Is it already bright at that time? So what time would people be in bed by O.o

Inches, Feet and Yards and Miles :O Do you guys do heaps of stuff on perimeters and measurement with that stuff in math :O I hope not >.<

9) How many subjects can a person have maximum per year?

10) Does everyone have arranged seating or can you sit wherever you want in each class, ever class time? So you can sit in one spot one day, and sit in another the following day etc? (Basically, your desks don't have your stuff in them, so you can sit wherever you want?)

11) Are American High schools really like how they are in teen dramas and movies? (The OC, Bring It On, Smallville, Veronica Mars etc) O.o

And anything else that comes, i'll ask it. But do feel free to tell me your own experiences. I can't wait!

Thanks ^.^

[Agent 12]

1.  High School Diploma....but go to college

2.  Go to college, but there's also "trade schools" where you can study a specific profession (there's only a few.....mechanics......hair design......)......but go to college

3.  Sophomore year of High School?  Um... you always take 4 core classes Math, Science, English, History.  But that's all four years of high school.

4.  Homerooms......yea but they are a joke (atleast for me), about 10 minutes that most people skipped and hung out in the halls

5.  Different people all the time.  But you end up taking the same classes as your friends if you sign up for the same classes.

6.  Yea.......I assume I think it probably a law

7.  Yea it sucks......College is the life

8.  You do in high school but college goes to metric pretty much.  Even higher level high school classes do.

9.  You pick classes so if you want to focus you can, or you can take a ton.

10.   Sometimes you do sometimes you don't

11.  .........ugh yea.......you can avoid if you choose.....most of the time.

--jp

[Ramsus]

1) What is the cerificate of education called once you pass year 12 (senior year)? Here it's VCE (Victorian certificate of education).

High school diploma. It's not worth much, but it let's you join the military and get better low-level, minimum wage jobs. Well, better than fast food and sales.

2) How or what do you do to get a higher mark for the certificate? Do you do exams or ?

Most high schools have some sort of honors distinction for top ranking students (GPA-wise) when they graduate, but the only ways to set yourself apart really are to get a high GPA or participate in extracurricular activities (clubs and what not). A high school diploma is just a high school diploma.

3) What are the compulsory subjects you need to learn (in the Sophomore year).

This varies from state to state. What state are you moving to?

4) Do you have forms? Or like home rooms.

Forms? Home rooms?

Scheduling and class structures vary in every single county of the U.S., where some differ completely from others, even if they're geographically very close to each other. In my high school, we just considered the second class of the day homeroom, but it that was just for class reps. It was really just another class.


5) Do you go to classes always with the same people, or do you all go to different classrooms depending on your subject and teacher? (So like not how it is here where each class has their own set of teachers and no one splits up except for electives).

Class assignment is based on who chose to take what subjects at what times, so you usually see different faces in every class. Also, most high schools are fairly consistent in having each class in a different room that you have to go to.

We have some sort of aversion to forming any sort of classroom bonds in Junior High and High School, and for some reason it's important for teachers to each have their own room instead of being paid more.

6) Do all highschools have cafeterias?

I think so.

7) I read that some schools begin at 7:30am! Wow. Like what time do most people wake up? 5am!? Is it already bright at that time? So what time would people be in bed by O.o

It's sometimes bright by 7:30AM. It just depends on the time of year. Most high school students stay up just as late as any others, regardless of when school starts, so when it starts really early like that, students just sleep through their earliest classes.

8.) Inches, Feet and Yards and Miles :O Do you guys do heaps of stuff on perimeters and measurement with that stuff in math :O I hope not >.<

Yes, we do. But you only need to know inches to feet and feet to yards. Almost nobody knows yards or feet to miles. Watch out for fractions while you're at it.

9) How many subjects can a person have maximum per year?

Depends on whether or not your county has semesters, trimesters, and how many periods or hours (classes) they have in a day. It also depends on whether or not the class is one semester long or two. Most of the time, I ended up with maybe 6 or 8 classes a year in my high school, most of those required by the state.

10) Does everyone have arranged seating or can you sit wherever you want in each class, ever class time? So you can sit in one spot one day, and sit in another the following day etc? (Basically, your desks don't have your stuff in them, so you can sit wherever you want?)

This is up to the individual teacher. They own the room, and they pretty much make the rules.

11) Are American High schools really like how they are in teen dramas and movies? (The OC, Bring It On, Smallville, Veronica Mars etc) O.o

Although I haven't actually watched your examples, I'd say no. It's far from dramatic. It's mostly funny (girl got caught giving a blowjob to some guy), violent (once someone attacked someone else with a baseball bat in the school courtyard...), and boring (you can't learn anything significant from the crappy textbooks, and the teachers are only sometimes good). Mostly just boring.

Sometimes someone does an awesome prank, and lots of students find ways to entertain themselves beyond school, but you're pretty much just there. Make some friends, join a club, hang out, try to pick up girls... That's pretty much it.

Whatever you do, don't get into a fight near or right after school, unless you're in a small town. It's a good way to get suspended.

[Zaperking]

Oh, I see. Well, I'm moving to Seattle, Washington if that matters O.o

Anyway, thats some pretty interesting information. For some reason, that High School Diploma doesn't sound that great O.o With your VCE certificate here, it matters for what college you want to get in to.
So what decides what college you can get into?

Also, I heard that people apply for dozens of highschools because they are bound to get rejected. Is college placement based on positions left, your marks or what? And if you get like 2 colleges accepting you, you get to choose the one to go to, right?
My mum said that I have to study really hard so that I can get a scholarship T.T And I have to do like Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, English, P.E, History, Hospitality, IT etc.

Most of my questions were just based out of insecurity.
I'm coming about 2 weeks late after the start of the school year in the USA, so I was just making sure that like all classes are different (so I don't really have to introduce myself, or do I O.o) and that the seating isn't arranged so I don't get the dud seat in the back XD

And ofcourse, I didn't grow up in the USA xD So school life will be different there because of the people being brought up differently too.

Thanks for the stories guys ^^. Ramsus, that first one is funny. The second one about the baseball bat is a bit.... X.x Well, atleast no one was shot with a gun at your school, which seems to be the trend at American High Schools.

[Agent 12]

Getting into college is GPA and doing activities (sports/clubs/etc).  There's bound to be come club that you are interested so I suggest joining it if for no other reason than to put it on your college application. 

If there's one spot left in College and there's 2 people that applied with a 3.8 GPA, one is in a club the other isn't they'll probalby pick the one in the club.

Scholarships can be a bit different......Colleges give some scholarships based off or GPA and such but I think the way to go is grab some local scholarhips.  My church gives out scholarships, also my firestation does.  Just look it up when you get there (my school councilor told me about some).

Apply to many colleges it is possible to get rejected. 

You'll probably have to introduce yourself but it won't be anything to be insecure about.

--jp

[Ramsus]

College entrance exams are standardized in the U.S. into two different tests: The A.C.T. (used mostly in the Midwest), and the S.A.T. (used mostly back East). I'm not sure what they prefer on the west coast, but you should take both, since they're slightly different and you might do better on one anyway.

These entrance exams can easily make a good third of what colleges look at when considering you. Don't take them lightly. Don't get obsessed either.

Take the P.S.A.T. your junior year too. If you get above a certain score, you'll make "National Merit Finalist" and get a small scholarship. You'll also be automatically accepted for a few full-ride scholarships at some big state universities.

[nightmare975]

You take the S.A.T.s in California, just to let you know.

Oh, and don't get a "D" in a class as a final grade, College's don't like that, a lot.

[ZeaLitY]

People shooting each other regularly in schools is not a trend. Maybe in Kenya, but not in America.

[Radical_Dreamer]

Seattle is a lovely area. A very nice choice.

[Rat]

I believe up in Washington, SATs matter more.than ACTs. The best thing to do is to look at what colleges you would prefer to go to, and see what requirements they have for getting in. It might say on their website, or I believe you can write to request information. Some colleges are a lot more lax on what is necessary to enter, and others are a lot more difficult to enter. Also then you can check into their financial aid stuff and see what they have to offer as far as scholarships go. Also, as far as financial aid goes, you should probably fill out a FAFSA. I think you can do that online as well.

[grey_the_angel]

Well, I'm moving to North America soon, and since I'm totally clueless about how it works, I thought some American Chrono lovers fill me out or help me out a bit XD

I mean, I've lived in New Zealand and Australia, and they're the same, but America is soo different.
I have to learn the imperal system of measurement. Inches, Feet, Yards etc :O (I used to think a yard was like a literal side of a backyard o.o)

So I have a few questions about highschool there, and if anyone can provide extra info, please do ^^

m'kay

1) What is the cerificate of education called once you pass year 12 (senior year)? Here it's VCE (Victorian certificate of education).

high school dipolma, or a GED (good enough dipolma. XD)

2) How or what do you do to get a higher mark for the certificate? Do you do exams or ?

you can get a yellow sash, which is obtained via community hours and grades. also, you can gain scholorship by applying.

3) What are the compulsory subjects you need to learn (in the Sophemore year).

your choice, based on your previous standings.

4) Do you have forms? Or like home rooms.

homerooms.

5) Do you go to classes always with the same people, or do you all go to different classrooms depending on your subject and teacher? (So like not how it is here where each class has their own set of teachers and no one splits up except for electives).

depends. if your in a grouping like tech or auto, they tend to have similiar teachers across the board.

6) Do all highschools have cafeterias?

.... *slap* its a federal mandate man. why wouldn't they?!

7) I read that some schools begin at 7:30am! Wow. Like what time do most people wake up? 5am!? Is it already bright at that time? So what time would people be in bed by O.o

my class began at 8am. I woke up at 7:30. I was out of the house by 7:50. now here's a mathimatical equation: my school is 15 minutes away, and I got there with 2 minutes to spare for breakfast. (allowed to eat in class I was :3) lets see how fast and how far you think I live.

Inches, Feet and Yards and Miles :O Do you guys do heaps of stuff on perimeters and measurement with that stuff in math :O I hope not >.<

  na. math does area, perimeters, and other things, we usually don't brake it into smaller units till it's easier to do it that way.

9) How many subjects can a person have maximum per year?

7. zero period starts at 6 o' clock. and is usually gym... pool.... cold ass pool.

10) Does everyone have arranged seating or can you sit wherever you want in each class, ever class time? So you can sit in one spot one day, and sit in another the following day etc? (Basically, your desks don't have your stuff in them, so you can sit wherever you want?)

depends on the teacher.

11) Are American High schools really like how they are in teen dramas and movies? (The OC, Bring It On, Smallville, Veronica Mars etc) O.o

I fucking wish.

And anything else that comes, i'll ask it. But do feel free to tell me your own experiences. I can't wait!

Thanks ^.^

run. go back to your country while you still have a chance!
[/quote]

[Daniel Krispin]

Don't bother with their measuring system too much. In a few decades their going to figure out their stubborness with a useless system isn't getting them anywhere. When the current generation is gone, then they'll finally be willing to accept Metric. I've used both in Engineering, and their Imperial system is without doubt far inferior to the Metric system. The only reason it still exists is because of American stubborness.

So try and show everyone the light when you're there, eh? Bring them the grail that is Metric... and if neccessary, hit them over the head with it.

[grey_the_angel]

Don't bother with their measuring system too much. In a few decades their going to figure out their stubborness with a useless system isn't getting them anywhere. When the current generation is gone, then they'll finally be willing to accept Metric. I've used both in Engineering, and their Imperial system is without doubt far inferior to the Metric system. The only reason it still exists is because of American stubborness.

So try and show everyone the light when you're there, eh? Bring them the grail that is Metric... and if neccessary, hit them over the head with it.

funny.. cause they ALREADY TRIED TO CONVERT AND IT DIDNT WORK.

[ZeaLitY]

Yeah I wouldn't exactly cite "American stubborness" as I would the problem of changing the habits of millions. I suppose to pull it off, the government would first have to completely switch to metric in their own calculations and projects.

[but2002]

They are trying to cobnvert the American system to Metric, I hope they do, That means No More confusion!