Schule, Schüler und Lernen

Last week I began a new and very important part of my exchange, and its called Gymnasium. It was everything I expected it to be and everything I expected not at the same time. I find it very hard to explain what I mean by this unless you really are an exchange student and then you understand and I'm sure its very different depending what country you exchange is in.
My first day I went to the bus stop with my neighbor who is also a girl my age and goes to the same school, got on the crowded public bus surrounded by students on their way to school.
I get my bus at 7:09 everyday at the bus stop down the street from where I live. I start school every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:40 and on Tuesday and Thursdays I don't have to be at school until 9:35.
My school has 5 buildings, yes, confusing for someone, someone like me. They all have different names like "Menza" and other ones. My first class was Politics. I found my room successfully. :) I entered the class and took a seat. Since school had stated in September and it was now October everyone had stared at me like "Who is this girl" "Why is she in this class room" Then the teacher had arrived, she asked me who I was, how long I'm here for, blah blah blah. And I answered. She went on with the class and I sat there knowing nothing that was coming out of her mouth majority of the time. And it is also very hard just to keep up with the speed they talk. Then my next class was Biology. I walked in and took a seat the teacher came over and shook my hand and told everyone that I was an exchange student from the United States. Then he proceeded to ask me, "How do you like Germany?" my response "Oh its very cold here" everyone seemed to think it was funny, and I do to but seriously. VERY COLD IN GERMANY! The next question was "How do you like the food" I replied "I love the food here alot, I just don't like butter on my bread when I'm eating a sandwich" he replied "Its okay we have McDonalds here" I DON'T EVEN LIKE MCDONALDS! Typically American stereotype. My next class German of the 11th grade. Right now they are interpreting Gothe, that's like English Shakespere, so I don't understand anything in that class. Then we had lunch, then I had English where they just finished reading the book "Accidental Billionaires" and my homework for that class was to read the whole book. That was my first day, it was a long day where I understood very little. Not many people talked to me in fact I got one sentence said to me and it was "Are you bored, you must be because I am and I understand what is going on." And yes it was in English UGHHH! The next day I got to sleep in and school didn't start until 9:35, I had math. Yes I took math thinking that it is universal numbers are numbers but I was wrong. They learn a different type of math than I did in high school in the states. Then I had physics. Which I was really good at in school back home. These two classes will be the worst of me. I was supposed to have sport that day but it was cancelled because my teacher was in the US on a week exchange or something. When I went to find  my math class that morning I could find room 21. So I went up to this big group of people and asked "Wo ist room 21?" then realized room isn't room here, OOOPPPS. "Wo ist zimmer 21?" Embarrassing. Then the one was like I think she is from Wales to his friend. Because this past wee we had a big group of exchange students from Wale for a week. I told him I wasn't that I was from the United States. Wednesday I have politic first thing in the morning. These girls were giving a presentation on the American government shut down. So after their presentation the teacher asked me how my family is or was affected by the government shut down. So I answered and then after class, my teacher asked me if I could do a presentation on the American government system and the power the the president has when they start learning about different presidential systems in late November and December, but she never told me if she wants it in English or German. Oppps. Next class was art. My teacher was very nice and people talked to me in that class. And for the first time that I started school I got the question "How many classes of German did you have when you went to school in the USA?" My response, when I got here a month and a half ago, I couldn't speak German.

Instantly everyone looked at me and were so shocked. Its amazing how much  you can learn from knowing nothing when your life revolves around the one thing you don't know.

Thursday another day of sleeping in. I started my day of with German class. After that I have English class. My favorite class, and the only class I think that I will do good at. We talked about the book. Then I had my "Seminar Fach" class. Its a class where I will write a 10-15 page research paper on some sort of German influence in America. The class is called "Germans in America". And everyone has to write in English. Luckily for me, I'm a bit more experienced. At the end of the year we get to go to England and London for a week. Friday I have two classes from 7:40-11:10. Not my favorite day though you think it would be since its so short. My classes are physics and math. But that's my week at school.

Differences from my school in the US to here:
Teachers wear bluejeans everyday and not just special casual days.
All the teachers here are very young.
School supplies are bought by students: books, art supplies, calculators (which I can't remember how to say in German so I use the words "math machine" and translate it to German.
Students raise a finger when they want called on.
More talking less tests and book work. (Discussion based)
Students use rulers for everything.
Homework isn't collected or graded.
Students are generally more organized.
People wear the same jeans all week.
20 minute breaks in between each class.
Every class is 90 minutes long in US and Germany but in Germany its broke up into two with a 5 minute break in between it. You go to the bathroom during that time and not during class unless its absolutely needed.
That was my first week of school. and people are starting to warm up to me.
I also think some people think I want to be talked to in English. Which is the contrary and I think now they are starting to realize it and are more comfortable talking to me in German.

Xoxo,
Nola