I'm again bored in physics classroom. My classmates all around me are busy doing the exercise set on their own or in groups, while I'm already done with long ago. I'm not sure if the teacher would approve the fact that I worked on the whole thing at home. The directions were clear: we work on it in class, and do only a couple exercises a day.
I'm spending the class time fingering the huge physics textbook and worrying about my exchange. I have no reasons to worry, of course, but I'm feeling slightly depressed with the routine, with every day looking the same, with most of the classes being no challenge for me whatsoever, and with the inability to make friends in such a big school. All that plus an increasing longing for home causes my eyes to come warm and fill with tears, but I don't to allow myself to cry here at school.
The teacher eventually realizes that I'm not doing the work. While everyone is busy walking around the classroom and talking to colleagues, I'm sitting there right in the middle, right in front of the teacher's desk. He looks at me and I can see him asking me a question I can't hear.
"Excue me?"
"Are you done?" he repeats, to my horror, and I reluctantly confirm, worrying about what his reaction is going to be. "Come here."
And so I do. I handle him my set of exercises and clench my fists with discomfort. My fear is explainable, it comes from having grown in an education system where teachers tend to look for any reason to humiliate and criticize students. I believe and I know it' different here, but the reaction remains.
The teachers browses the set, nodding his head. When he turns to the pages we were not supposed to do yet, I'm thrilled, but he says nothing. Finally he closes the set and looks at me. "That was easy, wasn't it?" I only nod my head. The teacher gives the set back to me. "Look," he says with no slightest sign of anger. "I know it's easy. But wait for the next classes, we will be doing some more difficult stuff." He smiles and I'm released back to my desk.
Right, I think. Having done basics such as converting meters into kilometers, we are definitely going to do stuff such as electricity, optics, etc.
What I'm indeed worried about is the danger of going behind with my skills, which would be very bad due to the fact that once I return to Poland, I'll be taking serious exams a year later. I can't afford forgetting or getting behind.
I somehow have to solve that issue. I remember that Davis has an I.B. (International Baccalaureate) program, and both my host parents and some of the school staff told me that the grades I brought from Poland are good enough to accept me to the program. And even though I would be unable to join the full program and continue it back in Poland, there must be a chance to join the classes noncommittally. I did sign for them back in August, but for some reason was not assigned to the classes. Still, I decide to try again.
I indeed manage to switch from regular physics to IB Physics. My schedule does not change beyond physics, for both are at 5th period. Joining IB Physics, on the other hand, I'm concerned that the level might be too high for me. Stuff is definitely harder, close to what I'm doing in Polish school, but it's all in English. Will I make it? I'm considering giving it up, but I don't, convincing myself that it will be profitable for me.
It indeed is. Starting with students, these who are in IB seem to me much more mature and outgoing that the introvert students from regular classes. The explanation is simple: these guys are definitely way more ambitious, they go to school because they want to learn and get good education, plus it's likely that students attending the whole IB program have all classes together. I'm welcomed with an excitement, especially when I tell them I'm an exchange student from Poland. The atmosphere in class is very casual, some guys are sitting on the desks and having fun about some chemical equations, others are working on the task, but still, we are all free to have a conversation. Teacher, a nice young lady, is there walking around the class, ready to help if anyone needs to consult.
As for the level, it is high. During first class I hardly understand anything, but with a brief consultation with the teacher I suddenly understand. I immediately do so well that during the next day's entry task I'm the one who explains the task to my classmates.
I decide that yes, I want to stay in this class.
Few weeks later I decide to switch to IB Math for the same reason as physics. This decision, however, results in a forced change in my schedule. I am forced to either attend a different teacher's English class, which I don't want to do, or join IB English in order to stay with the teacher. I'm not into literature and poetry, and I imagine that an advanced English in America is something I might find extremely challenging. But since I'm in good terms with the English teacher, I decide that I want to do this anyway. She will not expect me to follow everything we are doing in class, but I obligate myself to actually work at class and do my best.
This way, I have signed for three IB classes, which are math, physics, and English. As I've suspected, in all three classes there's a lot of the same students, which makes it much easier for me to make new friends. I immediately do. There's these three guys who, just like me, are fond of aviation, and since I'm an exchange student, they love to ask me tons of questions, like "How do you say 'hi' in Polish?" As a result, every time I would walk into an IB classroom, I would be welcomed with a German-sounding "Cześć!"
***
An advise from me to exchange students?However Americans schools are different from what you're used to, and even though they are just amazing, you might have hard time fitting in, and the bigger the school is, the more difficult it might be to make friends. My advise, is, find something - a class, an extracurricular activity, a sport team, a club, whatever, where you would be doing something you feel good at, something you like, and where you will have a relatively small group of colleagues. It's easy and quick to make friends in a small group.
Don't get discouraged if something is not the way you expected. Don't be afraid to talk to teachers, staff members, your host family - they are all there to help, and they are extremely eager to help. Share your concerns with them, ask for possibilities and opportunities, do everything you can to improve your existence in America.
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