📚 School Discussions!

[Lyriie]

School Discussions

Hello, everyone! I've recently been thinking back to my days in school, and out of curiousity I decided to open a thread to talk about it! I have made a list of questions for the discussions, but keep in mind that you are not required to answer all of them, or any at all. You can really just say anything you want to about school. Even if you have already left school, you can still answer these questions.

➜ If you live in a country other than England, how does your school system work?
➜ What are your favourite and least favourite subjects at school, and why?
➜ Who are your favourite teachers at school and why do you like them?
➜ Have you ever had any bad experiences with teachers at school?
➜ Does your school have any rules you don't agree with?
➜ What methods do you usually use to study for exams?
➜ Do you have any events, clubs or special projects at school that you enjoy?
➜ What do you plan to do after you leave school? (For school leavers: have these plans changed at all in the time since you left?)

School in England

To help you better understand my answers and to open up more areas for discussion, here's a quick rundown of what the education system is like here in England.

Spoiler: School in England

There are 5 main stages, the first being early years which is for children under the age of 5. After that, children will attend primary school until the age of 11, from Year 1 through to Year 6. The third stage is secondary school. Children are in this school from Year 7 up until Year 11, meaning that they finish at the age of 16. At the end of secondary school we take our GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education), which are very important qualifications for our future.

In England, you have to be in education or training until the age of 18, so the next stage is usually FE (Further Education). There are many ways that this is provided, but most students attend college for two years. The fifth and final stage is HE (Higher Education) which usually means studying at a university. Education at this level is usually not free, and many students take out student loans to cover their tuition fees. There are also other financial aid options available.

If you have any more questions about England's education system, feel free to ask me!

My Answers

Here are my answers to the questions I listed above!

Spoiler: My Answers

➜My favourite subject at school was English, and I still consider it to be my best subject. Ever since I was very young I have been good at spelling and grammar, and I read a lot of books and wrote songs and stories all the time. I'm still very interested in writing, but I have not been as motivated to do it in recent years. On the other hand, my least favourite subject in school was PE (Physical Education). I'm very much an indoors person and I don't like exercise. Yes, I know I should do more exercise because it's healthy, but that can be a work in progress!

➜ I had a lot of amazing teachers in secondary school, but if I had to choose just one, it would have to be my German teacher. I had her as my teacher all the way from Year 7 to Year 11, and in my very first German lesson I loved her energy and enthusiasm, even though I couldn't understand a word of what she was saying! She was very supportive of me and helped me with the speaking parts of my German lessons which I found very challenging.

➜ Unfortunately, where there are good teachers there are usually bad teachers as well. The worst teacher I have ever had was my DT (Design and Technology) teacher in Year 7 and Year 8. If I was struggling with something, she would assume it was a refusal and would make the whole class stop their activities while she waited for me to do it. She also frequently picked me to do demonstrations in front of the class even though she knew it made me anxious.

➜ My school didn't allow phones on school grounds at all, and the punishment for having your phone on you was a three day in-school suspension. I didn't agree with this rule because I thought the punishment was far too harsh, and I knew that a lot of students only kept their phones on them to feel safe and had no intention of using them in class.

➜ As for study methods, I like writing things down (in note form) as I remember things better when I write them instead of just reading them. I also like to organise my notes by colour-coding them for different topics, so anything like coloured flash cards and mind maps that allow me to add some decoration is a go-to study method for me.

➜ I used to love singing and so I was in the choir at primary school, but I was too anxious to keep doing it once I reached secondary school. Although I wasn't in any clubs there, we had a lot of fun events throughout the year including my favourite, Maths Fun Day! It was a whole-school event that was quite like a mini carnival, with lots of fun math-based games and prizes to win.

➜ When I finished secondary school, I planned to go to college to study English and then become a writer. I completed my English studies, but I have not been motivated to write and I am not sure anymore if that is what I want to do with my life.

 

[WorriedSkate940]

My best subject is math probably. Have gotten 100% on each of the last 3 exams. My study method is pretty simple. Gather information from the lessons, create a quizlet (quizlet is an app where you can study and stuff) about it, and then study for 5 hours the day before the exam. Works every time.

 

[Loskol]

In Finland people go to preschool in the age of 6, which is the first school where you have to go. After this people go in elementary school which usually lasts from the age of 7 up to the age of 12. Then after elementary school we go in middle school where people are 13-15 years old.

After the middle school we get two options: which are either lukio or ammattikoulu. There are really not any english translations for these schools, but these schools start in the age of 16 and usually people graduate in the age of 18.

In ammattikoulu people are learning some exact job's mastery, like cook, construction, nursery, computers etc. After graduating some finns start in a school named ammattikorkeakoulu, which is basically just learning more about the job you are studying. Ammattikorkeakoulu is optional school though, since lukio and ammattikoulu are the last schools where people have to go. Usually people who are trying to get good education with nursery for example, need to continue learning even after ammattikorkeakoulu.
(Ammattikoulu is translated as jobschool, even though it's not a thing in any other country as far as I know. Ammattikorkeakoulu is basically just highjobschool, even though this translation doesn't make much sense to me. )

Lukio is basically just harder school system with the same subjects as in elementary school, but way harder. Usually people go in lukio if they aren't so sure about what they will do in the worklife, since you can go in ammattikoulu after lukio if you want. After graduatin people can go either in ammattikoulu, ammattikorkeakoulu or yliopisto. But most of the time people are just starting their worklife from now on.
(Now yliopisto is most likely close to university. The university is an institution that conducts scientific research and provides the highest scientific performance.)


I may have forgotten some things about finnish schools, but I hope that people understood what I just typed, since it's really hard to explain how finnish education system works. It's way different from any other.

 

[JustNathie]

If you live in a country other than England, how does your school system work?

We have pre-school, which is usually from the age of 2-5 years & after you would get admitted to primary school. Primary school starts from grade 1 to grade 7. Then secondary school (or high school) which is from grade 8 to 12, where you would take your NSC (National Senior Certificate - Public schools) or IEB (Independent Examination Board - Private schools) on your final grade. Acquiring any of the two can help you enrolled in Higher education (University or College) to further your education.

What are your favourite and least favourite subjects at school, and why?

My favorite subject at school was Life sciences, which is Biology to a lot of you. I loved it because of how fun it was to learn how different parts of the body, like nerves and organs, worked & learning the history of most things life. My least favourite subject was Creative Arts. I am not a fan of dancing or acting, which made me hate this subject a lot. There was a lot of that in this subject and it was not fun! I missed the free marks we'd get on projects just for participating though.

Does your school have any rules you don't agree with?

It had a lot of silly rules that I do not even remember so many of them aaaaaa

What methods do you usually use to study for exams?

I did not have any methods lol. I would usually just read the summaries I always wrote the night before and hope for the best on the day of the exam. (Not recommended)

 

[Roxrock]

➜ If you live in a country other than England, how does your school system work?
➜ What are your favourite and least favourite subjects at school, and why?
➜ Who are your favourite teachers at school and why do you like them?
➜ Have you ever had any bad experiences with teachers at school?
➜ Does your school have any rules you don't agree with?
➜ What methods do you usually use to study for exams?
➜ Do you have any events, clubs or special projects at school that you enjoy?
➜ What do you plan to do after you leave school? (For school leavers: have these plans changed at all in the time since you left?)

1. (I know the following kind of answers a different question) I personally go to a math and science academy (I am in the academy). Classes can be divided into 3 categories. Regular classes (HPE9, World History 1, etc.) are regular high school classes that usually have teacher-created or city government-created final exams, and are weighted regularly on a 4.0 GPA scale, and they tend to be easier compared to the other types. Advanced Placement classes teach subjects at a college level and prepare students to take the AP exam for that course, which are created by college board and require a Fee (You don’t actually need to take an AP class to take its AP exam, but it is highly not recommended) They tend to be more rigorous and may give you extra points towards your GPA. Finally, there are classes that only academy kids can take, with some exceptions, called magnet classes. These are like regular classes, except they aren’t regularly offered at other high schools and most are harder than AP classes. Generally, students take magnet chemistry and magnet advanced algebra when they are freshmen, AP chemistry, magnet molecular biology, and AP pre calculus when they are sophomores, magnet physics, AP biology, and AP calculus BC when they are Juniors, and both AP physics C’s, as well as magnet multivariable calculus when they are seniors. They may also take other optional magnet classes depending on their field of interest, which is usually either biomedical or engineering. I personally have been going light on my load of classes, avoiding AP chem and taking AP statistics instead of precalculus. (I regret the latter, since I now can’t take multivariable and you kind of need precalc for magnet physics) We are also expected to work on and complete a senior project on a topic of our choice, which we are guided along starting sophomore year, which can be either a job shadowing experience, or independent research. I will probably be doing mine on the subject of carnivorous plants.
2. Two subjects I like this year are molecular biology and computer science. In comp sci, Im finally learning an actual programming language, Java, and I find the process of programming very fun and rewarding. I really like my biology teacher, I get hooked on his lectures and find the course material interesting. The quizzes are also very fun, forcing you to apply your knowledge to answer the questions rather than simply reciting it. I would say my least favorite subject has been human geography, because it requires a ton of notes and vocabulary, and the tests are pretty hard. Spanish is also pretty boring to learn compared to science.
3. I have great relationships with all of my teachers, and in general students and teachers in my classes can communicate effectively about the class subject, what assignments we like the best, and what class material we need to work on. As mentioned earlier, I like my biology teacher, and I also like my Spanish teacher.
4. My 8th grade English teacher, Mrs. Cash. Stereotypical English teacher, everyone hated her.
5. I hate how pressured you are to make it to class on time, I sometimes don’t have enough time to use the restroom between classes. Our School also banned The Oregon Trail Game.
6. If it’s multiple choice, I don’t. If it’s FRQ’s, I usually go back and look at presentations. If it’s writing definitions of words, I usually just memorize them during lunch.
7. I like programming club, and we have had some interesting people brought in for school assemblies. My favorite was a prosecutor being brought in for a PE class. I also enjoy watching senior project presentations.
8. I will be going to college, probably with computer science of engineering, I don’t have a particular college in mind yet.

 

[CrystalLegend01]

I live in the US (and our school system is probably a notorious one xD)
In public schools, many kids that are about ages 3-5 go to preschool or maybe head start. Next there is Elementary School which is Kindergarten to 5th grade (1st grade comes after Kindergarten). Then, there is Middle School for 6th to 8th graders (ages 11 to 14). Lastly, there is High School with four grade levels, from 9th to 12th. I am a senior this year in 12th grade

I heard that the US grading system is more strict than in some other places; generally if you get below a 59%, you get an F. It seems normal for me, but in some places the range for getting an F is lower I think. An A (without a - ) is generally 95% or higher too (the A range can get lower in college though)

My favorite class might be Spanish IV.
Many people out there dislike math, but for me it’s alright. Out of the math subjects, I think I liked Geometry the most and it went well for me. I guess you could say I’m more of a Geometry Person than I am an Algebra Person
There was also Pastry, a cooking class that specializes in breads and desserts
My least favorite classes include English (in general): I am good with grammar knowledge but I am not good at writing poems and doing research. I also didn’t like PE; I was not very athletic nor good at sports. Also, this year I am in Cybersecurity and in that class I have motivation issues at times. Sometimes it’s interesting, but sometimes I find the content kind of boring

For favorite teachers, I liked my Computer Science teacher. I had her for 3 different classes but unfortunately as of this year she doesn’t teach at my school anymore. She was friendly and easygoing. A class I had her for last year was a class where you learn Java, and it became my most preferred programming language (better than Python imo). I also like my current Spanish teacher; she’s nice and makes the class enjoyable for us (I am slightly obsessed with learning Spanish). Another likable teacher is one that I’ve never actually had but she hosts clubs I’m in

For least favorite teachers, I can’t say there are any that stuck out negatively for me

When it comes to studying for exams, I honestly rarely ever study and don’t really need to, at least for the classes I have/had

At school I am in 3 clubs and 1 organization. I generally prefer clubs that are fun and casual

 

[Nightmare]

I will try my best to explain it for germany, we do have our elementary school that goes from year 1-4, while you start getting grades from year 3 on. In your last year, year 4, your grades decide which school type you can go to after elementary school: special needs school, for children that have trouble learning in school and need some extra help, Main school, that has a slower pace of lectures and is considered the easiest to pass. It goes from year 5 to year 9 with the option to do an additional 10th year to get a slightly better graduation. One tier higher than that is middle school, where it gets a bit harder and you have year 5-10, passing this school enables you to visit a school of futher education, also called FOS, where you can do an additional 2 years in order to be qualified to study at a university. Our highest school is called gymnasium, even though that word has a different meaning in english and it usually goes from year 5 to 12. You have more subjects there than on the other schools and it can be quite challenging. Passing this school immideatly grants you access to university.

Favourite subject for me has always been english, because i was naturally good at it due to the amount of movies i watched and game i played in english. Worst subject was probably sports, because we basically would only play volleyball and it was super boring.

I had mostly nice teachers, but there also were some bad examples, which was one of the main reasons i switched school back then.

There was a rule that you were forced to use the homework diary the school provided and you would even get punished for not bringing it. Really stupid.

I use the very effective method of not studying until i have to and the getting very stressed by it. 10/10 would recommend.

In year 12, i spontaneously decided to study computer science and i have stuck to that and am now almost done with that :)

 

[Desiderata]

If you live in a country other than England, how does your school system work?

In the Philippines school can start as early as like, 3-4 or 4-5 years old, depends on the school and depends on the parent

We follow the K-12 educational stages I'm sure it's kinda like in the US lol

except that we have to wake up 4-5am because school starts at like 6-7am, sometimes in the afternoon for some schools/sections (some grade levels have it WORSE, 7am-4:30pm)

there's also this thing where students get into sections based on how good their grades are, like sections 1-4 or A-D (sometimes it's just two) with the first having the cream of the crop while the ones below it have average to poorly performing students

it doesn't really help imo it just creates a larger boundary between students and those in lower sections get stigmatized

I'm consistent section 1/A in my kinder-elem days but at the same time I'm like the dumbest in class lol

Also schools here in the Philippines are very different from each other so I'll explain how it's like in my current school

It's a science-based high school and it only accepts top-performing students who are usually proficient in maths and science

to get into schools like the one I'm in you'll have to take two admission tests, the first one being easier than the next

students who are in the top 5 of their current school are prioritized and if they pass those exams they are guaranteed a spot

there will also be an interview phase between the two admission tests lol

ig those who pass gets accepted

also the passing grade is like 85% in those kinda schools, you can't go below it

also in some schools, music, arts, PE, and health gets combined into one subject called MAPEH, as lazy as it is.

What are your favourite and least favourite subjects at school, and why?

I'm gonna be honest with ya, I used to love all subjects

I don't find the joy in learning anymore given how I'm pressured to learn a lot of info within a really short timeframe, how you're treated horribly for making a mistake, as well as the presence of horrible people like bullies (students AND TEACHERS), people who spread rumors, overly-competitive students and parents, and so on

I learned the hard way that the kind of school/environment I'm in makes it impossible for me to thrive

Despite this though any language and social studies related subjects will have a special place in my heart, though I hardly enjoy them anymore because of how unbearable school has gotten for me

I wish I could go back when I had more time to actually enjoy learning

Who are your favourite teachers at school and why do you like them?

My social studies/science teacher from grade 6, my ICT (Information & Communication Technology) teacher from grade 7, and my English teacher from grade 7

the last two also became our teachers in grade 9 during online classes, a really pleasant surprise for me

absolutely love them for seeing the potential I had, they're one of the very few people who inspired me to keep on going through this hellhole I live in

Have you ever had any bad experiences with teachers at school?

Oh, A LOT. Don't even get me started on this one.

I'm not too comfortable sharing with them here, but to keep it short and simple it all boils down to not being their favorite student, bullying (and them denying the fact that I am getting bullied), and ableism

and that one of them is, err, a little too close with children

I just hope the other students who'll go through them won't get the same treatment as I did

they're one of the very few people who make life on earth a little more miserable

Does your school have any rules you don't agree with?

I don't like having to wear uniforms and getting a yee yee ahh haircut

and the fact that it starts way too early compared to other countries

What methods do you usually use to study for exams?

read reviewers last minute

pass

Do you have any events, clubs or special projects at school that you enjoy?

I used to be a really active member in one of our school's science clubs and I eventually became an officer against my wishes

I had to retire given how much I want to distance myself from one of the club advisers

I helped another club with their event through co-writing a story one time though

What do you plan to do after you leave school?

I WILL REJOICE

I AM FINALLY FREE FROM MY SHACKLES

I WILL TRANSCEND BEYOND HUMANITY

in conclusion I HATE SCHOOL SO MUCH I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT

 

[Lyriie]

Gather information from the lessons, create a quizlet (quizlet is an app where you can study and stuff) about it, and then study for 5 hours the day before the exam. Works every time.

I used Quizlet for some of my German lessons in secondary school. It's a great app!

I may have forgotten some things about finnish schools, but I hope that people understood what I just typed, since it's really hard to explain how finnish education system works. It's way different from any other.

It sounds really interesting!

My least favourite subject was Creative Arts. I am not a fan of dancing or acting, which made me hate this subject a lot. There was a lot of that in this subject and it was not fun! I missed the free marks we'd get on projects just for participating though.

Our school equivalent would be Performing Arts. I never had to do it because it was an optional GCSE (decided at the start of Year 9) and I didn't take it. But I have heard stories from some people who had to do it in Year 7 and it sounded like a nightmare D:

1. (I know the following kind of answers a different question) I personally go to a math and science academy (I am in the academy). Classes can be divided into 3 categories. Regular classes (HPE9, World History 1, etc.) are regular high school classes that usually have teacher-created or city government-created final exams, and are weighted regularly on a 4.0 GPA scale, and they tend to be easier compared to the other types. Advanced Placement classes teach subjects at a college level and prepare students to take the AP exam for that course, which are created by college board and require a Fee (You don’t actually need to take an AP class to take its AP exam, but it is highly not recommended) They tend to be more rigorous and may give you extra points towards your GPA. Finally, there are classes that only academy kids can take, with some exceptions, called magnet classes. These are like regular classes, except they aren’t regularly offered at other high schools and most are harder than AP classes. Generally, students take magnet chemistry and magnet advanced algebra when they are freshmen, AP chemistry, magnet molecular biology, and AP pre calculus when they are sophomores, magnet physics, AP biology, and AP calculus BC when they are Juniors, and both AP physics C’s, as well as magnet multivariable calculus when they are seniors. They may also take other optional magnet classes depending on their field of interest, which is usually either biomedical or engineering. I personally have been going light on my load of classes, avoiding AP chem and taking AP statistics instead of precalculus. (I regret the latter, since I now can’t take multivariable and you kind of need precalc for magnet physics) We are also expected to work on and complete a senior project on a topic of our choice, which we are guided along starting sophomore year, which can be either a job shadowing experience, or independent research. I will probably be doing mine on the subject of carnivorous plants.

This is really interesting! I haven't heard much before about what it's like in specialised schools, so thanks for the detail!

1. My 8th grade English teacher, Mrs. Cash. Stereotypical English teacher, everyone hated her.

What exactly makes a "stereotypical English teacher"? Maybe I'm just really out of touch with the rest of society (not uncommon for me) but I've bever heard that before xD

1. I hate how pressured you are to make it to class on time, I sometimes don’t have enough time to use the restroom between classes. Our School also banned The Oregon Trail Game.

That was a really big deal with my secondary school, too. It was awful because our school was set up in several different buildings with a large open outdoor space in the middle, so a lot of classes were really far away from each other. On top of that, our school had about 1,800 pupils and it was not designed for that many, so the hallways were always super crowded and slow to move through.

I live in the US (and our school system is probably a notorious one xD)
In public schools, many kids that are about ages 3-5 go to preschool or maybe head start. Next there is Elementary School which is Kindergarten to 5th grade (1st grade comes after Kindergarten). Then, there is Middle School for 6th to 8th graders (ages 11 to 14). Lastly, there is High School with four grade levels, from 9th to 12th. I am a senior this year in 12th grade

I heard that the US grading system is more strict than in some other places; generally if you get below a 59%, you get an F. It seems normal for me, but in some places the range for getting an F is lower I think. An A (without a - ) is generally 95% or higher too (the A range can get lower in college though)

The grade boundaries for our GCSEs will change every year, but that does indeed sound quite strict. Our grading system is in numbers from 1-9, with 1 being the lowest and 9 being the highest. This is basically what they are equivalent to:
9 - A**
8 - A*
7 - A
6 - B
5 - Higher C
4 - Lower C
There are more underneath the 4, but if you score beneath that on your final exam then it is considered a fail.

There was also Pastry, a cooking class that specializes in breads and desserts

It interests me how specific some of your classes can be (like Pastry), I have another friend from the US that I think took a pottery class. For us, those things would be included in broader classes such as DT or Art and there are few opportunities to pursue them as an actual interest :c

When it comes to studying for exams, I honestly rarely ever study and don’t really need to, at least for the classes I have/had

I was not expecting basically everyone to say this xD

Favourite subject for me has always been english, because i was naturally good at it due to the amount of movies i watched and game i played in english. Worst subject was probably sports, because we basically would only play volleyball and it was super boring.

Playing the same sports over and over again is the worst! In my school we always played Football or Basketball (Tennis only in the summer) and all of my classmates were super competitive with it. I don't understand how they didn't get bored!

I use the very effective method of not studying until i have to and the getting very stressed by it. 10/10 would recommend.

I feel like you are a bad influence in this case...

except that we have to wake up 4-5am because school starts at like 6-7am, sometimes in the afternoon for some schools/sections (some grade levels have it WORSE, 7am-4:30pm)

Yikes, that is really early...

there's also this thing where students get into sections based on how good their grades are, like sections 1-4 or A-D (sometimes it's just two) with the first having the cream of the crop while the ones below it have average to poorly performing students

it doesn't really help imo it just creates a larger boundary between students and those in lower sections get stigmatized

I think we had something similar but it was different for each subject. E.g. I was in first set Maths and second set English.

I'm consistent section 1/A in my kinder-elem days but at the same time I'm like the dumbest in class lol

Same with me for maths. I kept being told that I belonged in the top set but I could never finish my work in time whereas everyine else in the class was asking for another activity.

I WILL REJOICE

I AM FINALLY FREE FROM MY SHACKLES

I WILL TRANSCEND BEYOND HUMANITY

in conclusion I HATE SCHOOL SO MUCH I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT

oop, I'm sorry that school hasn't been good for you. Hopefully whatever you choose to do with your future will be better <3

 

[Desiderata]

Yikes, that is really early...

combine it with the horrible traffic situation in the philippines

oop, I'm sorry that school hasn't been good for you. Hopefully whatever you choose to do with your future will be better <3

yeah lmfao i mainly self-learn

back then i'm able to learn about lessons before they were even discussed in class but now i hardly have any time to do any advanced review or prior research :/

at least i'm learning at my own pace when it comes to writing though, but i have to time it really well so i don't lack behind in life....

 

[Nightmare]

I feel like you are a bad influence in this case...

You are just jealous of my advanced techniques.

 

[Desiderata]

You are just jealous of my advanced techniques.

fr i do the same

 

[Mr Jii Gamer]

School Discussions

Hello, everyone! I've recently been thinking back to my days in school, and out of curiousity I decided to open a thread to talk about it! I have made a list of questions for the discussions, but keep in mind that you are not required to answer all of them, or any at all. You can really just say anything you want to about school. Even if you have already left school, you can still answer these questions.

➜ If you live in a country other than England, how does your school system work?
➜ What are your favourite and least favourite subjects at school, and why?
➜ Who are your favourite teachers at school and why do you like them?
➜ Have you ever had any bad experiences with teachers at school?
➜ Does your school have any rules you don't agree with?
➜ What methods do you usually use to study for exams?
➜ Do you have any events, clubs or special projects at school that you enjoy?
➜ What do you plan to do after you leave school? (For school leavers: have these plans changed at all in the time since you left?)

School in England

To help you better understand my answers and to open up more areas for discussion, here's a quick rundown of what the education system is like here in England.

Spoiler: School in England

There are 5 main stages, the first being early years which is for children under the age of 5. After that, children will attend primary school until the age of 11, from Year 1 through to Year 6. The third stage is secondary school. Children are in this school from Year 7 up until Year 11, meaning that they finish at the age of 16. At the end of secondary school we take our GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education), which are very important qualifications for our future.

In England, you have to be in education or training until the age of 18, so the next stage is usually FE (Further Education). There are many ways that this is provided, but most students attend college for two years. The fifth and final stage is HE (Higher Education) which usually means studying at a university. Education at this level is usually not free, and many students take out student loans to cover their tuition fees. There are also other financial aid options available.

If you have any more questions about England's education system, feel free to ask me!

My Answers

Here are my answers to the questions I listed above!

Spoiler: My Answers

➜My favourite subject at school was English, and I still consider it to be my best subject. Ever since I was very young I have been good at spelling and grammar, and I read a lot of books and wrote songs and stories all the time. I'm still very interested in writing, but I have not been as motivated to do it in recent years. On the other hand, my least favourite subject in school was PE (Physical Education). I'm very much an indoors person and I don't like exercise. Yes, I know I should do more exercise because it's healthy, but that can be a work in progress!

➜ I had a lot of amazing teachers in secondary school, but if I had to choose just one, it would have to be my German teacher. I had her as my teacher all the way from Year 7 to Year 11, and in my very first German lesson I loved her energy and enthusiasm, even though I couldn't understand a word of what she was saying! She was very supportive of me and helped me with the speaking parts of my German lessons which I found very challenging.

➜ Unfortunately, where there are good teachers there are usually bad teachers as well. The worst teacher I have ever had was my DT (Design and Technology) teacher in Year 7 and Year 8. If I was struggling with something, she would assume it was a refusal and would make the whole class stop their activities while she waited for me to do it. She also frequently picked me to do demonstrations in front of the class even though she knew it made me anxious.

➜ My school didn't allow phones on school grounds at all, and the punishment for having your phone on you was a three day in-school suspension. I didn't agree with this rule because I thought the punishment was far too harsh, and I knew that a lot of students only kept their phones on them to feel safe and had no intention of using them in class.

➜ As for study methods, I like writing things down (in note form) as I remember things better when I write them instead of just reading them. I also like to organise my notes by colour-coding them for different topics, so anything like coloured flash cards and mind maps that allow me to add some decoration is a go-to study method for me.

➜ I used to love singing and so I was in the choir at primary school, but I was too anxious to keep doing it once I reached secondary school. Although I wasn't in any clubs there, we had a lot of fun events throughout the year including my favourite, Maths Fun Day! It was a whole-school event that was quite like a mini carnival, with lots of fun math-based games and prizes to win.

➜ When I finished secondary school, I planned to go to college to study English and then become a writer. I completed my English studies, but I have not been motivated to write and I am not sure anymore if that is what I want to do with my life. I would honestly really like to be a teacher, or take up a different role in a school, which was part of the inspiration for this thread.

My best subject is math and the subject i dont really love it is science and my i have one exp with a teacher dont like me of the history subject he just hate bc i am talk a lot in here lesson so always she get me out from the classe and my best teacher in the school is of math subject

 

[BicolourSine41]

At me the primary school works: 8:30 it starts, from 10.00 till 10.30 you have brake (15 min eating, 15 min outside) then until 12.00 you have lessons and after that you have brake again (15 min outside, 30 min eating) and then until 14.00 until 14.30 school stops and you can go home. (i do not know high school anymore)

 

[Fesa]

From Belgium here!

➜ If you live in a country other than England, how does your school system work?​

Our school system is fairly simple I think, although I am very biased of. Most people start kleuterschool at 2.5 till they're 6 and then you go into primary education for 6 years followed by secondary education for 6 again. In which you have to choose between a General, Technical, Art, or Job focused education. The Job focused one offers a 7th year of secondary education to directly start working afterwards.

Each of these flows (stromining in dutch) also choices to be made within them. In general you might do, Latin-Greek or Sciences and Maths, while in art you may do architecture or photography. A lot of people will try and tell you that one is better than the other, but you must remember that the only difference between them is that they're just different things for different people!

After secondary education, your degree is basically worthless except if you did Job focused one and then you have to go to a Tertiary education, which might be an academic or professional bachelor for 3/4 years, followed by a optional master for 2 years. (Not so optional for an academic bachelor). Once you have done these, you're ready to be abused by the system till you're too old to enjoy life

➜ What are your favourite and least favourite subjects at school, and why?​

My favourite one has to be Maths, I don't have any in my currently but I will always miss it! I didn't really hate any subjects in my secondary education, more so the teachers, or I was just very bad at it; but did like the teacher so it was fine haha. But if I had to pick one, probably biology cause I hated the teacher so much

➜ Who are your favourite teachers at school and why do you like them?​

My favourite teacher, was my teacher philosophy (NCZ); who is one of the most interesting people on the planet I know. They have opened my worldview immensely, and shown me so much amazing stuff. I'll be forever grateful; they also gave me a book with a beautiful self written poem and goodbye message when I graduated

➜ Have you ever had any bad experiences with teachers at school?​

Yes! I'm utterly convinced most people are able to complete most of not all courses, yes even maths, without trouble but that teachers are just terrible at explaining, but even more at being a decent human being. I love biology a lot, a friend of my mom did her php in genetics something something, and is a doctor and we have had so many amazing conversation about it. But in that teachers class, I hated every second of it; despite loving the course material; which made me get worse points. She would always say I never studied, even when I did, and pick on me. So yeah, why would I try my best if she's going to be mad anyway

Also had teachers swear at me when I had something small wrong because they thought I shouldn't be allowed to make any mistakes in their course cause I'm smart. (I'll have you know I was right, and they were wrong) So... yeah, most teachers shouldn't be allowed to teach at all and probably ruined a lot of things for a lot of people.

➜ Does your school have any rules you don't agree with?​

Not sure haha, the dress code undoubtedly, those are always nonsense

➜ What methods do you usually use to study for exams?​

I don't really known how to study, and I also don't really have to. I just need to be busy with the material throughout the year and I'll be fine. I learn by using it, so I always have a lot of trouble with courses I don't enjoy
However, currently we have a bunch of multi choice questions, which obviously are a joke and should be banned cause you can just guess those (you can smart guess them, not blindly)

➜ Do you have any events, clubs or special projects at school that you enjoy?​

Not really, I want to keep school for school only.

➜ What do you plan to do after you leave school? (For school leavers: have these plans changed at all in the time since you left?)​

I don't have anything concrete, go work I suppose. Move out of the city if I can afford it

IMPORTANT RANT​

Any grading system which uses numbers and doesn't start at zero is a joke and should be made illegal, we use a decimal system, the 0 is important, your 7 isn't a 7, it's more. Stop trolling your students, if I want 6 apples, I don't mean 6.6 apples, I mean 6... looking at you The Netherlands
Any grading system using letters, is weird cause it's converted from some percentage / points anyway. You can't have B of your questions right now can you.

I personally like the French system most, which we use :v, on 100 points feels too much and makes getting a lower point a lot more sad cause you're emotionally so far from 100. 10 points is too limiting and almost forces you to use decimals, and remembers kids, decimals are evil and should be avoided. While Frenches 20 points, is on 20 which is a very pretty number and makes getting lower points not feel as bad. Without being so awkward that you can't do simple maths with it to get to percentages, without the need for decimals !!

Thanks for reading my rant, thanks!

 

[Thjis]

From Belgium here!

➜ If you live in a country other than England, how does your school system work?​

Our school system is fairly simple I think, although I am very biased of. Most people start kleuterschool at 2.5 till they're 6 and then you go into primary education for 6 years followed by secondary education for 6 again. In which you have to choose between a General, Technical, Art, or Job focused education. The Job focused one offers a 7th year of secondary education to directly start working afterwards.

Each of these flows (stromining in dutch) also choices to be made within them. In general you might do, Latin-Greek or Sciences and Maths, while in art you may do architecture or photography. A lot of people will try and tell you that one is better than the other, but you must remember that the only difference between them is that they're just different things for different people!

After secondary education, your degree is basically worthless except if you did Job focused one and then you have to go to a Tertiary education, which might be an academic or professional bachelor for 3/4 years, followed by a optional master for 2 years. (Not so optional for an academic bachelor). Once you have done these, you're ready to be abused by the system till you're too old to enjoy life

➜ What are your favourite and least favourite subjects at school, and why?​

My favourite one has to be Maths, I don't have any in my currently but I will always miss it! I didn't really hate any subjects in my secondary education, more so the teachers, or I was just very bad at it; but did like the teacher so it was fine haha. But if I had to pick one, probably biology cause I hated the teacher so much

➜ Who are your favourite teachers at school and why do you like them?​

My favourite teacher, was my teacher philosophy (NCZ); who is one of the most interesting people on the planet I know. They have opened my worldview immensely, and shown me so much amazing stuff. I'll be forever grateful; they also gave me a book with a beautiful self written poem and goodbye message when I graduated

➜ Have you ever had any bad experiences with teachers at school?​

Yes! I'm utterly convinced most people are able to complete most of not all courses, yes even maths, without trouble but that teachers are just terrible at explaining, but even more at being a decent human being. I love biology a lot, a friend of my mom did her php in genetics something something, and is a doctor and we have had so many amazing conversation about it. But in that teachers class, I hated every second of it; despite loving the course material; which made me get worse points. She would always say I never studied, even when I did, and pick on me. So yeah, why would I try my best if she's going to be mad anyway

Also had teachers swear at me when I had something small wrong because they thought I shouldn't be allowed to make any mistakes in their course cause I'm smart. (I'll have you know I was right, and they were wrong) So... yeah, most teachers shouldn't be allowed to teach at all and probably ruined a lot of things for a lot of people.

➜ Does your school have any rules you don't agree with?​

Not sure haha, the dress code undoubtedly, those are always nonsense

➜ What methods do you usually use to study for exams?​

I don't really known how to study, and I also don't really have to. I just need to be busy with the material throughout the year and I'll be fine. I learn by using it, so I always have a lot of trouble with courses I don't enjoy
However, currently we have a bunch of multi choice questions, which obviously are a joke and should be banned cause you can just guess those (you can smart guess them, not blindly)

➜ Do you have any events, clubs or special projects at school that you enjoy?​

Not really, I want to keep school for school only.

➜ What do you plan to do after you leave school? (For school leavers: have these plans changed at all in the time since you left?)​

I don't have anything concrete, go work I suppose. Move out of the city if I can afford it

IMPORTANT RANT​

Any grading system which uses numbers and doesn't start at zero is a joke and should be made illegal, we use a decimal system, the 0 is important, your 7 isn't a 7, it's more. Stop trolling your students, if I want 6 apples, I don't mean 6.6 apples, I mean 6... looking at you The Netherlands
Any grading system using letters, is weird cause it's converted from some percentage / points anyway. You can't have B of your questions right now can you.

I personally like the French system most, which we use :v, on 100 points feels too much and makes getting a lower point a lot more sad cause you're emotionally so far from 100. 10 points is too limiting and almost forces you to use decimals, and remembers kids, decimals are evil and should be avoided. While Frenches 20 points, is on 20 which is a very pretty number and makes getting lower points not feel as bad. Without being so awkward that you can't do simple maths with it to get to percentages, without the need for decimals !!

Thanks for reading my rant, thanks!

I feel attacked by the rant... so i defend the Dutch grading.

Saying the 6.6 is a "joke" while also referring that 1-100 is the best feels a bit off it is basically the same (6.6 is 66) .

 

[Desiderata]

why do dutch/belgian/german schools seem way better lmaoooo

@Fesa @Nightmare enroll me over there please, would love to be an exchange student classmate of yours

 

[winterbear73788]

I don't know what this school stuff is but seems very not interesting I would pass