One Day in a German School
The life of a German student compared with that of an American high school student varies greatly. Of course it depends where you live and on which school you are attending, but still there are a lot of differences in terms of the classes, the community, and the grading.
Breakfast, breaks and snacks
The school day in Germany typically begins in the morning. Students are usually up at about 6:30 or 7 a.m. After a hearty German breakfast of bread or serioul, it’s time to get ready for school. Unlike some countries, it’s common for German students to walk or bike to school, fostering independence from a young age.
Every 45 minutes there is a little break of about 5 minutes. Between the 2nd and 3rd hour and 4th and 5th hour, students have a 15 minute break where they have to go to the school yard. These breaks are an opportunity to chat with friends or grab a snack. The end of school can be different every day and is not the same for every student. Most of the students in the 5th to 10th grade have school until the 6th hour, which ends around 3:15 p.m. on most of the days. After school, students have the opportunity to eat lunch in the cafeteria.
Class communities and student-teacher relationships
Schools in Germany typically start around 8 a.m. Each school day consists of several class periods, each lasting about 45 minutes. Subjects covered include mathematics, science, languages (usually English and sometimes another foreign language), history, geography, and more. Unlike in America the schedule changes every day in a week, according to https://www.german-way.com/differences-between-school-in-germany-in-the-usa/.
Students stay in the same class with the same people from the 5th to the 10th grade. And even if there are some classes, for example language classes, where you are with other people out of your class, you can’t be in a class with people from other grades. That system leads the students to have a good class community.
Another important aspect is the relationship between teacher and student. Exchange students are shocked by the way Americans interact with each other. In America, the teachers are way more personal and give the students a look in their private lives as a normal human. It is not normal in Germany that the teachers have private pictures in their classrooms. Also, the way the students talk with the teachers is completely different.
The grades you get are from 1 (the best) to 6 (the worst). In the main subjects like German, English, Math and French, students are graded 50% for their participation during the lessons and 50% for the test they write during the year. Unlike in America, the tests don’t consist of multiple choice questions but of long essays most of the time.
Homework and Study Time
Homework is an integral part of the German education system. Students are expected to complete assignments and review their lessons at home. The evening is often dedicated to homework and study, although there’s also time for relaxation and family activities.
School spirit and sports
On the other side, the school spirit is completely different. The fact that American schools have several kinds of team sports after school brings the students together. Of course it depends on the school in Germany, but there are fewer events out of school.
Events like Homecoming or other dances are not common in Germany. And of course there is no football. If students want to do a sport after school, they do it separate from school.
All in all, it is hard to compare school systems because it is in so many ways so different. Everyone is different and observes things differently, so it’s not possible to write for every German student. To form your own picture of life as a German student, everyone is welcome to come and take an exchange year like the author of this report who has one year to see how it is to live in America.
–the author of this story, Miyo Dernbach, is a German foreign exchange student. She lives in the city of Frankfurt.
