- The English textbook teaches words that English-speakers usually consider to be curse words
- Students stand and simultaneously greet the teacher at the beginning of every class
- Students point their fingers when raising a hand
- Students carry around a book in which each teacher keeps a record of class attendance
- School dress code is much more relaxed - practically no rules
- There is no Lunch time in school, only a pause in which students may go out to grab a bite to eat if they choose
- All classrooms have a chalkboard and they are used constantly
- Teachers use protractors and rulers in order to ensure accuracy
- Students also use protractors and rulers. For EVERYTHING. (what can I say? We love straight lines!)
- School buses are charter buses or city buses. They are public transportation not just for students (however some have private buses).
- School schedules change all the time
- A class is usually canceled if the teacher is sick
- Students use a wet sponge and a dry cloth to wash and dry the chalkboard clean in order for the next teacher to use it
- Grades are not percentage based, they are numbers 1 (best) through 6 (worst). That is, until you get to 11th grade, then the grading scale changes from 1 to 15…
- Most girls carry a purse to school with their books in it. When they have more stuff to carry, they'll bring an extra bag (e.g. a cloth tote or an H&M plastic bag)
- Students are given the option to take a dance class (classical dance, ballroom dance, etc.) in the ninth grade and most of them do
- At the beginning of class, almost always, a random student is chosen to stand in front of the class and answer questions/inform the rest of the class about what they did during the last class (e.g. We had English class on Tuesday and again on Thursday. On Thursday, a student will be selected to talk about what we learned on Tuesday.)
- There are "intensive" class periods in some subjects (I don't see much of a difference between normal and intensive)
- Students learn English from a young age and add two languages by the 10th grade
- The school bell is a musical chime
- In order to go home or say that you won't be at school one day, you must get a note signed by both the principal and one of your teachers (and sometimes a parent)
- Just three months into 10th grade, you choose your classes for 11th and 12th grade
- Hardly any gum under the desks or tables
- Paper is typically graph paper or printed lines on blank paper
- Papers either have two hole punches or four hole punches
- Binders have two rings
- The text on the spine of a book is written in the opposite direction than in the US - it is upside down!
- There is a bakery EVERYWHERE
- The first floor in buildings is always floor 0. The second floor is floor 1. And so on…
- There are ship tourists (from Viking River Cruises along with other companies) everywhere. At least in my city.
- It's completely okay to wear the same outfit two days in a row if you didn't sweat in it or get it dirty. One more reason to love Germany - they're so environmentally conscious!
- Typically, Germans are, in fact, more direct. For example: getting on the bus, they are likely to nudge you out of the way. Or when you're standing with a group of friends, another friend might come up and nudge you so they can be closer to the friend group. Plus, the language can be polite, however more often than not, is very directly stated. For example: "Your scarf pleases me,” “We’re leaving now, right?”
- The German language doesn't have "Southern Hospitality”
- No central air = open the windows! (Even in Winter - Germans LOVE fresh air)
- No central heating = lots of radiators and wood stoves
- Instead of answering the phone by saying "Hello," Germans answer the phone by saying their last name - unless they know who's calling
- [some] Soccer socks are more like cheap leg warmers with heel straps
- Soccer players must wait on the sideline for the player they are replacing to come off first (even in youth leagues). This is typically just a high level soccer rule.
- Tourists stick out like sore thumbs even when they are trying to blend in
- The emergency exits in busses are not handles that open windows, they are hammers to shatter the windows
- A national German pastime is watching winter sports on TV
- Another national German pastime is playing a lot of games on your phone
- Whenever the term "Western" is used, America is being referred to. All of it.
- Germans tend to need less personal space and will stand closer to you - especially when talking
- Christmas tree lights have adjustable loops on them in order to attach them to the branches
- German tradition is to put the Christmas tree up on Christmas Eve and take it down well into January
- "Geek" is considered to be a worse word here than in the US
- TV shows typically start at 15 past or 15 before (not on the hour or on the half)
Disclaimer: What you are about to read are differences between Germany and the USA that I have personally experienced/noticed. That being said, not all of these will be true across the board (in all of Germany or in all of the US), they have just been derived from things I know and/or have seen. Additionally, it is extremely difficult to compare these countries without being stereotypical. I hope you will bear this in mind as you read. Things that are different in Germany than in the US:
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a little about LyndeeI created this blog in order to capture my experience as I spent a bridge year living in Bavaria, Germany in 2014 - 2015. I was a Student Ambassador in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship Program (CBYX). U.S. Citizens - To apply for the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) Scholarship, please click on the link below:
CBYX Scholarship Deutsche Staatsbürger - Um sich für das Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (PPP) Stipendium bewerben, klicken Sie bitte auf den folgenden Link: PPP Stipendium Subscribe to this blog by clicking the link below: Categories (a.k.a. everything you will ever want to know)
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