School

And so has begun the cause of my fear for exchange. School.  I had heard the horror stories- getting lost, missing classes, behind in work, not understanding a word, not  knowing anyone, and feeling totally and completely lost at all times.  Now that I have completed my first two days, I can make my own judgments.  In short- “yes” to all of the above.  But, it really isn’t as bad as it sounds.  I have just tried to keep an open mind and think to myself,” It’s never going to be perfect in your first few days.  Maybe weeks.  Maybe months.  Make the best of it”.  I know it sounds pretty corny, but really, it is necessary to think this way and keep a positive outlook when each and every moment of the day is a new challenge.  

Educational System

The schooling system is very different here in Switzerland.  You only have mandatory schooling until you are 15/16, when you have the choice to either begin work (in an apprenticeship), or continue on in school.  The second stage of schooling is attending a “Gymnasium” or “Kantonsschule”  (they are both the same thing, just different names).  This is where I am, in Kantonsschule Wettingen.  After four years here, once again, you have the choice of attending a university.  Differences of university here: 1. You don’t pay for it.  It is paid by the government through taxes.  2. Most people don’t have to move out of their houses, because everything is so close here.  It’s so interesting for me to learn about the differences. 

Kantonsschule Wettingen

My school is exceptional here because it is one of few schools that were a monastery in the past.  The school is composed of many beautiful, old buildings spread across an area along the river.  Between classes, when I change buildings, I see the river, the park, the statues, the fountains, the vineyard, the orchard, and the “beer garden”, a small brewery between my English and history classes.   It is so amazing.  It feels like something out of a movie.  Each day, my schedule is very different.  There are single period classes, double period classes, and different break periods.  The same classes are taken throughout the entire school year, only the schedule changes at the semester change.   These classes are comprised of: 2 Biology, 2 Physics, 2 Chemistry, 2 Geography, 1 Choir, .5 Individual Singing, 3 English, 2 History, 5 German, 4 Sports, 3 Visual Art, 6 Math.  The numbers represent the number of periods of each class per week. Also, my “class” is the group of people who have the same rotation as me. With only a few exceptions, they have all of the same classes with me.   I hope I’m making sense!

1^st Day

On my first day, I was exhausted after being in Baden for a rotary weekend and then sick on Sunday night.  It was so difficult to start a week practically running on empty.  Two girls met me at the secretary’s office from my class who are my “coaches” and help me find my way and introduce me to our teachers and other classmates.  They both speak English and help me a lot throughout my day! Actually- I have no idea what I’d do without them! I went to biology, and surprised myself by understanding the majority of what was going on.  “Zelle” is close enough to “cell” and many of the other scientific terms are extremely similar to English.  Often same spelling, just different pronunciation.  I was feeling rather confident on my way to physics for a rude awakening.  I didn’t get one word.  Nothing at all. I actually dozed off; it’s hard to pay attention to something that sounds like total gibberish.  Even the concepts seemed impossible.  It was then time for lunch in the “Menza”.  This- is possibly THE greatest lunch invention in the history of the world.  My host mom pays for the Mensa for me on Mondays and Fridays, when I have the shortest lunch break.  I go to the room, which looks like a cafeteria; however, it is set up more like a dinner table with huge bowls of everything on the table.  The best part? Help yourself- as much as you want.  Also, there are many choices to eat vegetarian, meat, healthy, deep fried.  I had lots of broccoli and beef and it felt like home J.  Next, I went to English, which was surprisingly difficult.  I actually had no idea what was going on.  I tried to help the girl next to me and ended up giving her the wrong answers!  All these little tiny grammatical rules that I didn’t understand.  It was way more embarrassing than not understanding German- that’s for sure.  Last I had math, and I was simply so tired by this point I didn’t hear, or listen too much.  There were all these exclamation points in the middle of equations that I didn’t understand until after the class had finished.  I was so glad for my nap when I got home. 

2^nd Day

Today started out not nearly as great as yesterday.  Not even close.  I was supposed to have a German lesson in the morning- special for exchange students.  I looked forward to this to meet the other students and to have a chance at understanding what was going on.  However, I didn’t exactly make it there. I got off at the wrong bus stop, which was close to my school, but I didn’t recognize it.  The fog was so thick this morning that I couldn’t even see the tower of the church for my school.  I was secretly wishing for the flat ground of midland so I could navigate more easily.  I couldn’t find anyone on the highway I was walking on, so I just kept going until I found a person a few bus stops down.  In German, I asked, “Excuse me, do you know where Kanti Wettingen is?” He said (in German), “I’m sorry, I don’t speak Swiss German”.  I stood there blankly thinking, “Well sir, that wasn’t Swiss German”.  I tried again more slowly, and he explained he wasn’t from here, but pointed me in the “right” direction. Not correct.  I ended up in some little town in which I don’t think any people live because it was freakishly quit.  No bikers.  No walkers. No cars even.  All I wanted were some good directions.  There was not even a bakery to make me feel better.  Finally, over forty five minutes later, with my feet covered in blisters, I got to my class.  For the ten minutes I that were left.  Note to self: never wear uncomfortable shoes in Switzerland because “you really don’t have anywhere to walk” that day.  You never know. The rest of my day was really great, I had my sports class where we walked to a nearby forest and did an orienteering exercise in groups of three. We were given a card to punch at each checkpoint we reached in the bush.  The irony kills me- 30 minutes after being lost I have a class about reading a map. But it was so much fun, I really loved it.  It was extremely hard though, and crushed my dreams of ever doing an adventure race.  I had a bit of a nasty encounter with a plant that left me with what looked like an angry care of poison ivy, but somehow disappeared an hour later- thank goodness.  I had a twenty minute singing lesson, where I had my first classically influenced singing training.  My teacher is a doll, and I love her.  Since I won’t be getting grades, she says we will have an easy year and sing fun music that I like to sing.  Next, I had an hour of choir.  I was somehow convinced to join the soprano group, which was a laugh.  With my crackling, low pitched voice I sounded much more like a small animal dying a painful death than a soprano singer.  Next week I’ll introduce myself to the altos.  In history I understood some things, but as always, I was exhausted by this point and couldn’t take much in.  I got home in one piece, and in one attempt, and was glad to curl up on the couch with a book.  Tomorrow I come home for lunch, play ball hockey in gym, and I have an English test which I do not have to write.  Should be another good day!

Goodnight Canada
Thinking of you every day J