When I was in the second year of high school, I had a chance to study in an American public high school as an exchange student. When I was younger, I always dreamt about studying in a foreign country. I stayed in Iowa State, which is in the middle of America. It is famous for corn and potatoes. The small town I stayed in, Moville, was green and peaceful, surrounded by endless wide farms, horses, pretty houses, bright blue sky, and cows in fields. It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen.


I went to the public high school, which is a small school in the town. The school went from kindergarten to high school, with only 200 high school students. There were 42 seniors, of which I was one. I could take any course I wanted to. School hours were from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., so students can relax or have part-time jobs after school, something most Korean students would find unbelievable. There were usually about 20 students in a class. Here's a question. What do you do if you want to go to the bathroom during class? Raise you hand and speak loudly "Teacher, may I go to the bathroom?" Nope. You can just go to the bathroom without asking, but you must take a permission card with you.


The American high school curriculum was very interesting to me. One interesting thing was that students can take courses depending on their level, so not all students in the same class were the same age or taking the same level of courses. Moreover, students go to their teacher to ask to solve their test paper after the regular exam hour. It was quite exciting because, after a routine exam hour, Korean students can not solve the exam again. That was possible because mid-term and final-term exams do not account for 100% or almost 100% of grades like in the Korean school system. Teachers consider students' attendance, quiz scores, homework, mid and final term exams, and extra activities when writing their report cards. From my experience, I could not have a good grade without finishing my previous homework in my pre-calculus class. My quiz and test scores were good, so I didn't do my homework. At that time I thought it is okay due to my good test scores, but when I checked my interim grade, I was shocked because it totally fell short of my expectations. After I handed in my overdue homework, I got a better grade. I took a senior English class in the first semester. I found it hard to follow that class, but it was very interesting. Students read a whole book every two weeks and sat around the room in a circle and discussed it. Another interesting thing was that all students have to do weight training in the gym.


Some Americans are really overweight, but others have really good bodies like Barbie dolls. I always wondered why. My school provided two kinds of meals for students. One was usually hot dogs, burgers, french-fries, or spaghetti, and the other was salad. Of course, I enjoy eating fatty foods; that's why I gained a lot of weight. Those with Barbie doll shaped figures ate the salad and sometimes just drank.


I learnt that most American students have great physical strength, and that both boys and girls really enjoy playing sports. American football is their most famous sport. American football is more famous and more commonly played than soccer in America. I didn't even know what American football was before I got there.


I had a lot of memorable times in America. If I had spent the year like other students in Korea, I would not have experienced my precious year. Experiences make you grow up in many ways. Knowing other places that you have never been to before is exciting. Just imagine going out into the world. Doesn't it sound fun? You are young and you need to go out into the world.