First day of school

The alarm clock rang. I opened my eyes and looked at my phone, it was 6 am. I lay in bed for a while writing back the messages that came to me in the middle of the night while I slept. I looked around the room, then got up. I put my headphones in my ears to start the day positively. I wasn't supposed to leave the house until 7:40 a.m., but I figured I needed more time to prepare than usual on the first day of school. I went to the bathroom, got dressed, put on my favorite jewelry, and did some light makeup. Then I went to the kitchen to eat some small breakfast. Then I packed my backpack and wrote a few pages in my diary before it was time to leave for school.

First impressions of the school

My host mom drove us (me and my double placement) to school on the first day. On the way, I felt a slight tightening of nervousness in my stomach. But I also felt great excitement. I tried to focus on talking and checking out the surroundings, completely different from Poland, my country.

The school was huge in my opinion. We entered the main entrance to the secretary's office. The lady told us to wait in the waiting room and said she would send someone right away. After a while, an announcement sounded from the school speakers asking for moments of silence, and then all students and staff were asked to stand up. I did exactly what the other students sitting in the waiting room did. They stood up and put their hand over their heart. They began to recite: “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of A3merica, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.”

Arranging my schedule and touring the school

After a while, two other women appeared and welcomed us very nicely. Together we started to arrange our timetables. I was asked what I liked, what lessons I had in my previous school in Poland, and what expectations I had. After a while, she offered me a preliminary lesson plan. I was told that if any of the lessons were too difficult or if I found out that it wasn't for me, I could modify the timetable.

The lesson plan for the first semester: Algebra, Astronomy, Theatre, English, Homeroom (it's the kind of lesson where you sit and do your homework, only on Fridays).

In the second semester, I was to have: Band, US History and Constitution, Printmaking, Theatre, and Homeroom.

Then it was time to show us around the school and introduce us to some of the teachers. The school was really nice, with two cafeterias, a huge library, and modern classrooms.

My first classes

After the tour, I was escorted to my first lesson - Algebra. I walked into the classroom and saw about 12 people sitting in groups. The lady introduced me to the class and told them that I was an exchange student and that everyone should give me a nice welcome. I sat down in the seat designated by the teacher and greeted my classmates. As the lesson was already in progress, I had to ask one of the girls a lot of things so that she would explain to me what was going on. She was very nice and eager to help me.

When the bell rang, I had to go to the next lesson, Astronomy. I asked around how to get there and I succeeded! I entered the classroom. After a short while, the girl who was supposed to sit next to me, Samaya, came in. I immediately liked her colorful hair. 😊 The teacher talked about the planets and space observations and showed interesting photos. She spoke with great passion and commitment. You could see that it was her calling.

After astronomy, I headed off to the Theater class. I was very excited because theater is one of my great passions and I love performing on stage. They were working on three plays, and I could join one. I sat down with the group, and we started reading the script together. In this class, people were really open. I got very involved and tried to show a lot of emotion and commitment. I think I succeeded because everyone said I did super well.

My first lunch

At lunch, a group of girls suggested I sit with them in the cafeteria. We all walked to the counter to get pizza, fries, and broccoli. The food was surprisingly good. We talked, got to know each other, and laughed.

My first English class

The last class was English, the class I dreaded the most. I was afraid that I would not understand a thing. I was greeted at the door by a very positive teacher who asked if I was the new exchange student and where I was from. I replied that I was from Poland. She said she loved my country and said “Good morning” in my language. I was very surprised, because many people don't even know that my country exists. We started the lessons with something called M.U.G, which is correcting spelling, punctuation, etc. I had not yet picked up my computer from the library, so I asked the girl sitting next to me if we could do the assignment together with her. She replied very kindly that yes. We read the text, “Moths” by Maria Helena Viramontes. I actually understood a good part of it. The teacher explained the details and it became even clearer and more understandable.

At the break, I sat down with a group of people and introduced myself a bit. They started asking me about my life in Poland. It was really nice. After returning from break, the class started working in groups on a project. I was assigned to a group with very open-minded people so when I didn't understand they explained it to me. At the end of class, we went to pack our things and await the bell. To my surprise, instead of the bell, music similar to rap rang out. My new friends explained to me that at the end of the day, instead of the bell, a song about their school written by one of the students was played.

End of the first school day

After school, our host parents asked us about our impressions and we shared our experiences. Later we had dinner together, joking, and telling interesting stories. In the evening, we all sat together in the living room, watching a movie together.

When going to bed, I fell asleep as soon as I laid my head on the . I don't even know when I fell asleep.

I will definitely remember this day for a long time!