The beginning of a new school year is stressful for any student. There’s a new schedule, a new set of teachers, and, of course, a new amount of homework and projects to worry about. However, the dread of the first day of school can be multiplied for students transferring from foreign countries. In addition to academic pressure is the massive change in environment, language, and culture.

Schools established internationally have a multitude of differences to the average American public school. Nikhil Mahajan, a sophomore transferring from Hanoi, Vietnam, shares how the curriculum and grading system were different in his old school and how he “did not do the Pledge of Allegiance every morning” and had announcements told by teachers, instead of the loudspeaker used here. He also explains how “the grading system was also different and more extensive, separated into four parts while it is simply done by one criteria on an ABC scale here.” He also makes note that his old school was much smaller than Oakton, with about 300 students in total.

However, size and curriculum are not the only changes international students face. Social life plays a big role in most teenagers’ lives, and leaving behind friends and loved ones can be very difficult. Moving to a new school offers a fresh start, but can often be frustrating as well. Mahajan said, “Communicating with your old friends on social media is a way to deal with the change.” He also suggests looking at old photos and reliving good memories.

Oakton does have a large international community.  Grace Kim, a sophomore student from South Korea, said that she was surprised to learn that Oakton has 66 languages spoken by its students. She also said that she has been able to  “meet lots of new friends who are also from other countries.” Kim offers her point of view on life at Oakton and says that “one can get used to living here very shortly,” since Oakton is such an exciting environment. Adapting to another culture, making new friends, and getting used to a different school system are not easy feats. Adjusting to a new school does not come overnight, and one must give it time.

Korea, courtesy to Grace Kim