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Growing up in a European country and never witnessing what it's like to go to an American school, watching American high school comedies, to me, has always been a pretty surreal experience. I'm sure that most of you fellow non-Americans reading this article could relate to me on this.

There are so many things about American schools that have always seemed utterly fascinating to me. For instance, you get letter grades instead of number ones, schools have swimming pools inside them, there's a club for almost anything, you have to get a hall pass to go to the bathroom during class, and lunch meals are usually pretty bizarre. The list goes on. With that being said, Bored Panda invites you to look through this list of tweets from non-American Twitter users in which they share things that they find the strangest about American schools. Feel free to explain to us the things we don't understand or add your own in the comment section!

#1

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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GC
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t ever know what A levels etc. are. One of these days I need to look it up.

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#3

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, but the cheerleaders were just normal students, not stuck up and they didn't wear their uniforms in class.

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#4

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Jamziee
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, because if you're in the hall without one, then you MUST be commiting murder (Sarcasm lads)

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#5

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Charlotte A.
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Sweden it starts in august and ends in june. Nothing odd about it, to me.

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#8

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They used to have E as a failing grade, but people thought it meant Excellent, so they changed it to an F.

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#10

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Juniper
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, don't all schools have cafeterias? Where do you eat your lunch?

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#12

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Aunt Messy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canadian here. They don't close schools in Canada unless it's been colder than -40C for three days in a row.

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#18

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#21

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The Zooble
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be very honest, I'm English and I usually do page count rather than word count

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#25

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#26

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not really. We have nearby schools we compete against in sports, but any rivalry is very light-hearted.

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#27

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Tequila4Two
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I also seen them in Europe, this is not so strange. Mostly filled with snacks and sodas.

Petra Schaap
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

other question, where the F are you from, that you're suprised by this?

Jamziee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yes but they don't have good food and the good drinks (Soda, etc.) Are replaced with gatorate and such and when it's lunch you can't even bring it into class with you

HyacinthTheRainWing
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My school in Canada has two, and one has chips, candy, and fizzy water, and the other has juice and water.

Layla Holston
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

our food vending machines had the food taken out the year before I started. I was looking forward to the food. but our drink machines have zero sugar and diet and caffeine free sodas and waters and stuff.

Carly Romer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My high school did. We had the standard vending machine and a slushie machine… 😅

Zara Morgan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We had vending machines in our school in London (U.K.) - I was there 1999-2006.

Cybele Spanjaard
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not here as far as I know the tuck shop has the food and only open lunch hours

Nightshade1972
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hated cafeteria food, so that's how I ate lunch. Can of Coke from one vending machine, a couple of candy bars from another vending machine. There were even a couple of vending machines on campus that'd dispense things like pens, pencils, erasers, protractors, etc. Still had to pay for the school supplies, of course, but it came in handy if your pen ran out of ink during a test or something.

mom24boys
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we had vending machines with hot foods like burritos, corn dogs, tater tot potatoes, soup and cold ones with soda, milk, salad, fruit, yogurt, cheese sticks and even freezer ones with ice cream bars, pop cycles and ice cream cups. This was back in the mid to late 1970s.

Susan Mercurio
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep. And contrary to popular opinion, they used to sell junk food.

Sara Mccracken
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I fought the vending machines with coke and Pepsi as it send a bad message to the children about a healthy snack. Head Master said "just tell your kids not to drink it then"... for this I paid a fortune in Private school fees ( not my choice!) They got athletic funding from coke and Pepsi... really great priorities...They only changed it after all the public ( free) schools banned it.

Susan Thomas
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some do. There was much debate over the lack of value on the snacks offered so many have been removed.

Klaus Hargreeves
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yes but the one at my school only sells baked chips grain bars and sparkling water

Ivana
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, money money money, MONEY. The home of capitalism to the extreme.

Carol Lewis
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lunch lady here. Not in any of the schools I have worked in. Santa Cruz Ca. We try, on the budget we are given to serve healthier food. We have fresh fruit and vegetables, different kinds of salad etc. Not perfect but we really try.

Cami
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my high school has a vending machine called Sebastien not even kidding

Emily Smith
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep. They sure do. To satisfy those munchie cravings between class and a cheap option is someone forgot a lunch from home and didn't have enough for a school meal.

TheDemonUnderYourBed
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep, all around the school with sodas and chips, a concessions stand with candy open day long, and coffee in the cafeteria.

similarly
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Back in the 80s, my high school had soda and snacks in the vending machines. A few years later, they licensed the cafeteria meals out to fast food restaurants, so they had McDonalds and Pizza Hut in the cafeteria, but I think that didn't last long.

Seth Linn
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

School food is disgusting and costs the same as a bag of chips and a drink anyways.

Lsai Aeon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We had the best vending machines in my Middle and High Schools. Chocolate, Chips (crisps) Candy, Soda. At that point most of us stopped going to the cafeteria, course I graduated high school in 1997 so...

Jean H.
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes they do and they use to be filled with nothing but junk food. School are finally moving towards more healthy options. ( pre-Covid.) Schools get them for free and usually get a portion of the money raised in them

A Jones
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, there were some by the cafeteria in my high school and 2nd academy I went too during HS.

Blackheart
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some students must be at school after hours and in need of something to eat or drink. This includes band students, athletes, etc.

Sabienn
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My secondary school (middle school and high school are kind of the same thing here in Holland) did, both of the buildings had them. One for drinks and one for candy. And one of the buildings also had one for cups of soup.

Sportsgal
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup, with all kinds of unhealthy foods. My middle school had a whole convenience store type setup...

Whawhawhatsis
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My son's high school had a Coke machine. I was outraged! No kid needs to get sugared up in the middle of the school day instead of eating a healthy lunch!

JessG
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Got news for you, high school kids will find a way to eat and drink what they want. Most teenage boys eat and drink garbage anyway. As an older person, I’m jealous and I wish my body could still handle that crap, lol

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sylvantic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yeah, we do! it's nice! we also have a student store where you can get ice cream for a dollar.

John Topper
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most if them do, and the simple answer as to why is capitalism. It helps supplement the schools budget.

Demetri
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Probably NOW, vending machines are normal. But in the 60's--no. I recall a self-serve soda fountain, which was a BIG DEAL during my first three years. BUT a new school opened in 1973 and my class was the first to graduate from it. There was ONE vending machine for chips, cookies, soda and water in the cafeteria.

ArtistinResidence
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our students are allowed to use the vending machines after lunch and not before. Many of our students stay after school so vending machines provide them with snacks. They have healthy snacks like pretzels and fruit juices and crackers and peanut butter.

Gwenda Christenson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yes - because school lunch sucks -- and also the school makes money off of them - which they use to support activities that we (as students) do

Powercat
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was only one vending machine situated in the cafeteria that sold juice bottles.

Roadkill The Brave
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We had vending machines that had a lot of junk food, then the be healthy stuff hit and all our snack vanished with healthier options.

Xenia Granados
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They took our out cause it wasn't "healthy". I don't understand how an apple or a bag of carrots isn't healthy. The sweetest thing in there was a energy bar. But I think they took it out cause of funding

jewel cat
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we do. its mostly drinks though. and they are always super crowded. you also get stared at if you get to much change

Anarchy (they/them)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My high school had a snack machine and at least one drink machine in each building. And in middle school we had a snack and drink machine in the lunch room

Biana Vacker
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we do have some at our school, but we only have a drink machine with water and other stuff and it pretty much never works.

Caitlin Davenport
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, in high school, but we were forced to only have diet soda, because it was "healthier". Really sucked if you're allergic to fake sugar : (

von Funnyname
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We definitely had soda machines that we all learned how to break into and/or scam

JessG
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then you all get mad when they take the machines away. Bad kids think it’s cool to ruin privileges for everyone else.

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#32

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Candy was usually a very tiny part, if it was there at all. But it was the most exciting part!

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