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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

scultator Report

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GC
Community Member
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
Community Member
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
Community Member
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.
Community Member
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
Community Member
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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#9

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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

I'm in Wisconsin, did your school have a "Drive your tractor to school day"?

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SimplySarcastic40
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

they're called extracurriculars and play a big part in university application process

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

Keeps the kids active and engaged, and often helps with parenting when the kid stays at school making art until 5:30, rather than coming home and needing a ride to a separate private art class after the parents get home from work.

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

Was the other way round for us. If we finished school at "normal" time, we could get the school bus home. If we did any extracurricular activities, there would be no bus available to get home afterwards. Those who lived further than walking distance, & whose parents has no car, or were busy working, had no way to get home if they stayed late for extra art/music/sport etc activities.

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

I mean, this isn't unique to the US... Japan's school system is very club-heavy as well.

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

Because we like our kids to be well rounded and have opportunities to do things. How else do you find if you like computer graphics, drama, cheerleading, etc.? We don't always calls them clubs though.

Bára Menhardová
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A lot of other countries do it through "Youth centers" rather than schools. Kids still can do it, it's just a thing they do in their own time, rather than being related to their education.

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

Because it gives us a way to connect and talk about things we like

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

Who the heck is this person that they don’t understand clubs?! If you don’t have extracurricular interests, don’t join. Weird question, and it’s not only in the US

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

Why no thanks? It’s not like you’re forced to participate. If you live in an area where some activity is common there is usually a club in school. I live in a popular golfing town so we had golf clubs ( no pun intended) but I hate golf so I didn’t join. Those who wanted to-did. A great activity for them. No thanks??

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

When I was in High School back in the 80's I was in the Marksmanship Club. After school we could go out onto the field and shoot targets with a .22 rifle. Yes, back then you could actually go to school with a gun and not freak everyone out. There was also an Archery Club as well.

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

Why not?? This almost sounds like an excuse to complain about Americans?

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

No idea, but they can help people socialize and feel better about themselves. Some of them are just cash grabs though.

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

Academic clubs are preferred for college transcripts, other clubs are to keep kids busy and for kids to find other kids with hobbies in common.

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

Yep. Math club, chess club, Amnesty international, and dozens of creepy religious cults. In the schools.

TheGr81sComing
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

TSA Club (Technology Student Association) was the best at my school

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

I didn’t read your () at first, and thought they were training students for the airport security checks

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

To be fair, I don't understand fishing club either. But yes we have one

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

Depends on the school what clubs you have. My school had Chess, Computer, Poetry, Sports Clubs, and Academic Clubs.

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

I wish my school had clubs. You could play on the football team or.....the football team. 😅

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

There are a lot of kids with various interests and they like to hang out together and do things! Ski club, swim club, theater. It’s a great way to hang with your friends or find people who share common interests.

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

Then bye Kirsty. Seriously though, perhaps if she understood the amount of clubs for different interests such as games, hobbies, subjects, and even social issues she would have a different point of view. Like even adults are part of book clubs.

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

But clubs are so fun! We formed an Ultimate Frisbee club and played after school on nice days.

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

We had all sorts of teams and clubs. FFA, (Future Farmers of America) was a big one in the Midwest.

Lauretta Payne
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This began as an outgrowth of colleges requiring experience in “extracurricular” and “service” activities for students to be admitted. They want “well-rounded” students, not gust students who are academically prepared.

Bára Menhardová
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where I live, schools don't really organize this sort of stuff. There are clubs or afterschool activities, but those tend to be organized by "Children and youth centers" or through the local adult sports teams. Sometimes, private schools organize it for their students, but private schools are f*cking weird and don't really teach their students anything. And nobody really cares about it.

Amy Reusch
Community Member
2 years ago

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Claudette Shaw
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are called extra curriculars and they are a way of soaking the parents ( who can afford it) for more money instead of the it coming out of the school budget. If your parent cannot afford to pay the extra money for these "extra curriculars" which are important for university application processes ( often more important than actual academic marks) your child could be screwed. This also happens in Canada. When I was a volunteer rugby coach for a high school girls , we were supposed to have a squad of 35 players (school board rules), my sister and I coached together and had a squad of 75. All the other volunteer coaches at the other high schools did the same, we all agreed to turn no one down, we cut no one, and every girl on the very large squad played at least a quarter in every game until we got to the playoffs. It was quite the juggling act. Many of the girls who came to rugby came because they heard "no one gets cut from rugby"! :) It was how we grew the sport.

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

Schools are large and clubs help kids make friends with similar interests. No one has to join a club.

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

Schools in most countries have clubs for after-school activities. As for fishing back in the 1980s, in England, you could even take an examination in Angling (fishing)

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

My father went to HS in southern California, where surfing was literally part of the PE curriculum, and his HS had a surfing club--probably still do.

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

Clubs are great, wish we'd had them here in South Africa, when I was at school.

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

Those clubs were the best part of high school for me. Especially drama club and the school plays.

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

For fun & socializing but the jerks think that only nerds join. So the antisocial jerks who really need the fun & socializing ... never join them. Should be mandatory!

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

I was in the Drama club. You don't have things like that? How sad.

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

Show how little this person has engaged with her school, I was in a number of clubs in my school in Kent UK

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

honestly I would love this in our country. I think clubs, if done correctly, is a way for kids to develop hobbies and improve their skills in that hobby but also in socializing

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

Most were started by students when I was in school. You just had to get a teacher to advise/sign off. It was a way for people with like interests to meet using campus rooms.

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

We are not required to join. If enough students are interested in an activity that is safe and legal, why not let them form a club? It broadens their education and helps some make friends.

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

Hey, in Japanese schools, you are required to join an after-school club or team.

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

Some friends started a fishing club when they were seniors. Not sure if they ever fished.

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

Not for everything...but as long as students want to gather around a specific topic and there is a teacher willing to supervise it - why not? Keeps kids out of trouble!

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

My daughter went to a high school with a fishing club. That didn't bother me. They discouraged women from joining. That bothered me.

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

We have a club for literally EVERYTHING. Anime club, yoyo club, film club...

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

I went to school in England and did loads of sports clubs- it was great! Exercise, friendship, team work, we got to travel (even went on a sports tour to Barbados!!) around the U.K. for competitions and it looked great on university applications. I'm a medically retired teacher and all schools I've worked in have had loads of sports and other extra curricular clubs to join at lunch and after school. I assumed this was basic in most countries?!

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

there is literally a 'fRiEnDsHiP cLuB' as they call it at my school

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

Extracurriculars to list later to college. Activities (and photo memories) to fill your time if you weren't good at sports. All of these would become fond memories in the Class Yearbook

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

I'm french and i was in the windsurf and sailing club at my junior high school. Every wednesday (not a school day) we were going to a lake, doing all kind of nautic sports depending on the weather conditions with 2 teachers from the school. We were a small group of friends (less than 10) and we had good times. It was 20 euros per year.

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

my school has a tiktok club, which i heard is just people watching or making tiktoks together

Luther von Wolfen
Community Member
3 years ago

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It's an attempt to get kids interested in activities so they have less time to get high and pregnant.

WhatEvenIsLife
Community Member
3 years ago

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Ugh, all the Christian clubs. Don't you guys have a church for that?

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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

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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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

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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The Zooble
Community Member
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

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
Community Member
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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#32

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
Community Member
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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