User:Dinnguy

How I Wish School in America Is Like

After studying in Europe for a semester, I've experienced a new approach to school, which I wish we had in America or wish we could begin to adopt. The most noticeable difference in my classes abroad was the layout. The classrooms weren't grid-like instead, our seats were arranged in a semi-circle, which encouraged class discussions and allowed us to easily see and hear our classmates. There wasn't a great deal of individual assignments to be completed outside of the classroom aside from 2 big group projects that spanned over the entire semester. Not having individual "homework" assignments was refreshing, not because I was lazy, but because it allowed me to focus on other things-- the final project that most classes require and my physical and mental health. While these 2 big group projects sound demanding and undesirable, it wasn't all that bad considering we didn't have extra work piling on top of that. Also these projects promoted the idea of collaboration and showing students what it truly takes to work on a team, as we would upon entering the work-force. If it weren't for my prior internship experience, I would say these classes abroad really prepared me for real-world work as it taught me how to communicate with others, how to collaborate and problem-solve and how to resolve team-conflict. Something that each of my professors taught the class, despite the class subject, was mindfulness. I think adopting a few of these ideas into schools can be incredible useful and I hope one day they will be.