A guide to studying abroad in American high schools
The first is to clarify the requirements for graduation credits.
It is necessary to clarify the requirements for graduation credits, how many credits are required, how many credits are taken, and how many credits are taken in one academic year. Only by meeting the requirements set by the school can you graduate smoothly.
Second, consult your own study consultant.
Be sure to consult your study consultant according to your own conditions, because the study consultant knows the curriculum and university entrance requirements best. At the same time, you should tell her your real situation and future college plans, and ask your study consultant to give some study suggestions based on experience.
Third, choose compulsory courses.
Let's take a look at how to choose compulsory courses first. Compulsory courses mainly focus on dozens of courses in four categories: mathematics, English, natural science and humanities. These dozens of courses are divided into ordinary, intensive, AP and university courses according to the degree of difficulty. When choosing a course, we should grasp the following points:
1. Some courses are specifically for students of a certain grade, so you must complete the required courses on time, and you can't always think about going to the class next year, which will definitely delay graduation;
2. Strengthening, AP and university courses are all qualified, and students can only choose if they have certain conditions;
3. Master the requirements of universities for various professional courses;
4. In course selection, such as world history, American politics, psychology and other courses under "social science", we choose the courses with advantages according to our own interests. Interest has laid the foundation for our future study direction, and advantages determine the average GPA score and what level of university we can go to in the future.
Fourth, understand the specialized courses.
Finally, let's take a brief look at these major courses:
English
American students pay attention to cultivating students' reading habits from primary school to high school graduation. After at least one hour of English study every day, students with good English can read novels in the fourth grade of primary school, and their vocabulary is almost 20 thousand. Even if I love English since I was a child, there is still a gap between what I have said to Americans for more than ten years. Generally speaking, it takes 2-4 months to get used to it, and literary literacy and reading speed will be gradually cultivated. Therefore, in the first year, we should choose some general courses (courses with low requirements for English reading) or ESL, and in the second year, we should take intensive courses such as American literature. When you reach 1 1 and 12, you should choose English literature, classical literature, contemporary literature, English writing and literature.
In addition, English skills are not only the basis for learning other courses, but also a strong guarantee for completing reports at ordinary times. Reading and writing are items in our application for SAT and ACT exams in universities, and they are also very important skills in our future work, such as writing emails and reports. So we must practice basic skills.
2. Mathematics
Most high schools require students to study for three years. In the United States, China is known as a big country in mathematics, and mathematics is our strong point. However, American students generally don't recite multiplication formula after graduating from primary school, and may not solve a quadratic equation after graduating from junior high school. Usually, the order of mathematics learning for American students in grade 9- 12 is algebra → geometry → advanced algebra (algebra ⅱ) → preparatory calculus (or trigonometric functions and general analytic geometry). Calculus is a university course, with intensive classes in algebra and geometry in grades 9 and 10, and AP classes in advanced mathematics and calculus in grades 1 1 2. Therefore, it is suggested to strengthen the difficulty appropriately and learn some math intensive classes and AP courses.
3. Natural science
There are some courses that China students have not studied, such as marine science and physiology, while China students have basic courses such as physics, chemistry, biology and geography. The general learning order of American students in grade 9- 12 is: biology → chemistry →AP biology or chemistry → physics. According to the reflection, there are not many problems in physics courses for Chinese students, so we can choose some more difficult courses appropriately. There are many chemical and biological experiments, and the content is very deep, so people in China may not be able to adapt. Don't take too difficult courses when you are just in the ninth grade.
4. Social science
In American politics, history, Bible and other courses, China students not only don't know the background, but also find it very difficult to read and understand if they can't reach their vocabulary. In addition, it is difficult to write papers and homework in English. It is conceivable that new students often spend 3-5 times as long as other students to finish their homework. American students often study world history in the tenth grade and American history in the eleventh grade, and compare it with British and American literature to deepen their understanding.
5. World languages
Courses in French, Spanish and German are usually offered. Some states require students to complete a two-year second foreign language course, while others, such as Minnesota, do not require this course, so they can choose according to the requirements of each state. If the university plans to apply for liberal arts in the future, it is recommended to take foreign language classes.
It should be reminded that some courses are limited by grade, and students of this grade have priority. When you get the schedule after choosing a course, you should check whether all the courses you choose are on the schedule, and communicate and coordinate with the consultant in time if you have any questions.
Extended reading: the educational characteristics of American study abroad classrooms
1, inspire students and guide them. Let students give full play to their imagination and creativity in problems. Teachers in China often talk too much and students don't play much.
In American schools, teachers don't adopt spoon-feeding teaching methods, but only ask students to remember the main contents of textbooks. In class, teachers often leave students a lot of time to express their views. Teachers inspire students to put forward various ideas, and finally teachers and students summarize them.
Teachers and students in America are always in an atmosphere of equal communication. Students can interrupt the teacher's speech and ask questions at any time, or even have a class discussion immediately. The teacher thinks that students can get a lot of knowledge content through various channels in their spare time. Precious class time should be used to stimulate students' creative thinking and cultivate students' ability to see and analyze problems from multiple angles.
2, combined with reality, contact life and individuals, do not talk about vague theory.
In America, everything in children's lives can be learned in the classroom, and the courses are almost varied. Harvard's classes are all cases, and teachers never talk about theory in class.
3. Encourage children to try and pay attention to cultivating comprehensive ability.
The comprehensive ability includes the following aspects: 1. Access to information; Second, think clearly; Third, effective communication; Fourth, understand the human environment; 5. Understand human beings and society; Sixth, personal viability.
Therefore, Americans are often no match for China people, and get scholarships according to their academic performance in the classroom. However, when it comes to practical fields and research topics, China students are often not as smart and creative as American students. China people are so used to traveling within a certain framework. Once they lose the conventional reference, many people in China may often feel panic and loss instead of freedom.
Because there is no relatively mature environment to train China students, parents and teachers have to squeeze students into the examination system in order to let their students and children enter universities. As for whether the child's personality is sound or not, whether the research ability is developed or not becomes a secondary consideration. So many people have been admitted to universities, but they have lost other abilities. Therefore, more and more people choose to study abroad in order to gain more interest cultivation and social practice on the basis of existing education, and become an all-round and more creative talent.
It is precisely because of these characteristics and advantages of the American education system that "studying in the United States" has become the yearning and ideal of many people. With the maturity and development of the study abroad industry, students who want to study in the United States can choose to study in high schools, universities or graduate students according to their own life planning, personality characteristics, family income and other factors; Studying in the United States is not limited to traditional hot spots such as the east and west coasts. The vast central region of the United States has become a new goal and choice for students and parents because of its cost-effective living expenses, safe social environment, the rise of industries such as technology and finance, simple and quiet learning environment and more opportunities to develop high-end contacts.
Extended reading: how to reduce the cost of studying in the United States
First, confirm the regional environment.
In the United States, different states and cities have different levels of economic development, and prices will be greatly affected. Therefore, even schools with similar teaching level and actual ranking will have very different fees for professional study.
Therefore, students who want to save money can choose a city with a slightly more geographical location, so that the tuition fees that everyone needs to prepare will be relatively cheaper, but the quality of teaching they can receive will not be very different. The obvious difference will be the provision of living infrastructure.
In addition, you can also divide your own learning stages. You can go to the community college to receive basic education first, and then transfer to your favorite institution, which can save a lot of money, because the tuition of the community college is very cheap.
Second, prepare the bonus application.
Generally speaking, students can get three types of projects, including demand-based projects, achievement-based projects and demand-based projects.
When applying for a school, you can consult whether to grant scholarships. If so, you must apply hard. General places are allocated according to the proportion of students, except for special projects, most of them are allocated according to the ability of students.
Therefore, it is generally recommended to go to official website to obtain resources, and institutions that can provide students with relatively generous scholarships should be everyone's first choice. In addition, it depends on the funds and financial support provided by the government to schools.
Third, buy second-hand books.
The tuition fees paid by everyone to the school do not include the books to be used in class. All books need to be bought by yourself. These are not very expensive, but you can also save money from them, because the physical books here are more expensive.
It is generally suggested that we buy second-hand books, or borrow them directly from the library. This is an economical way, and everyone can get them easily. You can buy second-hand books by going to the website or directly looking for seniors.
Extended reading: materials needed for American students to apply for transfer
I. Application Form
Please check with the school or major you want to transfer to first to see if there is anything acceptable. After getting a positive reply, they will go to official website to fill out the online transfer application form. To ensure that the information is true and effective, print it down for backup before submission.
Second, the report card
Then, prepare your academic and language transcripts. In addition to the academic achievements learned at this stage, if you need to show them when taking the exam, you should also prepare GPA transcripts when applying for colleges and universities.
Language is the report card for everyone to take standardized tests, and IELTS or TOEFL scores will be directly recognized. Because it is generally valid for two years, you can show your previous materials directly without extra exams.
Third, letters of recommendation
You also need to prepare at least two letters of recommendation to prove that your ability has been recognized by a third party, and you can prepare one to be written by the teacher who teaches, so as to better demonstrate your professional learning ability; The other was written by the school leader.
Fourth, the course description
I need to give a more detailed description of the major I am about to enter, showing my eagerness to learn and my understanding of the major, showing the depth and degree of understanding, not just superficial liking.
In order to make your materials more convincing, you can attend classes in professional courses as an observer, which will help you write materials that meet the requirements, impress people and become favorable materials for transferring credits.
Verb (abbreviation of verb) supplementary material
If there are professional supporting materials, they can be supplemented. For everyone, this part is a bonus item. Of course, it needs to be really convincing. Be sure to have a close relationship with your major and be able to show your advantages.
In fact, there is a resume, a detailed explanation of personal situation, and then the award certificate. Just prepare one. In addition, everyone's portfolio is also very important (for the transfer application of art students).