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Original poster

If you went to school in USA…

242 replies

Princesspuppy · 22/04/2023 20:43

Sorry for the stupid question. But I am watching 10 things I hate about you and it got me wondering. Do schools in the US really have car parks for the students? And do the rich kids show up in expensive cars?

I would love to hear your experiences!

OP posts:
LighterNights · 23/04/2023 10:40

Oh, I once got pulled over for speeding but at the time only had my UK licence, which I produced when asked. The cop sort of threw it back at me and said "oh forget it, the paperwork would be too much", as he walked off he just said "just slow down, please". Ha ha

OneCup · 23/04/2023 12:14

Is it true that high (or is it middle?) School starts really early? Like 7am or something?

I did camp America and they did pledge of allegiance every morning too. Some kids (and councillors) were really into it, almost emotional. Others (most?) Not particularly bothered but always respectful.

PhotoDad · 23/04/2023 12:18

The timings depend on region/district (like everything else). Some schools have staggered starts (different years at different times) so that the school buses can do one round of pick-up/drop-off then start all over again for the next bunch.

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General education
lljkk · 23/04/2023 12:35

school for age 8-18: we had a 7:45 am start which mean some people caught the (yellow school bus) as early as 620 or 630am. Girls in my class talked about getting up at 5 or 5:30 to shower etc. before school.

Chewyspree · 23/04/2023 19:12

Oh god the early starts.

I was in cheer and the on game days we had to spend the day at school in our cheer uniforms with full cheer hair and makeup. We would go to bed in hot rollers and then in the morning - at like 5:30am - we would take the rollers out and then fix the curls by putting our heads in the deep freeze or standing on our balcony (-31) and then we would cover ourselves in hairspray. Hair was BIG in the 90’s.

m we would then spend all lunch hour rah rah-ing at the pep rally. Then same at the game in minus temps in cheer uniforms. I cannot believe we had the energy TBH.

WoeBeCome · 23/04/2023 19:23

BackToWhereItAllBegan · 23/04/2023 01:18

In my State, no driving lessons at all are required, the only requirement is a signed letter from school to confirm attendance is at an acceptable level. The test itself lasts less than 10 minutes then you have 16 year olds on the road driving huge powerful cars, no wonder road traffic accidents are at an all time high!
We did make DS do a weeks intensive driving school as well as taking him out ourselves several hours a week before his test but that's not the experience of many of his peers.

That’s crazy. Has it always been like that? So different from the UK.

topmiler · 23/04/2023 19:40

Private MS/HS, mid 90s, for me.

Pledge of Allegiance in assembly (3 times a week I think?)

Same class schedule every day per 'term' - we had trimesters, so 3 terms a year.

Classes/periods were called 'bells' so it might be bell 1 - geometry, bell 2 - English, bell 3 french etc etc. There were 7 bells a day so those classes would be the same, in the same order, every day.

Bizarrely enough there weren't actually any bells of the ringing kind - my school was too fancy for that 😂

topmiler · 23/04/2023 19:43

Oh, and yes, there was a big student car park. Some fancy cars, but the fashion for the HS boys was to have monster truck style pickups. It was a beach city though so that may have been linked?

AliceOlive · 23/04/2023 19:45

Some Florida schools had early starts. My coworkers would start early and be done by 3pm. They got to enjoy the beautiful weather and seemed to have really good lives!

HerRoyalNotness · 23/04/2023 19:50

Our high school charges $50 for a student car park. They can paint something in it to personalise at the beginning of the year. There are a lot of out of school activities that make it convenient for kids to drive. My son is in marching band. I’ve had many mornings dropping him off between 5-6am and pickups at 11pm after football games which they attend as they play all through the games and do a show at half time. I’d love for him to start driving this year, he’s slowly working on it, it’ll be really helpful. Lots of trucks and jeeps here in TX and quite a few sedans. He’s asked for a Toyota Corolla of all things. Seem to be popular at school.

HerRoyalNotness · 23/04/2023 19:52

OneCup · 23/04/2023 12:14

Is it true that high (or is it middle?) School starts really early? Like 7am or something?

I did camp America and they did pledge of allegiance every morning too. Some kids (and councillors) were really into it, almost emotional. Others (most?) Not particularly bothered but always respectful.

I have a kid in each school level

elementary bus at 7.25 for 8am start
junior high bus at 8.30 for 9am start
high School bus at 6.30 for 7am start

if you’re in football, or athletics you’ll be at school earlier than that for JH and HS though

mathanxiety · 23/04/2023 20:32

OneCup · 23/04/2023 12:14

Is it true that high (or is it middle?) School starts really early? Like 7am or something?

I did camp America and they did pledge of allegiance every morning too. Some kids (and councillors) were really into it, almost emotional. Others (most?) Not particularly bothered but always respectful.

Depends on the district. Each district sets its own schedule. There are thousands of school districts in the US.

My local middle schools start at 8:30am and finish up at 3:30pm.

All the local elementary schools and the high school start at 8 and end at 3.

Kids doing sports sometimes have practices starting at 5:30am and practices after school until 5pm too.

Where I live, busses are for special ed students only. Special ed busses have wheelchair lifts and stop at each individual student's house or apartment building. Everyone else gets to school under their own steam. It's a densely populated and very compact school district.

BackToWhereItAllBegan · 23/04/2023 20:40

@WoeBeCome I've only been here 10 years but I suspect it was even more lax in years gone by from talking to friends who grew up here!

mathanxiety · 23/04/2023 20:46

Driving tests are pretty rigorous here (IL).

I took mine in Missouri and failed on my first attempt thanks to a combination of not having a license plate on the front of the car (exH and I argued about whether it was needed; I was right, as it turned out) and blowing past a stop sign (I was flustered by the demeanor of the enormously obese red haired policeman with bright red skin who was my examiner, and who was incredibly scathing about the lack of a license plate). Then I drove about forty miles on the highway to an orchard to buy fresh peaches and home again. I retook the test at a different center the following day, with the front license plate attached, and passed. This was in a stick shift too.

BellaBlossoms · 23/04/2023 20:56

ISpyCobraKai · 23/04/2023 00:02

I live in Scotland and don't know any pupil who drove at School, and the parking at Dd's school was a complete nightmare, even for staff.
Tbf it's the west end of Glasgow though.

Show quote history

We’re in the sticks and it’s a fair drive to the local High School.

GroovyGangConscript · 23/04/2023 20:56

mathanxiety · 23/04/2023 20:46

Driving tests are pretty rigorous here (IL).

I took mine in Missouri and failed on my first attempt thanks to a combination of not having a license plate on the front of the car (exH and I argued about whether it was needed; I was right, as it turned out) and blowing past a stop sign (I was flustered by the demeanor of the enormously obese red haired policeman with bright red skin who was my examiner, and who was incredibly scathing about the lack of a license plate). Then I drove about forty miles on the highway to an orchard to buy fresh peaches and home again. I retook the test at a different center the following day, with the front license plate attached, and passed. This was in a stick shift too.

Is it usual for police officers to act as driving examiners in your state (or other states)? That would really put me off, especially if they wore uniform.

HettieHelvetica · 23/04/2023 21:01

Princesspuppy · 22/04/2023 22:05

This is so crazy and so interesting to read! Thanks for all the replies! I teach at secondary level and I can’t imagine these kids being in charge of a vehicle, let alone a very expensive one!

  1. They have a whole year as a learner 2)Almost everyone drives automatics which are easier to drive, and
  2. roads are generally bigger, wider and much easier to navigate, as are parking lots.
tadpolecity · 23/04/2023 22:09

I'm amazed they can get teens to be getting up for school at 5-6am lol

GroovyGangConscript · 23/04/2023 22:41

Almost everyone drives automatics which are easier to drive

Of course, with the transition to EVs that will become the case here before long.

(Dimbo me was astonished when I discovered EVs don't have gearboxes 😂)

Tailfeather · 23/04/2023 23:00

My UK school also had a student car park and some kids had rundown old bangers and others had ridiculously expensive cars.

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 24/04/2023 01:12

tadpolecity · 23/04/2023 22:09

I'm amazed they can get teens to be getting up for school at 5-6am lol

I’ve always said this is one of the reasons most American kids don’t make a fuss about what they wear to school. It’s too early. They just grab whatever falls out of the drawer first.

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 24/04/2023 01:14

GroovyGangConscript · 23/04/2023 20:56

Is it usual for police officers to act as driving examiners in your state (or other states)? That would really put me off, especially if they wore uniform.

Show quote history

Not in my state - we have a team of assessors who work for the BMV.

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 24/04/2023 01:23

Princesspuppy · 22/04/2023 22:05

This is so crazy and so interesting to read! Thanks for all the replies! I teach at secondary level and I can’t imagine these kids being in charge of a vehicle, let alone a very expensive one!

My son used to take driving lessons in the instructor’s Dodge Challenger - he was just 15 and they drove on the freeway during his first lesson.

He took his test in a high end pickup truck truck with a huge engine.

He bought a Golf GTI at 16.

He’s just sold it and is currently driving a Honda Civic that has been rebuilt for track racing, and prefers to run at 9000RPM.

As part of his job he regularly drives Porsches and the like.

He’s not yet 18…

BackToWhereItAllBegan · 24/04/2023 01:39

@ZZTopGuitarSolo is he a valet? We visit Naples regularly which has lots of VERY rich visitors and always see people handing over the keys to their Lamborghinis, McLarens, Ferraris etc to teenage valets to park in tiny little spaces for them! They leave the best cars out front (and park mine round the back where nobody can see it!!)

BathshebaKnickerStickers · 24/04/2023 01:52

Does asking people to dances take up as much time as it appears to take in shows/films..?

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