Yarmouth-Istanbul Exchange

Day 1 Reflection: At YHS

Meet the Erwins

((Tag: James, Day 1 reflection))

For the Rober College Students:

1. Going to church and seeing that stuff.

2. The teachers seem very knowledgeable on their subjects.

3. The town is very safe: doors aren't locked, there aren't that many police, etc.

4. There are lockers, students go around to different rooms for different courses.

5. The school is too quiet, feels empty, the dress code is more relaxed, people have purple hair!!1!

6. Some have cars because the driving age is much lower, and most people have pets.

7. The courses aren't as challenging as Robert College but every teacher has hospitality for us in their courses. Mr. Borda showed me (Recep) very cool math programs in his Mac!

8. They seem less challenging, there is grade inflation.

9. The part with Mr. Borda

For YHS:

1. Academics are harder in Turkey.

2. I am surprised that our cultures are a lot more similar than I thought they would be.

3. It seems too noisy and crowded for my tastes. Also, too hard.

4. What would a day in your school be like?

5. Maybe having bells would make this school easier to follow.

I have learned a lot about Turkey from Lal. I have learned that Robert
College is a private school and it is very hard to get into. I thought
it was interesting how there are five years of high school instead of
four. I have also learned about all these awesome shopping places that
I am planning on spending a lot of time in when I am in Turkey. I was
surprised with how similar our interests are. It sounds like they do a
lot of same things that we do.

Day 1 Reflection: At YHS

Untitled

We both thought that there were many similarities in both of our schools. Robert's College is larger and has a dress code, and the classes are longer here, but otherwise they are very similar. Ali knew a lot more about American culture, films, shows etc. Products are a lot cheaper than in Turkey, almost three times as cheap. Overall, Turkey is a lot more like the US than I thought.

Day 1 Reflection: At YHS

Sinan found the length of classes in YHS too long. He thinks that students would loose focus in a class that long. Surprising Sinan found that the cafeteria was different they it was typically portrayed in American films. He found that homeroom was very similar to advisor group. He thinks that American students are too comfortable in their everyday lives. Similar too school back at Robert College was AP classes, learning about Shakespeare. Different from school in Turkey is the focus on foreign languages and how most everything is in the primary languages. He found that students focus more on exchanges and how he got a lot of attention

Francis has learned that life in Turkey is different in some ways but similar in others. He is excited to experience all of the differences for himself when he travels their to visit. Some impressions of school at Robert College is that classes are a lot harder and envolves a lot more studying. I have already asked SInan many questions but I am sure I will think of many more.

"Day One Reflection: At YHS"

The most interesting part of Bugra's visit as of yet, is meeting Philip. The mall was very cheap in comparison to Turkish prices. It was also somewhat funny how in the food court, a buzzer signaled when the "fast food" was ready. Bugra thinks that people are having fun and learning. The classes seem less oriented to a test. The most surprising thing about YHS is how there are no cameras or security. To his own school, doing labs in science and open discussion classrooms are similar. The greatest difference is that students are more free in dress code, class times, etc. Overall, in school, we are very similar e.g. read the same books, acting for English plays. In Turkey, in a social setting, most people go out and meet rather than congregate at friends' houses.The favorite part of Bugra's day was meeting lots of different people and representing the life and culture of Turkey. From Bugra, Philip learned about the political system of Turkey, the academic differences, and the difference in daily life in a city like Istanbul. For example, the number of major parties in Turkey are four rather than two as in America. There are both advantages and disadvantages to a system that is more tetrapartisan. The most surprising thing about Istanbul is the amount of time it takes to commute from place to place. Robert College differs from Yarmouth the academic level as well as the size and also the sports orientation. For YHS, I would like perhaps more rigorous academics like those at Robert College.