Second Home

Second Home

Every parent wants their children to be educated and successful. I am immigrated to the United States from China. Like everyone else, I came to the United States for a better learning environment and education. However, since I have been in this country. I have found out that there is a big difference between the goals or education in the United States and China. The difference between these two countries’ education is the way how to punish the students, the time students spend on homework and in class, and the most important subject that the schools focus on. There seems to be same purpose but different structures in education between the two countries.

Times we spend on homework and in class are totally different. In China I woke up every day before sun up to go to school. The schools start at six o’ clock in the morning and close at eight o’ clock at night, and there is a break at around twelve o’ clock. There are always not enough time for the students to rest. In the United States, however, students have less times in school and a lot of out-school activities to do. The school times are very short, about half the time of China’s. In exchange students have a lot of homework for us to do at home. Therefore, people in China have to work very hard to prepare for the test that decides if they could go to college or not. Which creates a lot of stress for the students, so many students decided to committed suicide in high school each year. Even though there is stress in the Unites States it is uncommon to hear about suicide. I never seen any high school students committed suicide because of the stress for college.

In China, corporal punishment is a very common thing in the school. I had never experienced in the United States, but already experienced that in China. The Chinese education system requires to obey everything the teacher says. If students disobey the teacher, they will be punished. Corporal punishment is very popular in the schools of China, no matter how old you are. It even happens in elementary school with young children in first grade the teachers still going to hit you with a bamboo. However, when I came to the United States’ school, for a second I thought I went to heaven. The teachers in the United States treat the students very nice and never physically hurt the students, because it is illegal. Teachers could get arrested for hurting a child. No matter what you did in school the teachers will never physically hurt you. I told my friends that the schools in the United States are much better than the ones in China.

The most important subject between the two countries’ education is mathematic and creativity. In China the answer is mathematics. Mathematics is the main subject the teachers and parents care about. If students are bad in mathematic they won’t get any good comments from your teachers or parents. In the United States, students can explore a lot of interests and things that they like to do, for example like playing sports and study art. I love the freedom that I have in the United States. It makes me feel relaxed a lot more than when I was in China. The only choice to become successful in the eyes of your parents is to major in mathematics. The Unites States has a lot of choices for students to choose for their future.

In order to become educated and successful. Students must at least finish their college degree. Better job opportunities and knowledge for the students when they become adults. Corporal punishment should be eliminated from every single school on this planet. This is the worst way to punish a kid. What subject the students picked is not very important. The only important thing is what the students like and how well they do. No matter how much difference between these two countries. They both have the same purpose and goal.