At 8:45 a.m. the bell rings, I hurry into the the assembly hall, find my class line, ready to stand with my hands behind my back and my feet together to sing the national anthem. To me it felt like the singing went on and on and on, it felt like I was just opening my mouth not knowing what I was saying, like it would never stop… then it stopped.

I became absent minded and in my head silence hung in the air like the suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground, it was like a gaping void needed to be filled with words, sounds or anything; but even if there were words or sounds I probably wouldn’t know it. I just stood there. Finally I broke out of my slumber halfway through the assembly when it was about time to proceed into our various classes. In class I always wondered how awesome it would be if I went to school in America, I always thought it was like in the movies where life is easy and you can do whatever you wanted. Little did I know that in the next two years or so; what I thought was just my imagination would come true.

Since I began school in the U.S. there are a lot of things I can say are better or worse than my school in Nigeria. My American school is definitely easier than my Nigerian school because the school work and the school system is a lot easier here, whereas Nigerian schools are a bit more complicated and the school work is much harder because the schools follow the British Curriculum. For example, their are more classes and periods, the school work is more complicated and we learn more foreign languages like native languages, French and Latin.

The Nigerian school I went to was an all girls school so when I came to my school in America I was very happy it was a mixed school and I made both boy and girl friends. I have had a great experience being able to wear normal clothes and different outfits. In my other school I had to wear a uniform (a red plaid shirt and a green skirt with black flats and white socks). I disliked wearing uniform a lot, I even tried designing a better school uniform for the school but that didn’t turn out as planned.

I didn’t have to pay for lunch at my old school since it was free and lunch was served to us in the cafeteria. Here you have to go to the lunch line and buy your food, but this didn’t really surprise me because I saw on television how lunch was in America.

The thing that is generally different about American and Nigerian schools is that in Nigeria most things are done for you. For example, most people hire their personal nannies, gardeners, carpenters, electricians, drivers and cooks for very low prices. In America you do more things for yourself.

Going to school in Nigeria was great but I do prefer going to school in America. I participated in so many events that I would never regret being a part of.

If I had to say which school was better I would definitely say my American school because I have been a part of so many of their traditions like homecoming, signature foods, and annual events; I love it here.