Borja Pérez-Mínguez | Testimonials North America
This is my first year outside of Spain to study abroad. My second time in the United States since I already spent a summer in Chicago. Here you will find my comments about my experience in a boarding school in Texas.
After my arrival, I was a little lost at the airport since there where many options to enter the country and it took me a while to go outside. Once I found my luggage a school responsible picked us up to drive us to the school from Dallas airport.
As soon as we arrived I was suprised by the huge size of the school. I arrived at my dorm and start meeting my classmates who really helped me shettling in. Here at the boarding it’s being a great experience for me since being an only child is a good change to live with other 19 students. You learn to live with students from other countries and it’s an unforgettable experience because they become like your own family.
If someone has a problem everybody will try to help and you will do the same for them. Everyday we have activities and trips to different areas like movies, malls, restaurants or amusement parks.
About the classes at the beginning everybody is super nice since you are new and at that moment they all want to meet you, but you have to make friends since eventually you will be just like everyone else.
The classes are very modern since the school is very new, but the biggest difference with Spain is the close relation between teachers and students you find in the USA.
Sometimes and if you are lucky enough some of your teachers may even be your houseparent, the adults who live on campus with their families and are in charge of each of the dorms. They always give you great advice and help you get involved with the school.
Regarding sports, I have seen how serious they take it here in Texas. I play soccer and honestly, the American players are not as bad as you could imagine, they always try to be the best in each sport even we have more tradition in soccer in Spain and other European countries.
I’m also really appreciating how close the coaches are since that makes the school very familiar.
The last tradition I have experienced is Homecoming, and it was a lot of fun.
Studying one year abroad makes you learn to live by yourself, specially with the domestic chores, doing the laundry, iron it, keeping your room tidy, etc. The school is always on top ot that and appreciates your behaviour and the way you conduct yourself.
About the subjects, you get to choose your own and that’s a great advantage since everybody has their own strenghts and interests.
The academic system is also different from Spain and here you often have test and exams so you learn to study hard every day in order to obtain the best possible results. It’s also important to keep in mind you compete with American students whose mother lenguage is English so you have to work hard!
In conclusion, you can see how familiar the school is, how many friends you make, and how busy they keep you all the time with homework, activities, sports and trips.
I really recommend this experience since it will give you a great education.
David, 10th grade boarding schools in the United States, Texas.
At the following link you will find all the details of the program of boarding schools in the United States: https://www.internationalacademicprograms.es/en/usa-boarding/
