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| My host school |
A majority of the conversations I have had start with the same questions "What are you doing here? How old are you? How do you like Malaysia? Where are you from?" This happens so often that I always find myself giving the same standard answers "Exchange program/studying abroad/cultural exchange, I am 18 and I really really like it here, it's awesome. I love it. Oh and I'm from the US." After giving my mini-introduction the next thing they ask me, or at least most of the adults I have come in contact with is, "What are you studying?" They assume that since I am 18, I am studying in a university here. I calmly explain that although I have graduated from high school already, I am attending a local high school, with students two years younger than me. Most of them are surprised I would be willing to take a year off from my studies, and I think they seem more reassured of my future once I tell that I already know where I am going afterwards. Yet they tend to loose hope in me when I tell them I do not know what to study yet (well maybe not loose hope but you know what I mean).
This brings me to the main topic, school. Sekolah Menangah Kebgansaan or SMK as it is known in Malaysia is Secondary school, or high school. It is standard for all National schools to be thought in Malay, although there are some schools where the medium is Chinese or Tamil. There are five forms, or grades if you will, some schools even offer an extra form, Form 6. The forms are divided into two groups lower secondary (Form 1, 2, 3) and upper secondary (Form 4,5, and 6). (Ages are 13 to 17/18) School here is also divided into Science and Arts stream. In science stream you take, well science, and in arts you take accounting, economics, art and the like. In Form 3 students take a major exam, PMR, and then in Form 5 the students once again take another major exam, SPM. It goes without saying then, that the schools curriculum and way of teaching is geared into preparing its students for the exams.
I am in Form 4, which means my classmates are 16. It can be compered to a mix of Sophomore and Junior year. I'm also in the science stream which means that I take physics, chemistry, biology, additional maths, modern maths, sejarah (history), English, Bahasa Melayu, moral , sivik (civics), and PJ (PE). All my science and maths classes are in English and the rest are in BM. I have 9 periods, each are 35 minutes long and I have a different timetable for each day. There is also a 20 minute recess period. Unlike the United States, I stay in one class all day and the teachers rotate classes. This also means that I am in the same class with 40 something students all day. Oh, that is another difference, classes here are huge! Since classes are so short, there are double periods. It is quite different than my past high school, I was so used to moving around all day and being able to pick my classes.
We also have to wear uniforms! Guys wear some dark green pants, with a white shirt, white shoes, and a tie. Girls can wear a blue pinafore over a white shirt or a baju kurung (which all Malay girls must wear) and white shoes.Google has some nifty pictures showing the uniform since I haven't really taken a picture in mine yet...oops
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| Girl wearing the baju kurung |
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| The girl is wearing the pinafore (usually you will have your school badge and name sewn into the front) |
