Masuk Free Press

Students at Masuk High School are very familiar with the inner works of the building, from teachers to school dances. However, life in other places may look a little different than the way we know it. Two weeks ago, I went on an exchange program to Poland, where I lived with an unfamiliar family to experience how kids go to school in another country. 

From the moment I first arrived I noticed that everyone was wearing a jacket, gloves, hat and snow boots. Despite the temperature being practically the same as Monroe, it was intriguing that kids would wear such extensive winter clothing to school, while at Masuk most just wear a sweatshirt. 

“I don’t really find it cold when I go outside so I don’t feel like I have the need for a jacket. I also don’t want to stuff it in my backpack or put it in my locker since I’ve never even opened my locker this year,” said Masuk freshman Jacqui Silkman.

While many students do not like bringing jackets to school since they can not put it anywhere, Polish schools have an organized system. To accommodate the winter clothing, Polish schools have a basement with designated areas for students to hang up their jackets and other clothing items. This ensures that everything is out of the way without requiring students to stuff their jackets in their backpacks.

The typical school attire involved jeans or cargo pants paired with a sweater or a nice shirt. This surprised me, as it was different from my usual outfit of sweatpants and sweatshirt that I wear back home. 

“I think being comfortable is the most important thing especially when trying to get through the school day. I don’t even care that it’s not ‘professional’ I just care that I’m comfortable,” said sophomore Anastasia Malecki.

While many students at Masuk care about comfort to get through the school days, other countries, like Poland, are more strict about presentable clothing as their dress code. 

Another change was the difference in atmospheres of the two schools. Around Masuk, students are used to their classrooms being decorated with posters, twinkle lights or even having painted walls. This is nothing like in Poland, as classrooms have either a chalkboard or a small whiteboard and tables with two seats. The classrooms have few other decorations outside of a  few plants and a cross hanging on the wall. 

“I wish I could go to a school like that in America. Your school is basically like your bed, with everyone wearing comfortable clothing and the classrooms being decorated like someone’s room. I could sleep all day long,” said Oliwia, the daughter of my host family. 

Similar to Masuk’s Mart, in Poland there are school stores full of candy, bags of chips, drinks, gum, slime and even Pokemon cards to buy. The prices in Poland are very different, everything being much cheaper than in America. Converted from Polish money to American dollars, a lollipop would have been $0.38 and an apple juice $0.88.

Unlike here at Masuk, the school would serve full meals for lunch, like pasta with a giant meatball and a pickle on the side. Still, it was vastly different from the variety of choices you get in America, as you only get one meal and if you do not like it then you have to eat it anyway. 

Noticing the differences between Masuk and Poland made me realize how fortunate Masuk students are. Many students in different countries do not get to have those same experiences and wish they went to school somewhere else. Knowing that at Masuk I have the opportunity to have great experiences makes me realize that life at Masuk is not as bad as I once thought.