<p>Ok so I'm an American (used to live in SoCal) currently in my junior year and due to my parents I was just recently forced to move to Germany. At my old school I used to be a top student and now.... due to the language barrier and the different (note: not worse or better... just different) way of teaching, I have like C to D average. I am just FREAKING OUT! I had the option of going to a (free) international school (my family can't afford private schools) but my stupid dad was pushing me to go to the native school. I don't know why I listened to him... I mean I had no idea what the system in Germany was like. Anyway, I feel like I'm pretty much screwed now. I've been doing my best trying to learn German, but its pointless. At this point we have to write freaking page long essays analyzing pieces of literature that not even all the natives understand and I am just sooo desperate. I have to take extra "German as a second language" classes but we never learn anything new in that class. Anyway, I really don't know what to do at this point... I mean I feel like my future has pretty much been burned to the ground. My grades aren't even good enough to get to a halfway decent college nevermind a prestigious school. I feel really stupid in school even though I know that I can do this... IF IT WERE JUST IN A LANGUAGE I COULD UNDERSTAND! So I'm pretty much just asking for advice, maybe someone who has been in a weird situation like this before or something like that. I feel like it would probably be too late to get into the international school and to start the IB program with the end of the 1st semester of 11th grade ending soon. What should I do?! How should I go about getting into college? I'm definitely not planning on staying here in Germany (It's not really my cup of tea). Plus, as a side note, I just took the SAT and am expecting a pretty high score...</p>
<p>Any college or university that you would eventually apply to in the US will understand that you faced extreme challenges by switching language for your junior year. Your future is nowhere near burned to the ground.</p>
<p>My personal advice as an ESL teacher would be that you focus on learning German, and worry less about the academic subjects for this year. C and D grades in academic subjects are actually very good for a student who is learning a new language from scratch. It is estimated that it takes five to seven years to master a second language well enough to pursue full secondary (high school) or tertiary (university level) studies. Do consider sticking it out at the German school through the end of this year. Then revisit the possibility of switching to a school where English is the language of instruction. </p>
<p>My friend was uprooted from the US to Switzerland his junior year (and returned to the US the following year). He had a difficult time as well since everything was taught in French, a language he didn’t speak. I believe he went to French classes in the morning and then to actual school in the afternoon. If there is a similar option for you, where you just focus on learning the language part of the day, maybe you should consider it. When he was back in the US applying for colleges, he used this as his essay topic. It’s a unique experience and colleges will understand the obstacles it presents you. </p>
<p>Keep going. I wasn’t in the exact same situation - I was a foreign exchange student, so I was living with a family who spoke the language (Spanish, so a bit easier than German but not too much easier). The first three months of school were hard. However, after that, I finished the year with an amazing GPA and actually had the highest GPA in my class (of Argentinians who spoke Spanish as their first language). Learn the language. Speak German all of the time (and at home too, if your family speaks German). Listen to German music, immerse yourself in the language, take German classes taught in German if you can. You will be able to pick it up more quickly than you think, and you’ll be able to bring those grades up in the second half of the year, and you’ll learn a ton about the culture and have a great essay topic. You can do this! It may end up bringing your GPA down, but it’s something unique that colleges should recognize as unique. </p>
<p>Can you transfer to the international school at winter break? Don’t see anything wrong with that… </p>
<p>i’m in the EXACT same situation except im in korea!! my parents couldn’t pay for international school so ive been going to a traditional school since i moved here last year. i’m working on my apps now and it’s been terrifying because my grades here are absolutely horrible as well. My SAT scores are high (top percentiles) which shows I’ve been self studying here pretty well-- maybe try to appeal yourself in that aspect as well? Also i’ve tried to not stress myself out as much over my school grades. The language barrier isn’t something we can get over in such a short time, and hopefully colleges will understand that</p>
<p>Do talk to your parents and see if they can work with the school and get your grades reported on a P/F basis. Spend some time, working on SAT 2 subject tests so that you can take a number of them to show hopefuly your mastery of those subjects. You should discuss this with your parents. Find out what they are thinking in terms of college for you. What can they afford? Are they thinking about you going to a German college there? THey are free which is a big bonus. If that is the case, and something you are considering, you should set up a meeting with someone at your school who can apprise you of the process and what you need to do to gain entry and be better prepared.</p>
<p>If this is not something you want, you had better start the discussion with your parents now.</p>
<p>I agree that for the OP, see if he can transfer to the international school. It almost sounds like he is losing time by being in this “immersive” experience. Do the OP’s parents speak German at home? If not, it is even more difficult for him to learn the language.</p>
<p>For pajeon, and possibly the OP, self-studying may be the only way out. I can imagine the teachers are not happy with the situation either. Even if you came to a country able to speak the language, many kids in the US who are ESL don’t write their language that well, they just speak it to their parents.</p>
<p>It is what it is. If either of the students who moved to new countries are targeting the highest level of schools, Cs and Ds aren’t going to cut it even if you do self-study.</p>
<p>IMHO, it can be done, but as older kids, and if your family is not speaking the language at home, an extra year of high school might be necessary.</p>
<p>I don’t know… I guess I’m just gonna try and get through this year of school, analyze my situation and make a decision then. I’m currently considering the option of maybe going to Community College in the US (if colleges don’t take me), get good grades there and then transfer to a four year college or University. It certainly wasn’t the plan I had in mind for my future but it seems like the best option right now…</p>
<p>Consider taking SAT Subject tests or CLEP tests to establish your knowledge in certain subjects. Just 2 cents. </p>
<p>How long are your parents staying? Are they German or did their company moved you all? (If company: they’re supposed to pay for language classes for all. Did they? If not, ask for that.)</p>
<p>Are you in Gymnasium or RealSchule or another type of school?
Seek out a poster here name B@r!um who studied in Germany then in the US and knows a lot about German secondary schools in relation to US education.</p>
<p>What was you level in German before you arrived? No class? Exploratory in 7th grade? German III? IV? AP? Did you speak it at home but didn’t write it?</p>
<p>Does your school offer “German as a second language” classes? Can your parents arrange for you to have 2-3 hours of private tutoring in the morning, instead of German Literature, German history, etc?
(To give you an idea of the level of difficulty, so that you don’t beat yourself up: the level of work that German students are expected to do in the last years before Abitur is roughly what a college student majoring in German would be expected to do.)</p>
<p>In what “year” or grade were you placed? A typical situation would be:
in the US, you were a sophomore
in Germany: sophomore year in German (to get used to the school system) + Intensive German lessons after school
=> this is not seen as “repeating” since you study in another language and the curriculum is entirely different
then, junior year and senior year in German
Is that what was done? If not, how were you placed?</p>
<p>NO MATTER WHAT, have your parents insist that you be graded “pass/fail” until you know the language. Or to “not have grades”, just verbal evaluations, and no numbers on the report card. Can they do that?</p>
<p>Do other students speak to you? Do you understand them?
Not speaking a language and not understanding anything can be profundly isolating and depressing. :s</p>
<p>However, you may contact the IB school and see if you can switch in January. At worst they’ll say no and you’ll ask when you need to apply for Fall 2015, to make sure you don’t</p>
<p>Is it possible to enroll in an online US high school?</p>
<p>If they are going to be there for a while, then I would continue this year in the German system, and then next year go to an International school for junior year again and do an IB Diploma (which takes 2 years). You can get lots of college credits if you do well on the IB exams. You probably can’t start in Jan for an IB …it takes 2 years. But use this year as if you are an exchange student and immerse yourself in German.</p>
<p>My daughter did an IB in Germany (Franconian International School) and with a couple of summer courses was able to graduate a year and a half early.</p>
<p>I was in a similar situation last year-- I moved to Europe from SoCal between my sophomore and junior years. I thought my transition to an IB school was hard…lol. </p>
<p>I say just stick it out this year and learn the language as best you can. Its a very unique opportunity and you will have some great things to write about in your essays. </p>
<p>You should do your best to get into an International School and complete the IB Diploma in 2 years. You will have much better chances of getting into a good school then. International school’s are awesome. You get to meet so many people from all over the world, develop your perspective, all while receiving an IB Diploma which is your passport to universities all over the world. </p>
<p>Ok guys… I’m switching schools. Unfortunately international school won’t work out for me but we found a Gymnasium in a nearby city that has a “bilingual” program, meaning that all my science and math classes will be taught in English. I’ve also been told that this school does have an international presence, with one of the advanced (LK) English classes, filled with native english speakers, many of whom are in similar situations as me. Due to personal reasons repeating the 11th grade isn’t an option for me. But I think with some hard work I should be able to graduate with halfway “decent” grades. At this point, I don’t think my grades would be good enough for the “top” schools and even if they were, going to a lot of those schools, such as the UCs, won’t be an option anyway because of my new “out of state” status. I’ll pretty much be priced out of a lot of schools like that. As mentioned in another thread, I’m looking into cheaper and less selective alternatives. I’m pretty depressed about the situation but it is what it is. I just can’t wait to turn 18 and leave.</p>
<p>Take what may seem to be a negative and turn it into a positive… write about it in your essays! The same thing happened to me, albeit when I was a little younger and didn’t know English!</p>