As the RMHS Swiss exchange students experienced American culture over the past two weeks, several of them have expressed surprise at the striking differences between life in Switzerland and life in the United States.
On Saturday, September 14th, twenty Swiss exchange students landed at Boston’s Logan Airport, ready to embark on a two week immersion trip for their English Language class. For many, it was their first time stepping foot into the United States, leaving them with much to discover.
These students from Basel, Switzerland eased into their itinerary by first observing classes at RMHS with their host brothers and sisters, before taking day trips to various cities in Massachusetts such as Boston, Plymouth, and Salem. In these cities, they visited landmarks such as the Freedom Trail, the Massachusetts State House, and Harvard University, to name a few. They also went on two unique excursions, a Duck Tour and a Whale Watch, taking advantage of Boston’s waterfront, something that land-locked Switzerland lacks.
Through these experiences across Massachusetts, the Swiss students had the opportunity to compare typical American culture to that of Switzerland. A FaceTime interview with three Swiss students, Johanna Emmel, Eleonora Ernst, and Camilla Capani, showcased some prominent differences they noticed.
After shadowing their host students at RMHS, the Swiss students were surprised by how much choice each American student has in the classes they take. Ernst said that at their school, the Gymnasium Leonhard in Basel, all students are required to take “Math, German, English, French, geography, history, physics, chemistry, and biology,” and that the only classes they choose are something called “majors.” At the Gymnasium, the options for majors are music, art, Italian, and Spanish, but Ernst added that “students only get to choose one of those.”
The girls also discussed school-organized sports, which are non-existent in Switzerland due to limited time after school. In America, school ends almost two hours earlier than in Switzerland, allowing time for school sports. While there are sports and clubs in Switzerland, they are not affiliated with the school, so students have to seek these opportunities on their own. Capani noted that in America “Most people do a sport, and there is more community” especially because “It’s connected to the high school so you have friends that are in your classes that are also on the teams.”
Their favorite outing was the Boston Red Sox versus the Minnesota Twins game at Fenway Park. At the game, they ate the iconic Fenway Franks, which Emmel described as “Delicious, but…so unhealthy.” Emmel even expressed how the “normal” portion sizes here “Would be like- the big one in Switzerland.”
During their exploration of Reading, they found that it was difficult to get around town. Capani described how in Switzerland, they “Walk or [use] public transport” to get around. However, the inhabitants of Reading rarely use public transport for local destinations. Therefore, Swiss students whose host student did not have a car or a license always had to find rides to get around. Capani even expressed feeling guilty for always asking her host-mom for rides.
With their host families, Emmel, Ernst, and Capani visited quintessential American stores such as Target, Walmart, and Dollar Tree. Emmel commented, “We don’t have something like that in Switzerland, […] it’s crazy how big they are and that they’re open for so long.” In Switzerland, all stores close around seven in the evening, and are closed all day on Sundays.
Finally, Capani brought up the amount of living space in America compared to Switzerland: “In Europe, I think it’s like, a lot more bunched together, and then here, because it is kind of like a new continent —it was this big continent that was empty— there was more space to spread out. ” Capani also mentioned how “The middle class [in the US] has much bigger houses than the middle class in Switzerland.” For reference, Ernst compared the houses of Switzerland’s middle class to apartments in America. Capani later reflected on how this lack of space in Switzerland impacted teens during the COVID-19 Pandemic, saying, “When Corona happened, it was difficult for us because we didn’t really have a place to work.” She wondered if quarantine was easier in America where many homes have extra rooms or office spaces, not only to work in but also to find some alone time.
The girls collectively agreed that the trip was great, and at some points it even felt like they were “Living like, you know, in the movies.” The lifelong friendships and memories made here in Reading will continue to grow when RMHS students travel to Basel in April 2025.
