I recently interviewed several students from different places, who are currently at TCA. I want to hear your own opinions and experiences with those that you have already expressed in your previous schools to see what are some differences that I find compared to the one in the United States. Some of these students studied in schools where resources and facilities were scarce. That is why they made the decision to come to the United States to have opportunities that their previous schools did not have. To understand, I interviewed student Beyonce Gomez (Grade 11), who studies in the Dominican Republic and the United States. This led me to interview him because I wanted to understand her experience.
Where did you study in the Dominican Republic?
“Colegio Rueda Rueda”
How many years did you study in the Dominican Republic?
“About 9 years”
What grade were you in?
“Before coming here I was in third grade.”
How many hours a day do you spend at school?
“I studied from 7:00 to 1:00 in the afternoon.”
How did you feel studying in the Dominican Republic?
“I felt good because I was used to that school, I already knew the teachers, the class guide, mathematics, I’m not saying it was very easy but it wasn’t very difficult either, since I had knowledge of it, it was good.”
Do you miss anything from your previous school?
“Yes and no, I miss a little the usual classes that I was used to but not in Álava because coming here opened the doors to opportunities for me. But here the complicated thing has been the mathematics, which here is more difficult or somewhat advanced for me.”
What do you see as different between the Dominican school and the school in the United States?
“The educational system is very different because classes in the Dominican Republic are a little behind because one has a very different rhythm than schools in the United States, which is taking notes, one lasts one or two weeks on the same topic and here I was. Being able to choose between 5 and 6 sheets is very different.”
