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Growing up in a European country and never witnessing what it's like to go to an American school, watching American high school comedies, to me, has always been a pretty surreal experience. I'm sure that most of you fellow non-Americans reading this article could relate to me on this.

There are so many things about American schools that have always seemed utterly fascinating to me. For instance, you get letter grades instead of number ones, schools have swimming pools inside them, there's a club for almost anything, you have to get a hall pass to go to the bathroom during class, and lunch meals are usually pretty bizarre. The list goes on. With that being said, Bored Panda invites you to look through this list of tweets from non-American Twitter users in which they share things that they find the strangest about American schools. Feel free to explain to us the things we don't understand or add your own in the comment section!

#1

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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GC
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t ever know what A levels etc. are. One of these days I need to look it up.

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#3

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, but the cheerleaders were just normal students, not stuck up and they didn't wear their uniforms in class.

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#4

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Jamziee
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, because if you're in the hall without one, then you MUST be commiting murder (Sarcasm lads)

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#5

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Charlotte A.
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Sweden it starts in august and ends in june. Nothing odd about it, to me.

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#8

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They used to have E as a failing grade, but people thought it meant Excellent, so they changed it to an F.

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#10

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Juniper
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, don't all schools have cafeterias? Where do you eat your lunch?

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#12

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Aunt Messy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canadian here. They don't close schools in Canada unless it's been colder than -40C for three days in a row.

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#14

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Troux
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This was actually the product of dairy lobbyists in the 1940's (I think?) who successfully convinced the government and public that milk is super healthy and needs to be on every breakfast and lunch menu.

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Dave P
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It was to keep Dairy prices from plummeting due to too much Milk production. But it is healthy for growing children. Kill two birds with one stone, help the dairy farmers and help kids get vital calcium as they grow

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N G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Prior to about 1986 primary schools in the UK were given milk in little glass bottles with a straw. Then a nasty woman in blue took them away.

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Dilly Millandry
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thatcher Thatcher, milk snatcher! The system now is all maintained primary, infant, junior and secondary schools are now legally required to make milk available for drinking during school hours. Free school milk is available for under-fives. Over the age of 5 humans aren't 'supposed to need milk'. Not saying I agree with Thatcher... god forbid.

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Demetri
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because it was the hardened opinion that milk develops strong bones and teeth--and was offered to ALL kids, even the poor ones whose parents had no money for a meal-plan.

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Dave P
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because federal law requires Milk to be available at school meals, and fully funded by the USDA. While on paper it is there to promote health and calcium for school kids, the real reason is to help the Dairy Industry by the government buying up millions of gallons of milk, to help keep dairy farmers in business to prevent the market being flooded. Works out well, we have a thriving dairy industry and kids get calcium. Each of those cartons in 30% of the daily value for an adult of Calcium so really good for growing children.

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alex but festive
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

lunch was wild though, they had us eating circles of mystery meat on processed bread with chocolate milk at 11:15 am

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Brandon Collinsworth
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because the dairy industry was very good at spreading propaganda in the 50's.

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Jessica Cifelli
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a former American lunch lady, each lunch is supposed to be made up of 5 components ( veggie, fruit, grain, protein and dairy. Milk makes up that dairy component.

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ArtistinResidence
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Milk, it does a body good...It’s just a staple of the American diet but we also offer other things to drink if they don’t want milk, they don’t have to take it. No soda is allowed here in my state though, unless the student brings it themselves.

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PANDAS
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

maybe it was just me, but the milk at school always wanted to make me puke.

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Navy Blue Bandana
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The stuff that comes in cartons tastes like it was infused with death. I don't want to think about what's in here besides milk.

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Lorraine R
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They tried to do that during the Reagan administration, but the uproar from parents made them roll it back because of the high sugar content.

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Marnie
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I really wonder what changes to the body and health effects have occurred due to generations of kids in the US drinking milk daily well after they should have been weaned off of it. Anyway, yes, it's done because of dairy farmers lobbying for it.

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Wanna-be Vegetarian
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because the dairy lobby tricked us all and now all the schools include it lol! Ugh, hate milk

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Cybele Spanjaard
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We are very allergic conscious here but milk was supplied once not sure if it is still.

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serge
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that's 15.3 million high school students you're talking about.....do the math for the industry

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Celtic Pirate Queen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Again - many times it has to do with free school lunches (NOT depicted in the movies). For many kids this is the only milk they'll get.

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Camila PerezDuran
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"because they want us to stay healthy and make our bones strong with a good source of calcium!" most of the time the milk tastes like the carton they come in

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Shadow Fox
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because of politics and money from the dairy industry that line their pockets

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elfin
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Partly because milk is considered to be healthy. Mostly because the dairy industry has a lot of clout in setting school meal standards.

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vogonpoet
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We used to get milk (in NZ) at primary school. The milk company pulled out of this program recently, probably because they're an effing corrupt corporation. NZ's child poverty is way out of line considering the size of the population, and they stop giving kids who hardly get any food, from getting milk. F*** Fonterra. (Sorry about the rant, my country is not as awesome as people believe - we have one of the highest child abuse and poverty rates in the so-called developed world, per capita.

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Emily Smith
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is specifically a grade or elementary school thing. School purchased lunches are required to follow certain nutrition guidelines. Milk is a healthy option for strong bones.

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Amber odom
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have laws that requiring a minimum level of nutrition. This satisfies that.

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TheDemonUnderYourBed
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mean- at my school, milk ain't free. You want some calcium? 75 cents please. Oh! And your lunch will be $2.50, plus tax, AND book fees.

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Gwen
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know if this is still happening, but when I was in high school, they switched from the cartons to bags of milk (or what I like to call "the breast implants ")! I really hate those stupid bags! When I asked about the switch, I was told that they are able to get more per box with the bags.

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Honu
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) is responsible for setting the nutrition standards, so they tend to be more about large agribusiness with powerful lobbies than actual nutritional science.

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CatWoman312
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Idk why do British people eat super dried atrocious crumbs and call them biscuits

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Bunzilla
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what kind of question is that? Like, it's just milk lol?

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Charlotte Florell
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because that small bit of chocolate milk is the only good thing that happens all day, and i'm lactose intolerant

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sylvantic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

they MAKE us get milk. you guys do realize that most people are lactose intoloerant right?

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Lorraine R
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We didn't have to get it, but if we wanted it we paid two cents per half-pint.

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The Pansexual MELONLORD
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My *American* school doesn't even have white milk, just water and a huge chocolate milk machine

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PurplePringle
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because we have to have all the things on the food pyramid. Like a meat, dairy, fruit, veggie, grain, a small amount of sugar.

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Kwj
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Denmark you can choose for your kids to have 1/4 L milk at school every day at lunch time. You pay for it a couple of times a year and your kid(s) have cold milk for their lunch (that they bring from home) every day.

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Gwenda Christenson
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because milk is considered a healthy drink - providing kids with enough calcium for their bones, brains, etc to grow.

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RoseTheMad
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3 years ago

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Brandi VanSteenwyk
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To make sure that the student gets a HEALTHY beverage even if they don't at home.

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Benjamin McDonald
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's because the department of ag made a deal with the dept of ed to increase the amount of milk we rely on you have to have a doctors note to be exempt from getting the damn s**t

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Lillian Jimenez
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3 years ago

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Kids don't get enough calcium so they're trying to fix that

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Sarah
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3 years ago

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I'm not sure, but I think it is because of Michelle Obama's healthy school lunch plan. Now all the schools serve whole wheat everything and have salad bars. The healthy lunch is good, but when its being frozen and the reheated at your school, it is disgusting. Plus, the cheese on the sandwiches melt at room temperature. Please note that I go to a Minneapolis school, and it might not be the same around the country.

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#18

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Eva Bryson
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, teachers want you in class to learn, not loitering in the bathroom.

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#21

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The Zooble
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be very honest, I'm English and I usually do page count rather than word count

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#25

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So we aren't "distracted". Even rooms with windows usually had the blinds closed.

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#26

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not really. We have nearby schools we compete against in sports, but any rivalry is very light-hearted.

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#32

American-Schools-Weird-Things-Non-Americans

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Candy was usually a very tiny part, if it was there at all. But it was the most exciting part!

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