Undergraduate / From Venezuela to the USA - A new perspective [3]

A New Perspective

About 8 years ago, my parents decided that my family and I were going to move from Venezuela, our home country, to the United States. Though it was certainly a difficult decision at first, they decided that it was the best resolution for our family. Just as many people would react, I was apprehensive to move to a new environment where I barely knew the language spoken, the traditions, and others. We however, stood strong as a family and moved to the unknown. This change of environment not only helped us learn a new language and traditions but over the course of time, it gave my family and I a new perspective in life.

Though it has taken time and various experiences for us to realize, we have come to find that there is no one idea that is correct. Therefore, that everyone is different. Our first few years in the United States were tough at times because almost everything that we were used to, worked in a different way. The school system, how formal or informal people dressed, what they ate, how they did things on a daily basis, what the definition of fun was, and many other daily activities were different to the ones of my home country. Despite all of this, my family and I adapted and accepted the differences for what they were. After being exposed to different cultures, ideas, and way of doing things, I realized that not everything is meant to work a certain way. For example, one big difference I noted from the very first day of school here in America was the way teachers taught and how they graded. Back at home, teachers were strict with handwriting, they taught through theories and definitions, and tested with comprehensive tests rather than with standardized tests. In the U.S. it was the opposite. Teachers graded their students with the multiple choice method, they were not as strict with handwriting and presentation, and taught much of their courses with worksheets and activities. With this in mind, who is to say that the way the school system is run in one country is better than the other? This experience is one of the many different ways that I have realized that everyone is different and therefore, that because they are different, one does not necessarily over power the other or is correct and the other person is incorrect.