Graduating might be the most exciting thing throughout one’s high school years, but moving halfway across the globe is definitely something incomparable. After finishing 11th grade in Taiwan, my family and I moved here to Texas because of my dad’s job. Moving around and changing schools has been pretty familiar to me due to the fact that I usually move every two years. I would say that this change was a bit more challenging than my other moves.

A few days after my family and I arrived in Houston, we visited Clements and talked with the administrator and my future counselor. We started planning my new courses for next year, and I was told by the counselor that I had to redo my junior year because of credit problems. I was quite surprised to hear this news, because I never encountered this situation from my other schools. Even though it was sad that I would have to repeat this year, I had to accept this and just “waste” an extra year of my life in high school.

On the first day of school, I woke up at 6:00 AM. Not only was I excited, but I was also very nervous about the new environment and people I would meet here in Clements. Immediately after I stepped onto the campus, I noticed something I would’ve never imagined. Although the hallways and lockers reminded me of a typical high school in movies, the student body definitely didn’t. I was shocked by the diversity of students, especially the large amount of East and South Asian students in the school. Throughout the day, I explored the school as I walked through the hallways, studied the lunch food, and most importantly, listened to interesting stories of other students.

Some major differences I noticed during my first day were that the schedules here are based on periods, so the order of the classes that I would have every day would always be the same, whereas back in my previous high school the schedule was different every day. Another difference that I spotted was the diversity of food served at the lunch lines. I always thought the lunch would be limited to fast foods such as pizza or burgers, but here in Clements there are other choices such as Mexican food and unauthentic Chinese food. Compared to the lunches in Taiwan, there are much more choices, but the quality isn’t any better.

Starting school as a new student during junior year can be challenging at times, but it’s not impossible. For transfer students coming from Asian countries, I don’t think you will have to worry about any of the math and science related classes, but English literature and U.S. History can be difficult. The school might even require you to be in ESL even though your English is fine. Overall, I think this school has a friendly environment for new students. The teachers here are extremely helpful and the students are very diverse and welcoming. Lastly, after having spent almost a year in Clements, I have to say getting held back for a year was actually very helpful for me. Although I was very unwilling to do so at first, I got used to it after some time and now I recognize myself as a junior. This setback ensured that I would have enough time to study for the SAT and get used to the school system. If it wasn’t for this extra year, I wouldn’t be ready to apply for any colleges. I have learned a lot of things this year through the new experiences and challenges I’ve faced. I am proud of myself and grateful that it’s finally coming to an end.