do you travel to school

School choice: what are your options?

by: The GreatSchools Editorial Team | Updated: September 20, 2023

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School choice options available to parents have increased dramatically in recent years. There’s a growing national sentiment that promoting competition in public education may spur schools to improve and that parents who invest energy in choosing a school will continue to be involved in their child’s education.

How much choice do you have? It depends. The amount of choice varies from one school district to another, and varies from state to state. In most instances, it depends on supply and demand, and schools that are well regarded are generally in high demand. So if you are hoping to transfer your child to a popular school outside your home district, or a popular charter or magnet school, you may find it difficult.

What Are Your Options?

Your Neighborhood School

Generally, your first option is your neighborhood school. Each public school district sets up its own rules and boundaries for each school in the district, so it is best to check with your local district to find out which school your child will be assigned to, and what the rules are for attending charter schools, magnet schools, or other schools within or outside your local district. Be aware that school districts sometimes change the neighborhood boundaries for schools to balance enrollment, so don’t assume that if you move in across the street from a school that your child will automatically go to that school. (Read more about public schools )

Charter Schools

One of the most significant changes in public education in recent years has been the growth of the charter school movement. Charter schools are public schools that are liberated from some of the traditional school regulations required by the state. These schools are bound by charter agreements granted by local school boards. If they don’t meet the requirements of their charter, they can be shut down. Charter school enrollment is voluntary and is not governed by neighborhood boundaries, which means your child can choose to attend any charter school within your district, or outside your district, so long as there is space available. Schools that are in high demand usually have a lottery to determine who will be eligible to attend. (Read more about charter schools )

School Transfers

School districts generally set their own policies for intradistrict transfers (from one school in the district to another) and interdistrict transfers (to a school outside the district). Preferences are often given to children whose child care provider is near a particular school, or whose parents work in the city where the school is located. Most school districts have an appeals process if your request is denied. Space limitations often make transfers difficult, and each district’s process has its own regulations, so be sure to check with your local district for specific requirements.

Magnet Schools

Magnet schools are another school choice offered by many school districts. Magnet schools generally have a particular focus, such as art or technology, or follow a different structural organization, such as mixing different grade levels within one classroom, or operating on a year-round schedule. Magnet schools are not governed by neighborhood boundaries; they draw students from throughout the school district and must accept students on a nondiscriminatory basis.

Alternative Schools

These are generally schools whose educational philosophies are different from traditional programs. Typically, alternative schools have small classes, a social and emotional development curriculum and a self-paced academic curriculum. This title is used officially as well as informally to describe a wide range of schools, so it’s important to ask specific schools why they are classified as “alternative.”

Private Schools

Private schools are schools that do not receive funding from the state. They set up their own criteria for admission. Families of the students pay tuition or, in some cases, students receive scholarships to attend. The teachers, principal, board of directors (and sometimes the parents and students) decide upon curriculum, teaching methodology and enrollment requirements. Private schools are not required to hire credentialed teachers or publish their test score results. (Read more about private schools .)

Homeschooling

Another option is for parents to teach their children at home instead of sending them to a public or private school. Each state has different laws governing homeschooling. Many communities have organizations that assist homeschooling families with curriculum and opportunities to meet other homeschoolers. (Read more about homeschooling .)

Homes Nearby

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5 things for Black families to consider when choosing a school

6 surprising things insiders look for when assessing a high school

Surprising things about high school

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• School Stuff

How to Go to School

Last Updated: February 6, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Ronitte Libedinsky, MS . Ronitte Libedinsky is an Academic Tutor and the Founder of Brighter Minds SF, a San Francisco, California based company that provides one-on-one and small group tutoring. Specializing in tutoring mathematics (pre-algebra, algebra I/II, geometry, pre-calculus, calculus) and science (chemistry, biology), Ronitte has over 10 years of experience tutoring to middle school, high school, and college students. She also tutors in SSAT, Terra Nova, HSPT, SAT, and ACT test prep. Ronitte holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MS in Chemistry from Tel Aviv University. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 177,036 times.

Going to school is a necessary part of growing up. To keep school and stress-free as possible, you can learn to prepare for any level of school, get through your day with as little hassle as possible, and try to have some fun along the way.

Getting Prepared

• Notebook paper
• Binders or folders
• Highlighters
• Exercise books

• If you're in middle school or junior high school, it's common to go and walk your class schedule once you find out where your classrooms will be. Find out how long the passing period is and make sure you'll have enough time to get to each class. A little practice helps.

• It's always a good idea to eat breakfast in the morning before school to keep your energy levels high until lunch time. [5] X Research source You don't want to be sluggish on your first day.
• If you're bringing a lunch, pack it the night before and keep it in the fridge so all you've got to do is grab it and go.

Doing Well in School

• Be quiet in class and avoid talking to your friends. It's important to establish early in the semester that you're a good student and not get started off on the wrong foot.

• Keep organized by having a different notebook for each subject, or having a few sheets of paper in each folder you have for different classes to keep your notes separated.

• If you're a messy student, try to get in the habit of going through your backpack and binder every couple of weeks to get things cleaned out. If you've got old papers that aren't important any more, it can be a big stress reducer to throw stuff out and get rid of it.

Having Fun in School

• Alternatively, try to be friendly with everyone. [11] X Research source If you don't know someone well, look for a reason to get to know them a little better. Befriend people in your neighborhood that you go to school with, so you'll have nearby buddies. Befriend smart students in your class so you'll have homework helpers.

• Alternatively, if you want to start a club that doesn't exist, find a faculty sponsor and try to organize one. Want to get a Super Smash Bros. after school club started? Talk to a teacher and see what it takes to get one started .

• If you're a procrastinator, try to schedule enough time to get everything done. If you schedule a particular block of homework time, you can avoid your procrastination tendencies and free up your extra time to have fun. [14] X Research source

• Try to keep a good attitude about school, if at all possible. If you're really struggling, talk to your parents about your experience, or talk to a guidance counselor at school if your parents are unwilling to listen. They can help. Don't keep it to yourself. [16] X Research source

Expert Q&A

• Make sure you have the right directions. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 8

Things You'll Need

• An Organizer
• Tab Dividers
• Headphones (for computer class in middle and high school)

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/family/kids-parenting/back-school-essentials-checklist
• ↑ https://www.cozi.com/blog/high-school-supplies-list/
• ↑ http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/school_bus_locations/determining_school_bus_stop_locations.cfm
• ↑ https://www.care.com/c/stories/3198/15-tips-on-how-to-get-ready-for-school-quickl/
• ↑ https://www.treehugger.com/green-food/8-quick-and-healthy-breakfasts-easy-school-mornings.html
• ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/blog/training-the-brain-to-listen-donna-wilson
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-note-taking-in-class/
• ↑ https://counseling.uiowa.edu/self-help/tips-for-participating-in-class-discussions/
• ↑ https://www.daniel-wong.com/2017/04/10/students-get-organised-for-school/
• ↑ Ronitte Libedinsky, MS. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 26 May 2020.
• ↑ https://conversation-skills-core.com/how-to-be-friendly/
• ↑ https://www.crimsoneducation.org/us/blog/benefits-of-extracurricular-activities
• ↑ http://jhsap.org/self_help_resources/school-life_balance/index.html
• ↑ https://www.daniel-wong.com/2016/01/18/stop-procrastinating-on-homework/
• ↑ https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/advice-for-high-school-freshmen-from-departing-seniors1808.html
• ↑ http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/school/hate_school.html#

About This Article

Before you go to school, make sure to get all of the school supplies you will need, like notebooks, pencils, and binders. If your school sent out a supply list, purchase those items if you can. Once you have your supplies, learn your class schedule so you will know where you are supposed to go. Then, decide how you will get to school and look up bus routes, if you need to. On the first day of school, pay attention to your teacher and take notes so you will remember what was covered. To learn how to have fun in school, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Announces Additional Actions to Help Kids Go Back to School   Safely

Over the next six weeks, more than 50 million students will head back to school, and more than 20 million students will return to undergraduate and graduate studies. For young people, getting vaccinated right away is the best way back to the things they love – like playing sports, completing their studies, and spending time with friends and loved ones. Today, the Biden Administration announced additional actions to get students ages 12 and above vaccinated and to ensure all students can go back to school safely this fall: Today, the Administration is highlighting the following efforts to get more young people vaccinated:

• Incorporating COVID-19 vaccination into sports physicals for student athletes this summer and fall : Today, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM), and ten other sports and medicine organizations are issuing a consensus statement to all their members urging all medical providers to ask about COVID-19 vaccine status during sports physicals, and where available to also administer the COVID-19 vaccine. Both AAP and AMSSM have issued updated guidance for physicians incorporating COVID-19 vaccination into sports physical protocols, and AAP has issued revised forms for doctors, parents, and student athletes to use to document their pre-participation examination including language on COVID-19 vaccination. The AAP estimates that approximately 60 to 70 percent of children and adolescents participate in organized sports across the country. Each year, millions of these student athletes receive a pre-participation exam, also known as a sports physical, in order to participate. This action will help elevate the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 as a key part of safe competitive play. The organizations signing onto the consensus statement are:
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American Academy of Family Physicians
• American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• American College of Emergency Physicians
• American College of Sports Medicine
• American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
• American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
• American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine
• National Athletic Trainers’ Association
• National Federation of State High School Associations
• National Collegiate Athletic Association
• U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee
• Sending pediatricians to ‘Back to School Nights’ to get communities vaccinated against COVID-19 : The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is calling on its 22,000 local member PTAs and parent leaders nationwide to host community conversations about getting vaccinated at Back to School parent meetings this summer and fall. National PTA will partner with the American Academy of Pediatrics to deploy local pediatricians to be a part of these Back to School parent meetings, so parents can have their questions answered by doctors who know and treat their children. AAP will also produce digital materials on the vaccine and kids that parent leaders can use as they convene community conversations. Alongside other trusted partners like teachers and school nurses, pediatricians around the country have been active in showing up to parent meetings and other events this summer to talk about the vaccine and how to keep kids safe in school this fall.
• Providing schools and colleges with additional resources to host pop-up vaccine clinics as students come back to school and back to campus : In an effort to get more kids 12 and older vaccinated, last week President Biden called on school districts nationwide to host at least one pop-up vaccination clinic over the coming weeks, and the Administration directed pharmacies in the federal pharmacy program to work with school districts and colleges across the country to host vaccination clinics on-site. Today, the Administration will release additional resources to help schools host pop-up vaccine clinics, including a detailed guide for hosting school-based clinics, template letters and text messages for district and school leaders to use in sending messages home to students and families about the vaccine, resources for teachers to use in discussing the vaccine with students and their parents, and materials parent leaders can use as part of community conversations on the vaccine. The Administration also released a “Vax to School” College Checklist, detailing eight ways that colleges and universities can increase awareness of and access to the vaccine as students come back to campus – building off of the work of the nearly 900 colleges in the COVID-19 College Challenge who have committed to building vaccination rates on their campuses this summer and fall. The American Rescue Plan has provided billions of dollars that school districts and institutions of higher education can use to create awareness and build vaccine confidence, host vaccine clinics, and provide incentives such as paid time off for staff to get vaccinated.
• Launching the Back to School “Week of Action” with partners nationwide to get young people vaccinated: Beginning August 7th and ending August 15th, the Health and Human Services’ We Can Do This campaign and Made to Save are launching a Week of Action to encourage vaccinations for young people and support parents and schools as they get kids back to safe, in-person learning.  The Week of Action will mobilize school districts, students, teachers, national organizations, local government leaders, businesses, social media influencers, celebrities, and thousands of volunteers to kick off the school year by encouraging young people to get vaccinated and offering accessible ways to do it in their community. More than 90 youth-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and schools are committed to hosting over 200 vaccination events focused on school and campus-based COVID-19 vaccination drives for students, their families, and their communities, with hundreds more events taking place throughout the month of August. Events will take place all over the country, including canvassing, phone banks, text banks and more. As part of the Week of Action, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will travel to Topeka, KS to visit a back-to-school vaccine clinic; and trainings will be provided for teachers, parents, and student organizations on how to engage young people and their families on the vaccine. To kick off the Back to School Week of Action, the Second Gentleman and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci will host a virtual discussion with youth leaders who expanded access to the vaccine for young people and their communities. The Second Gentleman and Dr. Fauci will ask the young leaders about why they got involved in vaccine efforts, and how they have responded to the needs of their peers and their communities in getting more young people vaccinated. The virtual event will be livestreamed on the White House YouTube channel.

Today’s announcements build on the Administration’s release earlier this week of the “Return to School Roadmap,” a resource to support students, schools, educators, and communities as they prepare to return to safe, healthy in-person learning this fall and emerge from the pandemic stronger than before. The Roadmap provides key resources and supports for students, parents, educators, and school communities to build excitement around returning to classrooms this school year and outlines how federal funding can support the safe and sustained return to in-person learning. Over the course of the next several weeks as schools reopen nationwide, the Roadmap will lay out actionable strategies to implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) updated guidance for K-12 schools, so that schools can minimize transmission and sustain in-person learning all school-year long. The Roadmap includes three “Landmark” priorities that schools, districts, and communities are encouraged to focus on to ensure all students are set up for success in the 2021-2022 school year. These include: (1) prioritizing the health and safety of students, staff, and educators, (2) building school communities and supporting students’ social, emotional, and mental health, and (3) accelerating academic achievement. As part of the Roadmap, the Department will release resources for practitioners and parents on each of these priorities, and will highlight schools and districts that are using innovative practices to address these priorities. The Department will also lift up ways that the American Rescue Plan and other federal funds can be used to address these priorities in schools and communities across the country, as well as outline additional investments from President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda that are needed to ensure our schools and communities can rebuild from the pandemic even stronger than they were before and address inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly for students in underserved communities.

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Why do kids have to go to school?

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Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to [email protected] .

Why do us kids have to go to school? – Vanessa C., age 10, Gilbert, Arizona

Kids go to school for many reasons. Where and when depends on their age, location, parental preference and local policies. Parents send their kids to school to expose them to experiences that are different from their own at home and in their communities. Schools are designed to provide spaces for exploration, self-awareness and connection with other kids. Teachers encourage kids to strengthen the skills they have and help them gain new ones as they advance from grade to grade.

I have spent the last 20 years studying and working with children from birth to 21 years of age in a variety of settings. I often think about how to create the best learning environment for children, beginning with preschool. To me, that means ensuring that all children have the opportunity to be in a school that can fulfill their learning needs as well as their physical, social and emotional well-being at all stages of their lives.

Around 61% of 3-to-5-year-olds in the U.S. are enrolled in some type of preschool. Because these are critical years for brain development , attending a high-quality learning program is essential.

What makes a good program for young children? Since children learn through play, it’s important for play to be the focus of most activities . It’s also essential for teachers to interact with their young students and respond to each child’s needs .

During this important developmental stage, children also form a sense of self . For example, they might start to think of themselves as a big brother or sister if there’s another child at home. They also begin to connect more deeply with others, learn to communicate their feelings, practice sharing and more. When schools include children’s identity, cultural norms and traditions in the classroom, students feel a sense of belonging and inclusion. This helps children form associations that are important for learning.

• Elementary school

Children entering kindergarten at age 5 or 6 can have many different feelings, including nervousness and excitement for this new experience . Perhaps kids have heard adults say that starting kindergarten is the start of “real learning.” But this isn’t the case; kids learn from the day they are born .

With the transition to kindergarten, kids begin to work on personal and social skills, like managing their behaviors and reactions, problem-solving and logical thinking. Kids’ early experiences expand their ideas of how the world works. And as they mature they become better able to understand more complex thought processes , like reversibility, or water turning to ice and then back to water. Another concept they may start to explore is how matter takes the shape of the space it occupies, like sand filling a star-shaped container, and why that happens.

As students advance through elementary school, their reading and comprehension skills improve and they are able to use different resources – from reading books and watching documentaries to taking trips to the museum – to help them understand ideas they encounter inside and outside of the classroom. The education students receive in school further builds on these experiences.

Middle school

During the middle school years, when students are typically between 10 and 13 years old, kids and parents are both starting to interact with school in different ways. Teachers increasingly give more responsibilities to students, and they try their best to personalize what happens in the classroom to students’ talents and strengths.

As students become increasingly independent, parents often pass on more school-related responsibilities to them. Students feel capable and competent when their environment supports who they are and encourages them to apply their existing skills at all levels, but especially in middle school.

Understanding all of the challenges kids are going through – like fitting in, maintaining friendships, puberty and others – can be overwhelming. But middle school also offers opportunities for students to sharpen their skills and talents. Some schools may offer band, theater or robotics and other new opportunities to learn, play and grow alongside their daily studies.

• High school

High school is an exciting time for most students because it’s the final gateway to adulthood. Students may take on a heavier academic and extracurricular load as a way to prepare for higher education . In high school, students are able to choose from a range of courses that may include journalism, biology, an advanced foreign language class or world history. At the same time, students may begin taking part in specialized activities like volunteering or trips abroad that could expose them to fields they’d like to study if they choose to continue to college.

The core principle of education is to enable students to become kind, giving and contributing members of their community and the world. While not all students have the opportunity to attend great schools because of unequal circumstances, it is critical all children are afforded education, at home or at school, public or private. Schools are a tried-and-true place where kids gain new skills and knowledge that they continue to use and build on for the rest of their lives.

Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to [email protected] . Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.

And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.

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How to Find the Right K-12 School for Your Child

Consider location, budget and your child’s unique needs.

How to Choose a K-12 School

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Choosing a school for your child is one of the most personal decisions a parent can make, but that doesn't mean you have to go it alone.

With her extensive background in education, Kiran Bhai is the person friends and family often turn to for help when it comes to choosing a school for their child.

Bhai has worked in both public and charter schools and is the program director for schools and parenting at Making Caring Common, a project based at the Harvard University's Graduate School of Education that works with educators and families to raise caring and ethical children.

She knows anxious parents are looking for a magic answer, but she doesn’t have one. Instead, she suggests they start by asking themselves some important questions in order to figure out their own “personal equation” for the kind of school that will meet their child’s needs and goals.

Does a child struggle to make friends? Maybe a smaller school is the way to go. Does a child require extra learning support? You might want to look at schools designed for students with learning disabilities . Do parents want a school with lots of options for sports and extracurriculars? Do they want to be within walking distance of school?

The list goes on and on.

“It’s personal,” Bhai says. “You want to know the goals you have. It’s so different for every family and every child.”

Choosing a school for your child is one of the most personal decisions a parent can make, but that doesn't mean you have to go it alone. Bhai and other experts suggest considering these factors when choosing a school.

Types of Schools 

Determining what’s most important for your child and your family will help determine the type of school you want your child to attend. While it might seem like there’s only a choice between public and private schools , there are lots of other options to consider. Maybe you want to send your child to a parochial school. Maybe a microschool would work better for your family. Or you might be curious about homeschooling .

Families may also have a choice when it comes to public school. Many areas offer public charter and magnet schools in addition to traditional public schools. Then there's the matter of instruction: Some charters and especially magnets specialize in a particular area of focus, like STEM or the performing arts. And there are private and public options for alternative educational approaches like Montessori and Waldorf schools.

While there are many factors when deciding on a school, the three most important drivers are typically location, budget and, the biggest factor of all, your child’s unique needs. Bhai says some of the biggest concerns she hears from parents in that category are related to school safety , class size and availability of student support.

Even after taking into account all these considerations, the decision may not be easy.

“You’re taking a leap when you have the choice to make a choice,” Bhai says. “You’ll never have all the information but you do your best.”

Public vs. Private 

The debate over public and private schools seems to never end, but perhaps nowhere is it more contentious than New York City. And Joyce Szuflita has had a unique vantage point.

As a school consultant in Brooklyn, Szuflita has spent nearly 15 years advising thousands of anxious parents in the city. Her role began after diving headlong into the school search process for her twin girls in the “very complicated environment” of New York City.

While some clients come to her intent on either public or private, lots come to her just plain confused. Some are nervous about sending their children to a big city public school in a place they didn’t grow up. Others feel pressure from colleagues and friends that they have to send their kids to private school.

“I don’t have hard and fast recommendations,” Szuflita says. She tells parents to look for value. "If that means paying for it, that’s great, and if you don’t have to pay for it, that’s great.”

Szuflita always starts by asking parents where they went to school. If they had a good experience, many want to replicate it for their children. If they had a bad one, many are looking for the opposite.

Choosing private or public also doesn’t mean a lifelong decision. Some families might choose public school for early grades and private for high school , or the reverse. Some might start with private, go to public for middle school , and then return to private for high school.

Many parents interested in private school often choose K-12 schools so they don’t have to go through the admission process more than once. But Sharon Decker, co-founder of The Admissions Plan, a private school admissions consulting firm, says she often encourages them to consider K-8 schools.

Decker says it’s often easier – although still not easy – to be accepted into those schools, but more importantly, K-8 schools often have more resources for grades 6-8 since resources aren’t being funneled off to high school.

“For some kids it can be a place to flourish,” Decker says. “Sixth, seventh and eighth graders can really be leaders of the school. Middle school can be crushing, so for the kids in middle school who have the opportunity to lead and shine and be known, it can be really valuable.”

Steps to Take When Choosing a School

Educators and admissions experts agree there are a few things parents should do when deciding on a school.

Talk to Other Parents 

One of the best ways to get the inside scoop on a school is to talk with current parents.

While it’s great to talk with friends or acquaintances about their experience in schools, try to go beyond your own network. Making Caring Common suggests talking to parents outside of your circle to get a more diverse view of schools available.

“The diversity of the student body and staff as well is really important, because your child’s school experience is going to be a huge part in shaping their worldview,” says Bhai.

Being surrounded by people from different backgrounds also helps to develop important skills like empathy and communications. “Those skills are as valuable as strong academics to post-secondary paths,” she says.

Most schools also have a PTA or other parent organization you can reach out to, or check social media for groups associated with the school you’re interested in. And “if your child is really young, strike up conversations with parents at your local playground,” Bhai says.

Schedule a Visit

Going on a school tour is an absolute must, and often a requirement when applying to private schools. Tours paint a fuller picture than a website or brochure about the kind of education you can expect for your child.

In the early grades, there are a few things to look out for. “A lack of student-created work on the walls or work that is exactly the same” is a red flag, Szuflita says. She also recommends checking the bookshelves and seeing if they are filled with literature or textbooks and workbooks.

It gets trickier when students get into middle and high school, but there are still things to watch for.

“Look at how many middle schoolers are on their phone under the desk in the classroom,” Decker says. “If you see the majority are on phones and not interacting, that says something about class culture.”

In high school, look at class size and whether students are in large lecture halls or in small, discussion-based classrooms.

Do Research and Go Beyond Rankings 

Many parents will turn to ratings, rankings and online reviews at some point in the school search. While everyone has an opinion on ratings, almost all agree that they shouldn’t be the only factor in making a decision.

“Anyone can write a review on these sites, and schools can stack the deck” by requesting positive reviews from alums and parents, Decker says.

“Ratings are one part of the puzzle,” says Jon Deane, CEO of GreatSchools, a national nonprofit that provides information and ratings on PK-12 schools. In addition to test scores, GreatSchools factors in a number of metrics, including student progress, college readiness and an equity rating that measures how well a school serves its disadvantaged students. US News' K-8 and high school rankings consider similar factors.

The Department of Education recommends that parents consult their school district’s report card, which includes graduation rates, qualifications of teachers and student state test scores.

Bhai urges parents to look beyond just test scores to judge the quality of a school. One way is to ask districts for a school climate report , a comprehensive assessment that includes metrics like student engagement, school safety and the overall learning environment.

Even as rankings become more holistic in their approach, Deane urges parents to keep their value in perspective.

“A higher-rated school might be right for one parent and not another,” he says. “The ultimate goal is to find the right fit for themselves. We hope rankings are a part of their journey but that they take advantage of all of the information available to them.”

Trust Your Gut  

After all the research and tours and discussions with other parents, choosing a school often comes down to one thing: feel. Trusting your intuition is an important part of the process.

“There’s a certain amount of alchemy and being lucky,” Szuflita says. “If you choose a school only by its status, you’ll make a huge mistake.”

Szuflita also says parents shouldn't forget their child's perspective.

When she was touring schools with one daughter, they visited a school where students gave a presentation. While Szuflita wasn’t blown away, when she looked at her daughter, “her eyes were glowing and she said, ‘This is it. This is where I want to go to school.’”

“And she was right. She sensed that she would fit there,” Szuflita says. “It depends on the kid, but sometimes they can have a sense.”

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School Age Calculator USA

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Key school information:  --, school age and grade levels in the united states.

The education system in the United States formally starts with elementary school where the first year is known as Kindergarten, followed by 1st Grade through to 6th Grade.

Elementary school is followed by High School which runs from 7th Grade to 12th Grade and is sometimes split into a Middle School from 6th Grade to 8th Grade followed by High School.

Most children commence kindergarten at the age of 5 or 6 years old, subject to local State requirements.

The school year starts in September and runs to end of June the following year, generally with 3 semesters or terms per year.

Pre-school in the US, also known as pre-kindergarten or pre-k usually runs for 1-2 years when the child is 3 and 4 years old. Pre-kindergarten in the US is not part of the government education system and is not mandatory. Pre-school programs are administered by private companies, community groups or childcare providers.

Elementary School

While the requirements are different in each state most children commence elementary or primary school (sometimes called Grade or Grammar school) at 5 or 6 years old.

The first grade of elementary is called kindergarten, and while not compulsory in many states almost all children do go to Kindergarten. Kindergarten can be either a full day or part day program depending on the state or territory you are in. 

Elementary is almost always co-educational with mixed boys and girls in the same class in the public schooling system.

In at least 40 states and districts, schools are required to offer a kindergarten program, however less than half of these are required to be a full day, with the majority only required to offer a part time kindergarten program. Of these, just 18 states actually make kindergarten attendance mandatory.

School Ages and Grade Levels

The table below outlines the child age for each school grade in the US.

At the start of Elementary school, students are 5 or 6 years old in Kindergarten. In 1st Grade students are 6 or 7 years old. And at the end of Elementary School in 5th Grade, students are 10 or 11 years old.

At the start of Middle School, students in 6th grade are 11 or 12 years old. Students start High School in 9th Grade in Freshman year at 13 or 14 years old. 

How Old Are You in Each School Grade?

High school graduation.

Students in the USA will usually commence their final year, 12th Grade / Senior Year, at the age of 17 or 18 years old. At the end of the school yea most students are 18 years of age. Use the tool above to calculate what year will your child graduate high school.

Kindergarten Age by State USA

Children in California can commence kindergarten if the child has turned 5 years old by the 1st of September in that year. Kindergarten is not mandatory in California however nearly all students will attend.

California also has Transitional Kindergarten which is a free public school program for 4-year-olds who turn 5 between 2nd of September and 2nd of December. It is an extra school grade that is designed to assist younger children and be a bridge between preschool and kindergarten.

Kindergarten in Texas commences if the child has turned 5 years old by the 1st of September. Kindergarten is not mandatory by law, however children must be enrolled in a school by the time they are 6 years old. Use the School Age Calculator Texas to determine starting year in kindergarten in Texas.

Kindergarten in Florida commences if the child has turned 5 years old by the 1st of September. Schools are required by law to offer at least a half day kindergarten program, however it is not mandatory for children to attend.

Children who are 6 or who will turn 6 by 1st Feb must be enrolled in school in that year. Use the school age calculator Florida to determine starting the year for kindergarten based on child’s age.

New York does not have a standard state-wide cut-off age to attend school and entry requirements are set by local school boards. The most common age requirement set by schools is that children are 5 years old before the 1st of December to attend kindergarten in that September that year, however the 1st of August is also commonplace.

Kindergarten attendance is not mandatory in New York however children must be enrolled in school by the age of 6 years old. Use the school age calculator New York above to determine year of entry into school.

Pennsylvania

The minimum age at which a child can attend kindergarten in Pennsylvania is if the child has turned 4 years and 7 month old by the first day of school, commonly on the 1st of September each year.

Pennsylvania has recently changed its mandatory school age from 8 years old to 6, whereby any child who turn 6 years old before 1st of September must be enrolled in school that year.

Kindergarten in Illinois commences if the child has turned 5 years old by the 1st of September. Kindergarten is not mandatory however children must be enrolled in school in a given year if they will turn 6 years old before the 1st of September. Use the calculator to determine school year based on date of birth for Illinois.

Ohio does not have a standard state wide cut off age for entry into kindergarten and entry requirements are set by district school boards. Most commonly schools adopt one of two dates, if child is 5 years old by 1st of August or 30th September they will attend in that year. Contact your local school to confirm the cut off age.

It is mandatory for children to attend kindergarten in Ohio. Use the school age calculator Ohio to determine the year of entry.

Kindergarten in Georgia commences if the child has turned 5 years old by the 1st of August. Attendance at kindergarten is not mandatory by law however children must be enrolled in school in the year they turn 6 years old.

North Carolina

Kindergarten in North Carolina commences if the child has turned 5 years old by the 31st of August. Attendance at kindergarten is not mandatory by law however children must be enrolled in school in the year they turn 7 years old.

Kindergarten in Michigan commences if the child has turned 5 years old by the 1st of September. Attendance at kindergarten is not mandatory by law however children must be enrolled in school if they turn 6 years old by the 1st of December in a given year.

The table below outlines the kindergarten age requirements for all states and territories in the United States.

School Age Requirements by State

States with non-standard age cut-off .

The following states do not have a state-wide cut-off age for entry into kindergarten. The age requirement is set by the Local Education Agency (LEA) or school board. The most common age for kindergarten entry in these states:

• Massachussetts:  Commonly 5 years old by 31st Aug
• New Hampshire:  Commonly 5 years old by 1st Sep
• New Jersey:  LEA sets cut-off date, must be after after 1st Oct
• New York:  Commonly 5 years old by 1st Dec
• Ohio:  Either 1 Aug or 31 Sep subject to District
• Pennsylvania:  Child must be 4 years 7 mths by starts of school on 1st Sep.
• Vermont:  Commonly 5 years old by 31st Aug or 1st Jan

For the purposes of determining a school entry date, the ealiest of the above dates have been used. Please treat this as a guide only and confirm with your local school or education agency for exact entry requirements.

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Required School Days by State 2024

In the United States , children typically start school as kindergarteners and stay until they graduate high school. During each school year, all states must have required school days for public schools to allow teachers plenty of time to teach their students the required curriculum.

States with Required Days

Currently, 29 states and the District of Columbia have 180 school days throughout the school year. Some of these regions are also flexible with how to account for these days based on certain criteria decided by the board of education in each state. For example, 9 out of the 29 states and regions allow school districts to choose how they would like to operate the school year. They can operate the year either by meeting the minimum hours per school year or the 180 days. If the districts choose to meet the requirements based on the minimum hours, then the required hours could vary based on the amount of instructional time needed for each grade. Those states that have this choice are:

• New Hampshire
• North Carolina
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island

Seven states require schools to have between 170 and 178 school days in the school year. These states and their required days are:

• Arkansas : 178 days
• Kentucky : 170 days
• Louisiana : 177 days
• Maine : 175 days
• North Dakota : 175 days
• Vermont : 175 days
• Wyoming : 175 days

Four states impose their own criteria for the number of required school days. The number can either fall above 180 days or below 170 days:

• Colorado : 160 days
• 186 days (Kindergarten-11th Grade)
• 181 days (12th Grade)
• 165 days (Kindergarten-11th Grade)
• 174 days (5-day weeks)
• 142 days (4-day weeks)

States without Required Days

Other states run the school year based on the minimum number of instructional hours required by the district. These hours are set for each grade based on the amount of time the students need to completely cover the learning curriculum. Seven states have required school hours instead of required school days. Those states and their required hours are:

• 1,060 hours (Kindergarten-11th Grade)
• 1,032 hours (12th Grade)
• 360 hours (Half-Day Kindergarten)
• 720 hours (Full-Day Kindergarten and 1st-3rd Grade)
• 1,080 hours (4th-11th Grade)
• 1,050 hours (12th Grade)
• 400 hours (Kindergarten)
• 1,032 hours (1st-8th Grade)
• 1,080 hours (9th-12th Grade)
• 450 hours (Half-Day Kindergarten)
• 990 hours (Full-Day Kindergarten and 1st-6th Grade)
• 1,080 hours (7th-12th Grade)
• 900 hours (Full-Day Kindergarten and 1st-8th Grade)
• 990 hours (9th-11th Grade)
• 966 hours (12th Grade)
• 1,260 hours (all grades)
• 437 hours (Kindergarten)
• 1,050 hours (1st-6th Grade)
• 1,137 hours (7th-12th Grade)

Three states have neither required school days nor required school hours. Instead, the school district helps them decide how many days or hours each school must use for instructional time. What happens is the district decides what date that schools will start and end on. They then will determine the daily school hours accordingly. The only restriction is that they have to start school in August at the earliest and end school in June at the latest. These three states are:

• South Dakota

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• Number of Days in a School Year by State

Transportation Lesson Plan | An ESL Lesson Plan For Beginners

Transportation is a common subject in ESL classes. Textbooks and English language curricula often feature a lesson on transportation early on for beginner students to learn. 

Learning transportation vocabulary and expressions in English can be very useful and practical for ESL students. 

Upon learning about transportation and modes of transport, students can begin to talk about things such as how they traveled to school or work. It is also very practical for when English language learners visit an English speaking country and must navigate the transportation there. 

This page is a complete ESL lesson plan to teach transportation to beginner English language learners. This lesson plan will focus on asking and answering ‘ How do you go to school? ‘. 

The games and activities in this lesson plan are mostly geared towards kids and teenagers, but they can be easily adapted to use with older beginner students.

All the materials need for this lesson can be found below. 

For more ESL lesson materials to teach about transportation, that are not included in this lesson plan,  check out the section at the bottom of this page . 

Materials for this lesson:

• Flashcards – Transportation
• Board Game – Transportation
• Worksheet – Transportation
• Transportation Guessing Game (YouTube)

Transportation | An ESL Lesson Plan For Beginner English Language Learners

Introduction.

At the beginning of the class, before teaching the transportation vocabulary and expressions, it is important to put the lesson into context. 

A great way to do this is by asking students how they got to school that day. Elicit from students the different ways that they came to school and write them on the board. For example, ‘by bus’, ‘on foot’, etc. 

Then ask students to guess how you, the teacher, got to school that day. if teaching kids, you can make this more fun by pretending you came to school by helicopter or by jet or some other unusual mode of transport. 

Introduce Key Words And Expressions

Next, using  these transportation flashcards , practice the key transportation vocabulary and expressions for the lesson. For this lesson, we will use the expression ‘ How do you go to school? ‘ – ‘ I go to school by (bus) .’

Show students the flashcards and say each word aloud and ask students to repeat after you. Once students have practiced enough, practice asking and answering ‘How do you go to school?’

Activity 1: Transportation Guessing Game

This first activity is a fun guessing game about transportation and different modes of transport. This a fun and engaging way to practice asking and answering ‘How do you go to school?.

To play, simply show the video in class. There are 10 pictures of different modes of transport hidden behind colored shapes. As the shapes slowly disappear, the image is revealed. Students must try to guess what mode of transport it is as quickly as possible. When students are ready to guess, pause the video and ask them ‘How do you go to school?’. Students should answer ‘I go to school by (bus).’

This leads to some funny answers when pictures of unusual modes of transport are revealed. Kids love pretending that they came to school by helicopter or motorbike, etc.

Activity 2: Transportation Board Game

This next activity is a printable board game for students to play in pairs. While playing this game, students will make a dialogue with their partner while using different transportation vocabulary.

Print out this  transportation board game  and give one to each pair of students. To play, students will take turns in placing their eraser at the bottom of the page and then flicking it with their finger. 

When the eraser lands on a mode of transport picture, students must make a dialogue with their partner. For example, if it lands on the ‘train’ picture, the student can ask ‘ How do you go to school? ‘ and their partner can answer ‘ I go to school by train ‘.

After making a dialogue, the student who flicked the eraser then writes his / her name in that area. Then it’s the other student’s turn. After 5/10 minutes, stop the game and the student with the most areas is the winner. 

Board games can be a fantastic way to reduce teacher talking time and get your students talking using the target language. For many more FREE printable board games on many topics, check out our  board games page .

Activity 3: How Do You Go To School? – Class Survey

This final activity is a speaking activity to practice asking and answering ‘How do you go to school?’. Download and print  this transportation worksheet  and give one to each student. 

Students must walk around and ask their classmates ‘How do you go to school?’. Then students should write their classmates’ names and the mode of transport on the worksheet to complete the table. For more ESL worksheets on many other topics, check out our  ESL worksheets page .

Before finishing the class, review what students learned during the lesson. A great way to do this when teaching kids is with a fun flashcard game. Using the  transportation flashcards  from earlier, choose one and don’t show the students. Ask the kids to guess the mode of transport on the flashcard. The first student to guess correctly then gets to line up at the door. Then repeat with other flashcards until all the kids are lined up at the door and ready to go.

Related Resources

• Transportation Flashcards And Board Games
• Transportation Worksheets

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‘Back to school’ means anytime from late July to after Labor Day, depending on where in the U.S. you live

About 70% of the 46.7 million public school students in the United States are now back in class, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis. Depending on where you grew up or live now, your reaction might be, “That sounds about right,” “Already?” or “What took them so long?”

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to determine when public schools in the United States start classes. We collected school start dates for the 2023-24 school year from a nationally representative, stratified random sample of 1,573 districts.

To create this dataset, we began with a stratified random sample of 1,500 public school districts that was used in a 2023 Center analysis of school district mission statements (this analysis only covers “regular” public school districts and their equivalents; institutions such as charter schools and specialized state-run schools are excluded). That sample had been drawn from a comprehensive list of public school districts maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). For more details for how that earlier sample was selected, read the methodology for that analysis.

We then supplemented that stratified sample in several ways:

• One district no longer exists and was removed from the dataset.
• Because school districts in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York City are classified not as “regular local districts” but as “component districts,” the initial sample missed them. So we drew an additional sample of 72 districts from those areas and added it to the original sample.
• The lone districts in Hawaii and Washington, D.C., neither of which were initially selected, were also added so that at least one district from all 50 states and the District of Columbia would be represented.

The data was weighted to account for each district’s probability of selection in both the initial and supplementary samples. Then it was calibrated so that both the weighted number of districts and the weighted number of students matched the totals for all eligible districts in the NCES list.

After these adjustments, we had a sample of 1,573 districts. For each one, we manually searched its website to find its 2023-24 calendar. If we couldn’t find a calendar (or a functioning website), we called the district office. In the end, we found start dates for 1,551 districts; the rest were coded as “no data.”

In most cases, districts had a single reopening date for all of their schools. When start dates varied, we used the date that applied to the most grade levels. In the few cases where we couldn’t determine that reliably, we went with the earliest reopening date on the calendar.

In some districts, certain schools may follow a “year-round” calendar rather than the “traditional” calendar (late summer/early fall to late spring/early summer). In those cases, we used the start date on the traditional calendars, since those were more comparable to the vast majority of U.S. school districts. As of the 2017-18 school year, only about 3% of public schools were on any type of year-round schedules , according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Teacher and Principal Survey.

Student enrollment figures are taken from the NCES database and are for the 2021-22 school year. In addition, each district was coded as belonging to one of the U.S. Census Bureau’s nine geographic divisions for regional analysis.

Some, but not all, U.S. school districts offer prekindergarten classes. Student weights for each district in the sample include pre-K students when appropriate, but start dates are based on grades K-12.

Information on the laws and policies governing school start dates in each state came from the Education Commission of the States , a nonprofit research organization that serves education policymakers throughout the country.

For most U.S. K-12 students, the school year runs about 180 days, spread over roughly 10 months with a long summer vacation. Within that broad timeframe, however, there are substantial regional variations, according to our analysis of over 1,500 public school districts. (The analysis only covers “regular” public school districts and their equivalents; institutions such as charter schools and specialized state-run schools are excluded.)

For example, school tends to start earlier in southern regions than farther north, broadly speaking. More than two-thirds of students in the U.S. Census Bureau’s East South Central division – Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee – went back to school the week of Aug. 7. They joined another 19% of students who had started classes earlier. In the West South Central division (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas), 94% of students returned to school between Aug. 7 and Aug. 18.

But in the six New England states, almost no one goes back to school before the week of Aug. 28. And students in the Middle Atlantic states – New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania – go back even later: About three-quarters won’t hit the books until after Labor Day, which falls on Sept. 4 this year.

Even within regions, districts in the southernmost states sometimes start classes earlier than those farther north. For instance, within the sprawling South Atlantic division, sampled districts in its southernmost states (Florida and Georgia) have similar start-date patterns to those in the East South Central region, while the division’s northernmost jurisdictions (Maryland, Delaware and D.C.) more closely resemble districts in regions up north.

Some states stand apart from the overall trends in their region in other ways. In the West North Central region, for instance, roughly two-thirds of public school students start classes between Aug. 14 and Aug. 25. However, Minnesota law requires schools to start after Labor Day in most cases, and the vast majority of sampled Minnesota districts will go back after the holiday.

In the Census Bureau’s eight-state Mountain division, which stretches from the Canadian border to the Mexican border, nearly half of public school students overall return to school between Aug. 14 and Aug. 25. But almost all of the sampled districts in Arizona and New Mexico, the two southernmost states in that division, start one to three weeks earlier.

Why do start dates vary so much?

While such geographic variations are fairly apparent, the reasons for them are less clear. State laws certainly play a part: 16 states establish windows, either by statute or rule, for when school must start, according to data from the Education Commission of the States and individual state education agencies. But even in those states, the rules are fairly loose – merely requiring school to start before or after a certain date – and waivers for individual districts are not uncommon.

Contrary to popular belief, the school calendar isn’t a relic of the nation’s agrarian past . In fact, into the early 20th century, rural schools typically operated summer and winter sessions, with children working on farms in spring and fall to help with planting and harvesting. Urban schools, on the other hand, were open nearly year-round, though many children attended sporadically or for just part of the year.

Between roughly 1880 and 1920, urban and rural school calendars converged into more or less the pattern we know today, driven by factors such as pressure from education reformers, the high cost of keeping schools open year-round, the shift from one-room schoolhouses to age-graded education , and lower attendance in urban schools during the summer months (especially as family vacations grew in popularity).

Another possible explanation, for both the traditional calendar and the regional clustering of start dates, is “network effects,” in which a given standard becomes more useful as it’s adopted more widely. It’s easier, for instance, for a school district to recruit teachers from neighboring districts if those districts are on similar schedules.

School start dates could vary even more in the future with climate change. Some education experts predict hotter temperatures may force districts to adjust their start dates or times , especially in places like the Southwest, if schools can’t update air conditioning systems or make other accommodations.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published Aug. 14, 2019.

Drew DeSilver is a senior writer at Pew Research Center

Most Americans think U.S. K-12 STEM education isn’t above average, but test results paint a mixed picture

About 1 in 4 u.s. teachers say their school went into a gun-related lockdown in the last school year, about half of americans say public k-12 education is going in the wrong direction, what public k-12 teachers want americans to know about teaching, what’s it like to be a teacher in america today, most popular.

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Updated Biden administration rules will soon affect students across US: What to know

Students and school employees across America will be impacted in the fall by new changes to a rule that affects all federally-funded schools.

Practically, it's a sweeping update to how schools will have to handle sex discrimination and abuse cases. Politically, it's a part of a power struggle between the Trump and Biden administrations.

What's new? The Biden administration released a new set of rules this week overhauling the Trump administration's Title IX rules – which gave more rights to alleged perpetrators of sexual assault and harassment. The new rules also stipulate further protections for LGBTQ+ students as well as parenting and pregnant students.

What is Title IX? Title IX is a civil rights law that bans sex discrimination against students, employees and others at public schools, colleges and universities that receive federal funding.

What were some of the old rules? For cases of sexual assault, they stipulated that schools only had to investigate claims that met a certain threshold of sex discrimination and were made through a formal reporting process. It also raised the bar of proof for sexual misconduct on college campuses. They prohibited investigations of cases that occurred off campus.

Why does the change matter? Critics argued the Trump-era rules prevented people accused of sexual harassment, assault or discrimination from facing repercussions. Supporters contended the rules rightly strengthened due-process protections for accused students or faculty members.

Biden's new Title IX rules will affect people on the nation's school campuses starting in August.

What happened this week?

The Biden administration's new set of guidance overhauls Trump-era rules that in part narrowed which and how schools could investigate sex discrimination cases. President Joe Biden in his 2020 presidential campaign vowed to overturn the changes made under Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

The new rules expand the definition of sexual assault and harassment. That means schools could investigate more cases of discrimination, abuse or harassment filed by people on school campuses under the scope of the law.

College student survivors will no longer be required to attend live hearings or go through cross examinations. And people will be given the right to "prompt and equitable grievance procedures," the rule reads.

LGBTQ+ students will be guaranteed protection under the law if they are discriminated against for their gender identity or sexual orientation.

Pregnant and parenting students who might receive unwanted sexual attention, shame or punishment at schools will also be granted more protections from sex discrimination in the admissions process and on campus.

“These final regulations build on the legacy of Title IX by clarifying that all our nation’s students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

Who is impacted by the changes to Title IX?

The rule changes have a wide range of effects on students, among the most notable examples:

• Sexual assault survivors : The new rules will have sweeping effects on survivors of sexual misconduct and those accused of crimes. Among the changes: The definition of sexual assault will be expanded in K-12 schools and colleges.
• LGBTQ+ students : Biden's Title IX update stipulates protections from sex discrimination based gender identity for the first time.
• Pregnant and parenting students : The new regulations extend the definition of "sex-based harassment" to include pregnant people on campuses.

Ruling on transgender student participation in sports remains unsettled

The Biden administration did not rule on whether transgender and nonbinary students can participate on the sports teams that align with their gender.

The administration released a proposed rule in April 2023 that said schools and colleges largely could not ban nonbinary and transgender students from sports teams in the new Title IX rules.

Contact Kayla Jimenez at [email protected] .  Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.

How to Travel While Going to School Full Time

Is it possible to travel while going to school full time? Absolutely!

I’ve had the privilege of traveling my entire life. In fact, I moved across the country before I was a year old. And I grew up going on family vacations to Florida and the Caribbean. I even went to the Philippines and Korea with family friends when I was just 13.

But it wasn’t until I got to university that travel went from an annual vacation with my family to a very integral part of my life. Travel was my escape. It was my journey out of my dorm room and into the world. And I couldn’t get enough of it!

But how do you travel while going to school full time? I wasn’t about to drop out of school to travel the world (although I was tempted). I knew I needed to find a way to continue with my studies and get my degree while still satisfying my wanderlust.

So here’s how to travel while going to school full time:

Table of Contents

Go to school somewhere new

We’ll start with an obvious one – if you want to travel while going to school, why not pick a school you have to travel to? Of course, this isn’t an option for everyone. Some people have to go to local colleges or state schools for financial or other reasons. But if you’re able to leave your state/province (or even better, your country), you should absolutely take advantage of that.

I chose to go to school in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia. While I didn’t leave the country, I went about as far as you can go within Canada. Toronto and Vancouver are over 3000 km away from each other. So it definitely felt like a new adventure when I decided to head to school out west.

Study abroad

The best way to travel while going to school is to study abroad. Studying abroad allows you to do a semester or two of your university studies at a partner school somewhere else in the world. With most programs, you actually pay the same tuition fee you would to your home school, so the new school won’t cost you any extra.

I say this is the best way to travel while going to school for a few reasons. Number one, this program is literally built for people who want to travel while studying. That’s the whole point! Number two, because it’s a school program, there are so many resources available to students. Your school will be able to help you find housing, book flights, get a visa, etc. And number three, studying abroad is a great opportunity because nothing else like it quite exists. Once you leave school, it’s very hard to head over to Europe or Asia or Australia for 6 months and study.

When I studied abroad in 2014, I ended up in Amsterdam . My first choice was actually London , but I’m so glad I got matched with Amsterdam instead. Amsterdam was an amazing city to live in and I had the best time exploring it. I made amazing friends and also had the chance to travel all over Europe.

When choosing a study abroad school, I suggest thinking of some criteria that are important to you but not necessarily having your heart set on one particular city. For me, I knew I wanted to be in a big city in Europe with great flight connections, so I could travel often. Amsterdam checked all of those boxes!

Work abroad

Right after my semester abroad in Amsterdam wrapped up, I accepted a summer job in Tokyo, Japan . I was in charge of chaperoning and leading a group of youth who were in Tokyo for the summer to learn Japanese. It was an awesome job! I got to explore Tokyo and also learn a bit of Japanese myself (all of which I have now forgotten).

Working abroad is a great way to travel while in school because there are lots of international job opportunities for students. My school had a number of job boards where international jobs were often posted. If you’re signed up for your school’s co-op program, this is also a great way to find jobs abroad. Like the study abroad program, many of these school programs will help you out with housing, visas, etc.

Working abroad while studying full time has one more perk – it could lead to a full time job after graduation! My friend Kaitlyn from Toronto worked abroad through her co-op program at a company in San Francisco. Upon graduation, they hired her and she is now down there living out her California dreams!

Another great way to travel while going to school is to volunteer. Universities are lousy with volunteer opportunities. There will be tons of clubs, programs and classes that would be more than happy to send you overseas to volunteer and travel while going to school.

I volunteered through an International Service Learning program at UBC. I attended classes for the month of May and then spent June, July and August working at a children’s home in Mbabane, Swaziland . This was definitely the most out of my comfort zone I have ever been. The work was very challenging and the realities of international development hit me in the face. By the end of the summer, I had made some amazing friends, learned a ton, hopefully made a bit of a difference, and gained credits for school.

Even if you don’t find a volunteer program through your school, there are many volunteer opportunities out there for young people. A word of caution: do ensure you’re volunteering with an ethical organization for the right reasons and that your volunteering is doing more good than harm. There are some cons to voluntourism so you should do your research. I’ve been on voluntourism trips in the past and really wrestle with the impact and ethics of those trips. A great resource to check out is this video. 

Go to school online

One of the less talked about, but highly effective, ways to travel while going to school full time is to just take your studies on the road with you!

When I won a trip to Australia (I know, I’m still pinching myself), my schedule worked out so that I had to go on the trip during the school year. And there was no way I was flying all the way to Australia for just a long weekend. So I did some research and realized that I could go to Australia and travel while going to school online.

In order to do this, you need to be very self-motivated. No one is going to make sure you do your readings or stay up to date on assignments. You also need to be honest with yourself and recognize that you’re still in school. I chose to spend the first few weeks of my Australia trip housesitting in a small town on the Gold Coast . This gave me the opportunity to focus on my school work while still enjoying Aussie life. And it also meant I could work ahead and have more time to sightsee in Sydney .

Before you pursue this route, make sure you check in with your school. I know that UBC had a limit on the number of courses you could complete online.

Use your breaks

As a college/university student, you enjoy a lot of time off from school. There’s two weeks over Christmas and reading week in February. You might also get a fall reading break, plus long weekends over Easter and Thanksgiving. Summer break is four whole months long! And if your exams happen to fall early in the month, you might even have most of April and December off.

So take advantage of it! That’s a lot of time to go big on travel while going to school. With all of those breaks, you could potentially spend six months of the year traveling the world.

Tips on how to travel while going to school

• Take advantage of opportunities that are only available to college/university students. There are so many awesome programs and clubs at post-secondary schools that allow you to travel. You won’t have access to these after graduation so pursue them now.
• Yes, making time to travel while going to school isn’t the easiest thing in the world, but this is still a great time in your life to travel. It’s easier now to get up and go than when you get older and potentially have a full time job, a mortgage, a partner, pets, kids, etc.
• This is the best time to travel cheap! As a student you can live out of a backpack, stay in cheap hostels, take long and inexpensive buses, etc. You might not be so happy with the backpacker life when you’re 45.
• Want to enhance your travel? Take some relevant school courses! Study a language, the history of a country you love or international relations. You’ll have better context on your travels and it will help keep your wanderlust at bay if you can experience travel every time you step into the classroom.
• Look into independent study options. This wasn’t something I pursued at school but I remember reading up on it. Some upper year courses allow for students to create their own curriculum and study independently. So why not take yourself to France for the semester to study the French language?
• At the same time, don’t lose sight of your school work. If you travel while going to school, you need to remember that you are a student. Your school work is important and your academic goals shouldn’t be sacrificed in order to catch that plane to Bali.

Bottom line: if you prioritize travel, it will happen . I am constantly being told how lucky I am to be able to travel as much as I do. And absolutely, I am so lucky . I’m incredibly privileged to be able to travel. But I also work really hard to make it happen. Travel is a priority for me and it was even when I was a full time student. I wanted to travel while going to school, so I did just that.

Did you travel while going to school? Or, if you’re still in school, do you have plans to travel? Let me know! 

Riana Ang-Canning is a travel writer who has been sharing her global adventures as the founder of Teaspoon of Adventure since 2012. In that time, Riana has travelled to almost 50 countries on 6 continents, including interning in Eswatini, working in Tokyo, road tripping New Zealand and living abroad in Prague. Riana helps everyday travellers discover the world on a mid-budget, proving that you don't have to be athletic, wealthy or nomadic to have an adventure!

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What a great article topic! It was definitely in college that my love of travel really blossomed; in fact, a big reason that I choose the university that I did was because they had one of the best study abroad programs in the country. I also majored / minored in international relations, Latin American studies, Spanish, and anthropology, so I can definitely vouch for your comment about how your areas of study can really deepen your appreciation of international experiences. I absolutely agree with all of these tips and hope that they are helpful to young people looking to make the most of their university experience!

Thanks for reading, Gwen! Wow, sounds like you absolutely made the most of your travel opportunities in college. That’s amazing! Thanks for your comment and support 🙂

Great post! I never ended up going to university but anytime I wanted to move abroad I always looked into their schools so I could live abroad. You have really taken all of the opportunities you can with regards to your travel while going to school! It’s really awesome to see! Also I laughed at the “pretending to like football in Amsterdam” caption on your picture.

Thanks so much for reading & commenting, Crystal. I really appreciate it! Yes, looking back I’m so glad I took advantage of all of these opportunities while I had the chance. Haha I’m glad the caption made you laugh 🙂

Love this! If you want to travel badly enough, you’ll always make it happen somehow! 😉

Thanks, Jen! Absolutely. If you want it bad enough you will find a way.

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IELTS Quang Bình

(2024) ielts speaking part 1 topic schools.

Table of Contents

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Schools

Questions And Answers

1. Where do you go to school?

I’m studying at xxxx university, which is located in Beijing which is quite far away from my hometown . Studying in such a big city allowed me to have greater access to resources and opportunities and exposure to different cultures . I’m enjoying every moment here!

2. Do you go to a good school?

Yes, absolutely. I think I’m getting a first-rate education from my university. My professors are well-known in their own field , and my peers are top students from their hometowns. We have the latest technologies and equipment in our labs, and my school wins competitions across the country every year. I’m proud to be a student here!

3. Do you like your teachers?

Most of the time, I like my teachers/professors. You can really tell when they care about teaching, about their work, and about their students, which in turn , motivates me to participate and excel in the class. My pet peeve is when teachers don’t seem like they care.

5. What are the differences between your school and other schools?

I think the universities around mine are quite similar in terms of education quality, faculty expertise and facilities. Maybe certain majors from one university are better than the other ones, but I think overall, they are very close to each other.

Some  IELTS Speaking part 1  topics you may like:

• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Happy Things
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Weekends
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Keys
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic T-Shirt
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Library
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Small Business
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Outer Space And Stars
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Jewelry
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Fast Food
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Music
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Staying Up
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Chocolate
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Noise
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Study and Work – Free Lesson
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Accommodation – Free Lesson
• (2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Hometown – Free Lesson
• (Update 2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic The area you live in Free

Image  : Photo by  CDC  on  Unsplash

Vocabulary:  Cambridge Dictionary

Related Posts

(2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Social Networking

(2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Friends

(2024) IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topic Daily routine

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I'm a high school senior who commutes an hour by train to school every day. It's helped prepare me for the real world.

• Four years ago, I started commuting to my high school — which is an hour away — by train. 
• Sometimes the commute got difficult, especially when trains were delayed or canceled. 
• But I learned how to be independent; I'm taking this real-life experience with me to college.

I hadn't thought about how cushy life was in grade school when my father drove me 10 minutes to school every morning.

But that ended when I started high school at The Hudson School, which is 25 miles away from my home in Madison, New Jersey.

Unlike the schools around me, The Hudson School offers an urban campus and an extremely small class size — only 26 people in my grade. When I learned it also offers courses not found in a traditional high school curriculum, such as Ancient Greek and military history, I knew it was right for me.

But with it being so far from my home, I have to travel every day to and from school via New Jersey Transit . It takes me a little under an hour to get to school and up to 75 minutes to get home.

Now that I'm a high school senior , I look back fondly on my four-year commute. I learned a lot on those trains — but not all of it was great.

When I first started commuting to school, it was nerve-racking

I thought I knew what I was getting myself into on that first day of freshman year — but after waking up at 6 a.m. and planning to make a 6:45 train, I realized that I would have to make some changes. I started to adjust my routine: I packed my backpack the night before so it was ready to go in the morning, and I ate my breakfast on the train.

Right off the bat, my parents were concerned about me getting on and getting off the train in the dark — not to mention the discomfort of being surrounded by strangers every time I rode the train because this was the fall of 2020, and COVID was still very much a concern.

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Meanwhile, I realized I was on my own for the first time. I had to make sure to have my tickets ready and deal with difficult conductors. In the beginning, I was nervous.

But I quickly got into the swing of things that first year and learned to enjoy my commute . Four years later, those commute jitters are long gone.

I learned real-life experiences from a young age

It didn't take long before I developed a routine and became familiar with the ins and outs of navigating trains , and I found that I could even sit with some friends from school who also commuted.

At first, I felt I was wasting valuable time just sitting on the train, so I soon started using my time productively by completing my homework . Because of this, I have learned to work in almost any environment.

I also learned a whole new set of skills. I have to ensure I have my tickets ready every morning and that I am on the right track for my train — little things that I hadn't really had to worry about before.

Additionally, I had to think on my feet and learned how to handle the unexpected. I know which stations offer transfers, so if I missed my connection, I knew where I can catch a different train. I also have learned to read a timetable, which came in handy when I was in Europe last summer .

But commuting every day isn't always easy

Commuting did take a toll on my social life . Some of my classmates didn't live so far from the school, so they didn't have to worry about a long commute. They were able to stay in Hoboken and hang out. Whenever I joined them, I had to keep the train schedules in my mind. The longer I hung out, the later I would get home, cutting into my homework and study time.

Commuting by train also means inherent mechanical issues. There have been days when it has taken me hours to get to school. It can get exhausting and draining; there are some days when I wish I could just get home as quickly as my peers who live in Hoboken and not have to deal with mass transit .

Plus, there have been times when I needed to get to school on time — for a big project or test — and then my train would suddenly get canceled or experience a delay. On those days, I struggled the most and had to get creative. Sometimes, I had to rent a bike to finish the commute. Other times, I had to get to another station to catch a faster train.

I imagined how much easier it would be if I were a regular high school student who took the bus to school.

Still, I'm glad I got to commute 25 miles every day before heading off to college

Looking back at the past four years, I realize commuting has helped prepare me for the real world — outside high school.

Now that I am about to head off to college, I feel that these experiences have helped me learn lessons about time management and problem-solving that I might otherwise not have learned.

It may have been a struggle at times, but I know that it was all worth it for the education I got in the end.

Watch: The true cost of turning America's school buses electric

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IELTS Speaking Part 1 – Transport

• IELTS Speaking

How do you go to work/school?

What’s the most popular means of transportation in your hometown, how far is it from your home to work/school, do you think people will drive more in the future.

Currently, I’ve arranged to live close to my university, making the commute much more convenient. Previously, the dorm was a bit farther, but now it’s just a 5-minute walk, or about 3 minutes if I’m in a hurry. This proximity allows me to prepare in just 15 minutes, giving me extra sleep during school days, a significant improvement over the previous 30-minute commute.

In my city, taxis, buses, shared bikes, and buses are common modes of transportation. However, the most popular would be the subway. The city sees a considerable influx of people from various places, including workers and students commuting daily. As a result, the subway is often crowded, reflecting its popularity among the residents.

Traveling from my home in [insert name of the city or town] to school takes around 40 minutes by bus, following a somewhat indirect route. In a car, the commute shortens to 30 minutes due to a more direct route. However, during holidays, a particular road experiences heavy traffic, making it less ideal for travel during those times.

Considering factors like the rising cost of gasoline and increasing environmental consciousness, I believe people will likely drive less in the future. Car prices are also a significant factor, as they can be expensive. Moreover, with the rise of online jobs, such as media influencers, and the ability to conduct many activities online, commuting for work or study may become less common in the future.

Check Placement Test for Speaking

Please visit the website Educatorian to find suggested answers for IELTS speaking questions. Additionally, I recommend checking out Ian’s personal website f or further information. 请访问 Educatorian 网站，找到雅思口语问题的建议答案。此外，我建议查看伊恩的个人网站以了解更多信息。

Ian Tanpiuco – Virtual Assistant, Educatorian, and IELTS Rizz Tutor. Ian’s goal is to enhance his students’ IELTS scores through a comprehensive curriculum that focuses on understanding rather than mere memorization.

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• IELTS Rizz – Vocabulary Day 02

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What the New Overtime Rule Means for Workers

One of the basic principles of the American workplace is that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Simply put, every worker’s time has value. A cornerstone of that promise is the  Fair Labor Standards Act ’s (FLSA) requirement that when most workers work more than 40 hours in a week, they get paid more. The  Department of Labor ’s new overtime regulation is restoring and extending this promise for millions more lower-paid salaried workers in the U.S.

Overtime protections have been a critical part of the FLSA since 1938 and were established to protect workers from exploitation and to benefit workers, their families and our communities. Strong overtime protections help build America’s middle class and ensure that workers are not overworked and underpaid.

Some workers are specifically exempt from the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime protections, including bona fide executive, administrative or professional employees. This exemption, typically referred to as the “EAP” exemption, applies when: 

1. An employee is paid a salary,  

2. The salary is not less than a minimum salary threshold amount, and 

3. The employee primarily performs executive, administrative or professional duties.

While the department increased the minimum salary required for the EAP exemption from overtime pay every 5 to 9 years between 1938 and 1975, long periods between increases to the salary requirement after 1975 have caused an erosion of the real value of the salary threshold, lessening its effectiveness in helping to identify exempt EAP employees.

The department’s new overtime rule was developed based on almost 30 listening sessions across the country and the final rule was issued after reviewing over 33,000 written comments. We heard from a wide variety of members of the public who shared valuable insights to help us develop this Administration’s overtime rule, including from workers who told us: “I would love the opportunity to...be compensated for time worked beyond 40 hours, or alternately be given a raise,” and “I make around $40,000 a year and most week[s] work well over 40 hours (likely in the 45-50 range). This rule change would benefit me greatly and ensure that my time is paid for!” and “Please, I would love to be paid for the extra hours I work!”

The department’s final rule, which will go into effect on July 1, 2024, will increase the standard salary level that helps define and delimit which salaried workers are entitled to overtime pay protections under the FLSA. 

Starting July 1, most salaried workers who earn less than $844 per week will become eligible for overtime pay under the final rule. And on Jan. 1, 2025, most salaried workers who make less than $1,128 per week will become eligible for overtime pay. As these changes occur, job duties will continue to determine overtime exemption status for most salaried employees.

The rule will also increase the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (who are not entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA if certain requirements are met) from $107,432 per year to $132,964 per year on July 1, 2024, and then set it equal to $151,164 per year on Jan. 1, 2025.

Starting July 1, 2027, these earnings thresholds will be updated every three years so they keep pace with changes in worker salaries, ensuring that employers can adapt more easily because they’ll know when salary updates will happen and how they’ll be calculated.

The final rule will restore and extend the right to overtime pay to many salaried workers, including workers who historically were entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA because of their lower pay or the type of work they performed. 

We urge workers and employers to visit  our website to learn more about the final rule.

Jessica Looman is the administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Follow the Wage and Hour Division on Twitter at  @WHD_DOL  and  LinkedIn .  Editor's note: This blog was edited to correct a typo (changing "administrator" to "administrative.")

• Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• overtime rule

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– Medical School Blog

Can You Do Medical School Online?

  One of the lessons many of us inevitably had to learn during the pandemic is how to make the best of a difficult situation. You can apply similar strategies for staying optimistic and motivated during challenging situations to your medical school experience.

During the pandemic, St. George’s University (SGU) School of Medicine quickly pivoted to online learning as the health and safety of the campus community was a clear priority to the University. Yet, offering medical education online was an entirely new experience, one with many new challenges and benefits alike.

With the convenience and comfort of online learning, it is clear why prospective medical students may seek out online learning options. Where one might ask, “Can you attend medical school online?” they should alternatively consider the question “Should you attend medical school online?” when in-person options exist.

The SGU community learned that teaching and learning medicine online, while possible, is not the same experience as in-person, hands-on learning at a campus in the Caribbean or onsite at a hospital.

“Everyone at SGU has the same goal, and that is student success. We transitioned to online education smoothly and quickly during the pandemic, but every school has shown that their students do better if they have in-person learning,” says Dr. Lucy Clunes , SGU’s dean of students.

The benefits of in-person learning in medical school

The benefits of in-person learning are abundant, particularly for those studying medicine. There are many reasons for this, including clinical rotations in hospitals. Clinical rotations , also called clerkships, give medical students firsthand experience in working with patients under the direct supervision of a faculty member, fellow, or resident. Typically completed during the third and fourth years of their Doctor of Medicine (MD) programs, clinicals are crucial for med students to hone their technical skills and bedside manner. At SGU, students are offered clinical rotations through more than 75 hospitals and health systems in the US, UK, and Canada.

When it comes to preparing students for clinical rotations, Dr. Anna Maria Cyrus-Murden , Director of the Simulation Center and Assistant Dean of Simulation, believes that in-person instruction is critical.

According to Dr. Cyrus-Murden, “In-person instruction facilitates mentorship, role modeling, and feedback, allowing students to not only learn about medicine but also embody the values and professional characteristics of compassionate and competent healthcare practitioners. Overall, the immersive nature of in-person instruction is critical in providing medical students with the clinical knowledge, practical skills, and professional demeanor required for success in their future clinical practice.”

In other words, the skills that students must develop for clinicals go beyond technical and basic sciences knowledge.

How can fully online medical school programs compete with the learned muscle memory from taking someone’s vitals? Or the wealth of anatomical knowledge from practicing on a cadaver? Or becoming proficient at reading the non-verbal cues from patients?

Transitioning from online learning

The changes made during the pandemic were essential to keep students’ paths to MD as uninterrupted as possible while also keeping them safe. SGU offered self-paced, independent study as the school’s globally diverse group of students returned home to time zones across the world. Students expressed appreciation for the increased flexibility in their schedules.

SGU’s School of Medicine created online learning programs for basic science students that were robust and interactive with live lectures, labs, virtual training sessions teaching skills for clinicals, and other innovative ways to connect students to valuable information and resources.

“Simulated technology and learning emerged as pivotal components of medical education,” Dr. Cyrus-Murden says. “Virtual simulation enabled students to hone their skills and participate in realistic scenarios from the safety of their homes. Moreover, the challenges posed by the pandemic spurred the development of novel technologies to enhance simulated learning experiences.”

However, even with the provisions put in place to set students up for success, one fact became clear: in-person learning has essential, irreplicable educational benefits.

Medicine is not a one-person sport

“Medicine is not a one-person sport,” says Dr. Clunes. “It requires a team, and part of what you learn during medical school is how to be an effective team member as well as how to utilize other team members skills to ensure patient success.”

Dr. Clunes also believes that in-person instruction is not only beneficial for the learning of students, but for faculty and how they interact socially with students.

“Part of student life is learning professionalism, timekeeping, etc., as well as the academic content. Online learning does not teach this as well as in person. What we can learn from our student’s body language and facial interactions helps us to support our students better and be better educators. It is far easier to individualize our support when we meet students and get to know them,” she says.

During the pandemic, SGU was dedicated to supporting its students during online learning when they could not be at the campus in the Caribbean or the United Kingdom. But the medical field is built on close interactions between physicians and patients, and an in-person education builds a strong foundation for developing compassion and empathy.

Prospective medical students eager to reach their full potential would be wise to seek out such hands-on instruction and modern simulation technologies.

Thinking about a career in medicine?

St. George’s University Medical School can help set up students for success in their medical careers. Do you have questions about the SGU experience? Learn more here .

For more information about how to get started, check out our article “ Understanding the Medical School Application Process .”

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US residencies in 2024 1

US residency placement rate for graduates over the last five years​ 2

USMLE Step 1 pass rate for first-time test-takers over the last three years 3

USMLE Step 2CK pass rate for first-time test-takers over the last three years 4

1 Data as of March 2024.

2 As the medical school graduating the largest number of students per year, SGU places the largest number of graduates into residency programs each year, based on internal SGU graduate/expected graduate and residency placement data as of March 2024.

3 Average of 2019, 2020, 2021 scores. First-time pass rate is defined as the number of students passing USMLE Step 1 on their first attempt divided by the total number of students taking USMLE Step 1 for the first time. In order to be certified to take USMLE Step 1, students are required to pass all basic sciences courses.

4 Average of academic years 2019, 2020, 2021 scores. First-time pass rate is defined as the number of students passing USMLE Step 2 CK on their first attempt divided by the total number of students taking USMLE Step 2 CK for the first time. USMLE Step 2 CK is typically taken upon completion of third-year core clinical rotations.

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US Residencies in 2024 1

US residency placement rate for graduates over the last five years 2

USMLE Step 2CK pass rate for first-time test takers over the last three years 4

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